Cantus is a splendid, relatively new male a cappella choral group that swells the ranks of our current golden age of ensemble singing in a distinctive way.

Other groups aim for a honeyed but disembodied sound. Cantus matches that blend, but it also revels in a heft of sound hardly imagined possible from 10 men singing without accompaniment. At times, in its Los Angeles debut Saturday in UCLA's Schoenberg Hall, Cantus sounded 50 voices strong.

It's also a group whose members sing to one another, seriously listening to and believing in what they are saying. On only a few occasions did all of them face the audience full out. Otherwise, they stood in a curved line, with the singers at the ends turned toward each other.

Far from distancing them, this configuration, which changed from piece to piece, offered some advantages. The focal point shifted intriguingly as different sections became prominent, although the deep richness of sound was never lost.

It also felt like being in some cozy place listening to a group of friends enjoying themselves. Which is true. The group hails from Northfield, Minn., where it was formed at St. Olaf College in 1995 when a bunch of friends decided to give themselves a break from studies and have some fun.

On paper the program looked eclectic, if not weird, ranging from Inuit chants to Smokey Robinson, from a 19th century Romantic love lyric to gospels and contemporary Nordic songs. Actually, it was all geared toward entertainment, with more serious art music followed by more popular fare -- all wonderful.

Erick Lichte, Cantus artistic director, and Michel Hanawalt, executive director, stepped out of the chorus to drolly introduce most of the selections from the stage. Albert Jordan was the fine tenor soloist in Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You."

(Copyright The Times Mirror Company; Los Angeles Times 2003. All rights reserved.)

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February, 2003
CANTUS AT SCHOENBERG
Gina Zollman, The Beverly Hills Outlook

Cantus is a ten-member male a cappella choir, started recently (1995) in the Minneapolis- St. Paul area.  This was their first West Coast performance, and the word hadn’t gotten out yet, as the auditorium at Schoenberg Hall was half full and went to open seating to allow for all to get the best seats they could.  Having sung in choirs for over 15 years, I was looking forward to this ensemble, to hear their sound, and to see if they lived up to all the great press they have received.

They started off with a “Devil” set, which one of them (they each took turns making announcements) claimed was especially appropriate for LA.  Hey, they come from the middle of America, and had to feel a little trepidatious about our big, bad city!  The group of ten 20-27 year-olds, who do this full time like a day job we were told, stand in a semicircle on stage and look mostly at each other during each song, cuing when to start and finish, etc.  They swayed and bobbed up and down with the various rhythms, and seemed very into the whole choral performance arena, which I had never noticed before at any other recital such as this.  There was no conductor, you see; they were conducting themselves.

From the start I noticed their tremendous range of vocal dynamics, more like a wind ensemble, so smooth and flowing, with no single voice dominating.  The difficulty of singing such complex harmonies and staying in tune, a cappella, is not lost on me.  It takes great control and skill to listen to others while you sing completely different notes, and in many cases, there are more than four notes in the chord that ten voices are making. There were five tenors, and to my surprise, there wasn’t a prima donna among them.  They blended well like instruments and did not over sing.  On each tune, they changed their configuration, always staying in a semicircle but standing next to different people.  They weren’t just good at their pronunciation, use of vowels and consonants, they were topnotch.  The end of the Devil set had a very nice crescendo and a big ending payoff note.  Very satisfying to the ear.

The next set was called “Divine,” and the first tune, “Legenda,” was by a Finnish composer, was very moving, going from the dulcet tones of a prayer to a full volume roar.  It was breathtaking.  They also included the number one requested male choral piece, “Ave Maria,” and it was so delicate and respectful, it was very moving.  The solo tenor was heavenly.  This was followed by a western style ballad sung slowly and then repeated double time to great effect, “In His Care-o” by William Dawson.

Their overall repertoire gives new meaning to the word “eclectic.”  Each piece was from a different part of the world, such as China, Finland, America (a very beautiful “When She Loved Me” by our own Randy Newman), the highlights were many and worth much more than a simple review can reveal.  The Inuit Chant was amazing and very primal feeling, what with the drumming and all the male energy in the semicircle, it was transporting.  Their “Shenandoah” was masterful and lulled the audience into submission.  On the song from Estonia, by Velio Tormis, they whisper-sang and made sounds like the waves.  I can’t express how impressed I was at their joy and command of their art.  Well done, Cantus.

They ended a wonderfully varied and accomplished set with two spirituals, in another two examples of exquisite arranging.  Of course we couldn’t have them leave L.A. without an encore, so they came back to sing a song by Elton John, and arranged by a member of Cantus, “Lullaby Goodnight.”  A very smooth piece, and although they were pianissimo, you could understand every word.  I was very happy indeed to catch “Cantus” on their way up.  They have four CD’s out and they’re working on their next, which I hope includes some of the brilliant American offerings that I so loved.

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December 16, 2002
Cantus holds show together
Curtis Gilbert, Special to the Pioneer Press

Saturday's Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert "Cantus & Carols" filled the United Church of Christ in St. Paul with four centuries of classical music, Bible verses, recitations of poetry, vocal jazz, world music and Christmas carol sing-alongs.

If it sounds like a hodge-podge, it was.

Luckily the SPCO didn't have to maneuver this eclectic program alone; it was joined by Minnesota Public Radio's Lynne Warfel-Holt, who gave the readings, and more crucially, by the Minneapolis-based vocal ensemble Cantus.

The 11 young men of Cantus proved to be much more limber and adept at genre jumping than the more starched and subdued SPCO. They led the sing-alongs and executed everything from Johann Sebastian Bach's "In Dulci Jubilo" to their own 5/4 vocal jazz arrangement of "Deck the Halls" with sophistication and style.

The SPCO's own offerings for the evening were surprisingly forgettable, by and large.

Longtime SPCO keyboardist Layton "Skip" James was conductor for the night, and the program also included the premiere of one of his own arrangements. The piece was an orchestrated version of Everett Titcomb's "Puer natus est," originally for choir and organ, and while it did evoke striking, wintry images, it relied too heavily on schmaltz. James passed the melody around the orchestra in a terribly predictable fashion, giving the whole arrangement the texture of a movie soundtrack.

Altogether, Saturday's program hopped from this to that to the other far too quickly. Warfel-Holt would be reading one moment, then there would be a carol and then something from the orchestra. Ultimately, only Cantus seemed able to keep up with it all.

So, if it is a night of wild eclecticism and first-rate musicianship you desire, then skip the chamber orchestra, Bible readings and Christmas carols, and just take in an evening with Cantus. You won't be disappointed.

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October 17, 2002
Cantus was Excellent!
James Beaumier, Hartsville, SC

A full community concerts audience was delighted recently with an exquisite presentation by an 11-member professional male group originating from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. These gentlemen sing in the male vocal ensemble tradition of The King's Singers and Chanticleer (Chanticleer sang in Hartsville in March of 1998). These groups (with Cantus the latest addition) set an impeccable standard of musical excellence for blended male vocal sound, flawless intonation, delightful vocal sonority, and include repertoire written specifically for each of the ensembles. Chanticleer and Cantus in addition both show the influence of Joseph Jennings, an incredible choral director and arranger who has been associated with both ensembles.

Beginning their concert on the esoteric side with repertoire from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, the group immediately impressed us with spectacular sonic beauty. The repertoire amply demonstrated their vocal power with divergent dynamics, colorful timbres and perfect ensemble. In the first group, the selection that demonstrated most clearly the above was "Varjele, Jumala, soasta" by Tormis. The selection also included the enormous sound of a Tam-Tam or Chinese Gong which assisted the singers in building to an enormous sound climax.

Concluding this unusual first group was a selection by Henry Cowell--mostly known for his experimental musical selections requiring the "scritching" of piano strings with a finger-nail! Cowell's "Evensong at Brookside" was a pleasant surprise because it was a gorgeous, melodic selection accompanied by cello and a tenor soloist in a decidedly Post-Romantic, lush harmonic style.

The second group included another eclectic grouping of selections highlighted by the last two. "Thee We Adore" was a gorgeous, luxuriantly melodious arrangement by Philip Moody for double-choir with a harmonically set plainchant ostinato and the second choir supplying the melodic content. This selection was reminiscent of Chanticleer's signature selection "Ave Maria" arranged by Biebl (also part of Cantus' repertoire and another Joseph Jennings favorite). The final selection in this group, "In His Care-O" was a spiritual arranged by Dawson and demonstrated the choir's versatility in a more popular style.

Perhaps now we should relate the story of Cantus. Beginning with friends singing for their own enjoyment, the group began performing--then touring to great acclaim. Only in recent years have they been able to become independent of other sources of income and devote themselves completely musically and professionally to this ensemble. Whereas the King Singers now often program arrangements of popular songs employing many vocal "tricks" and Chanticleer includes a great deal of Gospel music and a strongly religious presentation, Cantus has taken a new path. According to its mission statement Cantus sings the finest literature of the past but also presents new music either created by its members or commissioned for the group. The singers also represent the best of solo vocal traditions as this reviewer learned when witnessing their comments during a Masterclass at Coker College on the day following their performance. Each member of Cantus is an impressive vocal soloist with deeply-held opinions about singing and choral music!

The second half began with "Surprise!" which turned about to be a very interesting "sound piece" of nonsense syllables and African synchronized hand-claps which the group admitted had taken them weeks to learn. This group continued with several beautiful selections arranged by current Cantus members (according to their mission statement) which included a gorgeous baritone solo by Kelvin Chang in a selection by Timothy Takach.

The final group included a number of folk-song arrangements from Ireland, Sweden, England, America and another spiritual arrangement. All were well-sung with the highlights including the famous Erb arrangement of "Shenandoah" a broadly sung canonic setting, along with a humorous arrangement of the Sea-Chanty "What Shall I Do With the Drunken Sailor?"

The group gave us a popular encore, Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel" which was a lovely ballad. Cantus is beyond a doubt one of the best of the 21st Century professional choral ensembles. It is our pleasure indeed that they sang for us in Hartsville.

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September 28, 2002
Music review: Cantus male-vocal group
Larry Fuchsberg, Special to the Star Tribune

As last month's World Symposium so memorably showed, choral music is as multifarious as human experience. Many vocal groups are content to explore a narrow slice of the prodigious choral pie. The 11 men of Cantus, who launched their third season as a full-time ensemble Thursday at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, want it all.

In an artfully chosen, thematically organized program, this spirited a cappella ensemble, founded in 1995 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., nimbly negotiated short pieces in nine languages -- or perhaps 10, depending on whether you think Thomas Morley's 16th-century British English is the same tongue as Smokey Robinson's late 20th-century American.

Estonian, Georgian, Gaelic and Mandarin shared the bill with more familiar languages. Awards for adventurous programming have been given for less.

The members of Cantus are in their mid-to late 20s, and in much of their singing a youthful bravura makes itself felt. They're not afraid to move with the music; they've decisively cast off the superannuated, stand-stock-still-and-sing school of choral performance.

Yet this welcome theatricality is undermined by an odd and evidently deliberate choice: They sing to each other, not to their audience. They make conspicuous eye contact with one another but seldom even glance toward their listeners. Coupled with the formal proscenium stage at Westminster Church, this curious comportment needlessly distances performers from public, deepening the divide that the ensemble's robust music-making seems otherwise bent on shrinking.

The program offers gems in profusion. In the first half, the "War and Peace" set is especially strong and disturbingly topical. A sinewy performance of "The Minstrel Boy" in Ron Jeffers' marvelous arrangement is followed by Veljo Tormis' "Varjele, Jumala, soasta" ("God Protect Us from War"), Jean Sibelius' "Sydämeni laulu" ("My Heart's Song") and Henry Cowell's "Evensong at Brookside" -- each more affecting than the other. The Tormis, which begins and ends in chant, is hair-raising; the Sibelius, a lullaby for a dead child, is heart-rending.

In the second half, the standout is 'No me Llevéis al Mar!" ("Do Not Take Me Out to Sea!") by Knut Nystedt, at 87 the grand old man of Norwegian music. In Nystedt's largely dissonant, rhythmically insistent setting, this landlubber's entreaty becomes a lament for all who have been forced from their homeland. (Here as elsewhere, it would be helpful to have the original text opposite the translation.)

Cantus has room to develop. The tenors don't blend seamlessly; the basses could be weightier. But this able and assured ensemble is poised to go far.

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October 17, 2000
With Cantus, Voices Are Everything You Need
Ronald Broun, The Washington Post

Cantus--a male chorus of 11 young singers--gave a superb a cappella concert Sunday afternoon at the downtown Church of the Epiphany. The prospect of two hours of choral singing without accompaniment has roughly the allure of a dozen helpings of cream of wheat--too much of a good thing--but Cantus's sonic blend was so beaming and elastic that it seemed to originate as a single, gorgeously variegated voice. Matters of intonation and articulation were never an issue; notes formed with spontaneous grace, and words rode the musical line without little artificial boosts of exertion that bruise it. When soloists emerged from the ensemble, they sang distinctively well.

The program was eclectic, but with twenty-some brief selections there was no room for a major choral work. Still, it's not fair to carp about a program so widely diverse. The Washington Men's Camerata joined Cantus for a touching antiphonal performance of Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria." Cantus's Brian Arreola personified a robust Italian tenor in Richard Genee's hilarious novelty "Insalata Italiana (Italian Salad)," a satire using musical instructions as text (decrescendo, morendo, smorzando!). In Zoltan Kodaly's "Hegyi Ejszakak," the sound of the wind on a mountaintop was a numinous current of beautifully regulated voices. Cantus became a full-time professional chorus only two months ago, but years of intense preparation are everywhere apparent in its sound.

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December 15, 2004
CD Review - Cantus: Comfort and Joy, Volume One
Julie Amacher, Minnesota Public Radio 
 
The dictionary definition for "comfort" is: a condition or feeling of
pleasurable ease, well-being and contentment.

That is precisely how you'll feel after you've listened to "Comfort and Joy," Volume 1, featuring the Minnesota-based a cappella group, Cantus. With unique arrangements of many familiar carols, and meditative works by composers like Morten Lauridsen and Franz Biebl, you can't help but feel hopeful. This ensemble sounds so much bigger than its ten voices, even when they're offering quiet contemplative phrases. Cantus is all about rich textures and gorgeous harmonies. While you're absorbing the rich textures and gorgeous harmonies of  "Comfort and Joy, Vol. 1," make note Volume 2 is due out in 2005.

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American Record Guide Review - January/February 2004
Review for Deep River
Lindsay Koob

I was transfixed by the two previous releases from Cantus, Minnesota's terrific men's ensemble-check out my recent double review (see Let Your Voice be Heard, M/A 2003, p 216). They're among my top choral picks for 2003 (this issue). Imagine the big smile on my face when I found these wonderful a cappella arrangements of American Negro spirituals and work songs from this lovable group among my current to-do pile!

If you read my recent review of the spiritual-based choral works of Nathaniel Dett (previous issue-also a top pick), you know of my general preference for black singers in this corner of the repertoire, as they offer unbeatable  idiomatic authenticity. But any competent and emotive choir can give beautiful voice to spirituals in their own fashion. Turn them over to a master ensemble like Cantus, and the result is pure, heart-stirring choral magic.

These - all by black composers - are among THE classic arrangements of their kind, beginning with those of Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949): the first great (perhaps the greatest) chronicler and preserver of his people's musical heritage. The contributions of William Levi Dawson (1899-1990), Jester Hairston (1902-2000) and John W. Work III (1901-1967) are no less lovely or important. Cantus member Erick Lichte's excellent program notes will tell you of their timeless contributions to the American choral tradition. He also provides a concise history and typology of the spirituals genre.

Most of your favorites (and mine) are here: "Ezekiel saw de wheel", "Were you there", "Balm in Gilead", "Deep river", "Swing low, sweet chariot", "Steal away", "My Lord, what a mornin' ",  and "Ev'ry time I feel the spirit". Lesser-known gems include Hairston's "Poor man Laz'rus" and Dawson's "In his care-o". Brief contrasts from the spirituals come with the convict songs: Work's "This ol' hammer" and Hairston's "Great God a'mighty". There's not a number here that won't beguile, thrill or choke up most choral buffs.

The twelve amazing men of Cantus weave their usual spell, with singing of unimaginable (unless you've heard them) precision, sensitivity and deep emotional power. Their way with this music's unique brand of aching sorrow keeps recurring lumps in your throat; their sense of jubilant celebration makes you want to get up and dance and sing along.

They are true chamber musicians, as they rehearse and perform without a conductor or other leader. Their levels of interpretive teamwork and emotional unity would be impossible were not every one of them a consummate vocal virtuoso, with the kind of deep and instinctive musicianship that allows each to attune his work perfectly to that of his fellows. Their stunning sonorities are captured in warm, rich, and clear sound; notes and texts are nicely laid out.

Having performed nearly half of these pieces over the years - many in other arrangements - I couldn't help singing along (no dancing) here and there. LET the neighbors think I'm crazy! I fear that choral nuts in general - but especially spirituals fans - just can't go on living without this one.

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Classics Today, October, 2003 - Deep River
David Vernier

Artistic Quality -10
Sound Quality - 10

If you like Spirituals sung by a male choir, you won't do much better than the performances on this excellent program by the Minneapolis/St. Paul-based professional chamber ensemble Cantus. Although there are only 12 voices here, their collective sound has a fullness and richness often lacking in larger groups. Inflection, phrasing, dynamics, and balance show the polished presentation exhibited only by singers who both possess that certain intuitive ensemble-sense and have made a significant investment of many hours of rehearsal time together. Further, the group's overall sound and expressive range make their music a delight to the ear and keep us interested even though there's a certain similarity to the harmony and style of many of these pieces.

Experienced choir singers certainly will know most or all of these arrangements, for they are among the most famous and revered in the repertoire. Among the highlights are Harry T. Burleigh's Ezekiel saw de wheel, Were you there?, Deep River, and My Lord, what a mornin', Jester Hairston's Poor man Lazrus and In dat great gittin' up mornin', and William L. Dawson's There is a Balm in Gilead, Steal Away, and Soon ah will be done. Several of the selections feature soloists--all of whom are excellent--but especially notable are Brian Arreola in There is a Balm and Albert Jordan in Swing low, sweet chariot. Also worthy of special mention are the basses (the opening of Swing low, sweet chariot and Steal Away are especially impressive!)--rock-solid, rich-toned, and reliable, providing an ideal foundation for building beautiful harmony. And speaking of beautiful--you'll immediately notice how clear and natural and well-balanced are the voices, and how perfectly the ensemble fits the acoustic, giving the impression of nothing artificial intervening between the singers and our ears.

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Boulder Daily Camera, December 7, 2003 - Deep River
Wes Blomster, Camera Classical Music Critic

Here's something very American for the holidays: Deep River, a collection of African-American spirituals sung by Cantus, the 10-man vocal ensemble founded at St. Olaf College in 1995 and now at home in the Twin Cities.

The 15 well-known works on the disc, released on Cantus' own label, are sung in historic arrangements long lost to the modern concert hall.

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Primarily A Cappella - Deep River

Deep River is sixth strong recording from the 11 men of Cantus, a professional, vocal chamber ensemble dedicated to exalting the human spirit through the performance of innovative and engaging musical programs. There are 16 Spirituals and Gospel tunes here, as powerful and spirited as we have ever heard them sung. From the first cut, "Ezekiel Saw de Wheel," to "King Jesus Is A-Listening," "This Ol' Hammer" and the title tune to "My Lord, What a Mornin'," "In His Care-O" and "In Dat Great Gittin' Up Mornin'," this is marvelous, deep-bassed revival meeting stuff. And the softer tunes, like "There Is A Balm in Gilead," remind us how much we'd rather hear this than "There is a bomb in." Cantus keeps getting better with every CD, and we like what they're doing! Nice liner notes with complete lyrics.

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Mainely A Cappella - Deep River

Familiar spirituals by top arrangers (Dawson, Hairston, Burleigh and Work) are performed with an impressive combination of passion and perfection by men's ensemble Cantus. A powerful solo marks lesser-known "King Jesus Is A-Listening," and a relentless rhythm sets "This Ol' Hammer" as a work song. Cantus just keeps getting better!

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Classics Today
Review for ...against the dying of the light
David Vernier

Sound Quality ­ 8
Artisitc Quality - 8

There are many styles of choral singing around the world, and what we get from the professional all-male Minnesota-based ensemble Cantus is as distinctly American as that term can be defined: free use of vibrato, a certain interpretive homogeneity (not a lot of difference between Sibelius and Josquin), and an exuberant sincerity that informs everything, governed by an obvious love of beautiful sound and warm expression. In other words, in these performances, the music is more a means to an end than an end in itself--specifically, to “champion male choral singing and to encourage people of all ages to sing.” Thus, we’re presented works--several by very well-known composers who aren’t primarily known for their choral music--whose texts are more profound than their musical settings are masterful. It’s clear that Cantus wants to convey a message (or several messages) here that we as listeners are expected to attend to and become absorbed in as the program progresses.

The themes--the inevitabilities of life, the opportunities and consequences of choices, the certainty of death, the hope of the next life--are delivered through works both familiar--Casals’ O vos omnes, Josquin’s Absalon, fili mi, Randall Thompson’s beloved Alleluia--and strange, including a very un-Debussy-like Invocation by the French master, Kenneth Jennings’ Two Laments on Dylan Thomas, and a couple of Sibelius hymns. Orff’s Sunt lacrimae rerum, whose middle section is a setting of the Ecclesiastes text “To everything there is a season”, sounds as if ripped directly from the In taberna scene in Carmina Burana; and Veljo Tormis’ Varjele, Jumala, Soasta, a prayer to God to “protect us from war”, features what must be the most terrifying tam-tam crescendo ever recorded. There’s power aplenty in these utterances, presented with complete conviction and often hair-raising ensemble technique--the effects of perfect vocal balance and blend and uniformity of dynamics. The engineering allows some harsh edges in the louder passages, but there’s no escaping the immediacy and presence of these 11 singers, whose mastery of often very difficult music is impressive. This isn’t an easy listen--and I’m sure it’s not intended to be; but it’s well worth your attention. Although the liner notes contain English translations of the texts, there’s next to no information given about the music or composers.

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International Record Review, June 2003
Review for …against the dying of the light 
Ivan Moody

Cantus, a young American ensemble (comprising of five tenors, three baritones and three basses) is already well known in its native country and has a very busy schedule.  This recording should certainly serve to give their career an international perspective.  It is a highly original - idiosyncratic, even - programme whose underlying idea is the movement from darkness to light.  If I say that they spend more time in the former than the latter, let that not put anybody off investigating such unusual repertoire of high quality.

Finnish and Estonian music plays a large part in Cantus’ repertoire, and here they give excellent renditions of Sibelius’ Hymnus and Sydämeni Laulu (‘My Heart’s Song’, setting of a poem by Alexis Kivi), Tormis’ Varjele, Jumala Soasta (better know in English speaking countries as God Protect us From War) and Leevi Madetoja’s very fine De Profundis.  These latter two represent from me the highlights of the disc.  Tormis’ piece is a visceral tour-de-force setting verses from the Kanteletar (the Estonian equivalent of the Kalevala), and I have rarely heard it rendered this well.  Madetoja’s ample choral output included a substantial number of works of striking originality, and this brief, incisive setting of psalm verses is indubitably one of them.

Other rarities include Casal’s rather odd O Vos Omnes and, once a much more regular element in the choral repertoire, Orff’s Sunt Lacrimae Rerum, to whose frequently Burana-like echos Cantus does splendid justice, maintaining the tension right to the end and making particularly effective use of those sudden Orffian outbursts of high tenor writing á la roasted swan.  The most recent piece on the disc, Kenneth Jennings’ Two Laments on Dylan Thomas (hence the title of the disc) did not do much for me, well written and splendidly sung though it is, and I confess that I found the presence of the ubiquitous Randall Thomson’s Alleluia to be more of a distraction than a transition (which I take is the reason for including it at this point in the disc), again, not withstanding the magnificent performance.  The Debussy Invocation is similarly odd, but really these are minor quibbles and obviously fall into the subjective category of what makes good programming.  A genuine black mark, however, for the booklet’s complete absence of original texts and any information whatsoever about this remarkable sequence of music - beautiful graphic design alone does not make up for these things.  That said, an unqualified recommendation for a disc from an outstanding group from whom I hope to hear a great deal more.

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On HiFi.com
Cantus: ...against the dying of the light
Wes Phillips

Cantus Recordings CTS-1202

It's going to happen to you, which I can certainly deal with. But it's also going to happen to me -- and I'm much less calm about that. It is, in fact, the one thing we can all be sure of (popular aphorisms to the contrary, the "and taxes" part doesn't seem to apply to everyone, as clearly shown by Enron).

I'm speaking, of course, of death.

It's the big subject -- one that our most profound artists have grappled with since mankind first developed abstract thought. Man is the only animal aware of his own mortality and one school of thought holds that all art is simply tales around the campfire, attempts to distract ourselves from the knowledge that every second we are alive brings us a second closer to our death.

Perhaps that's true, but it seems to me that humankind's most profound works of art concerning death have been in the realm of music. From requiem masses to depictions of death and transfiguration, music history is packed with meditations on death and dying. Strangely enough, they seem to make us feel better.

Leaving to one side the piano sonatas and string quartets of Beethoven (for it could be argued that in these works of pure music Beethoven grappled with death and won, achieving immortality), the greatest of musical explorations on the subject have combined words and music. While music is vast enough to contain death itself, many people find it difficult to think of such an immense concept without the precision of words -- combining the two allows us to immerse ourselves in music's ocean while also offering us concrete meanings that prevent us from being completely swept away.

...Against the Dying of the Light collects 12 musical meditations on death and arranges them in a grand narrative arc that takes us from an expression of life's futility (Sibelius's "Hymnus") to an instant of musical beauty so profound that it actually emulates the transcendence it describes (Barber's "Heaven-Haven (A Nun Takes the Veil)." That's an exhausting journey, but like all successful art, it is also an astonishingly restorative one.

I've written about Cantus before -- I reviewed the group's preceding album, Let Your Voice Be Heard [CTS-1201], here last April and I described its recording. I attended the recording sessions for ...against the dying of the light, which were intense (you can read about that in the December 2002 Stereophile).

But just as you should never judge a book by its movie, being present at a recording session (or even following the mastering process through its various stages) is nothing like the experience of the completed project. It's almost an article of faith among audiophiles that the real thing, as far as music is concerned, is the live performance.

The argument has a lot going for it. I've certainly never heard a hi-fi that sounds as good -- as natural, as dynamic, as tonally pure -- as an accomplished musician playing a great instrument in a room with superb acoustics. But performances aren't perfect -- Glenn Gould had a veritable laundry list of reasons he considered them to be unnatural, chief among them that "one should not voyeuristically watch one's fellow human beings in testing situations that do not pragmatically need to be tested."

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American Record Guide March/April 2003
Review for Let Your Voice Be Heard and …against the dying of the light
Lindsay Koob

Cantus is a superb and innovative 11-voice professional male choir that works sans conductor.  Formed in 1995 at St. Olaf College, Minnesota’s legendary choir school, all its remarkable singers are apparently still in their 20's.  The group has made a minor splash in recent years, with a delightfully refreshing and adventurous approach to choral singing.  Thier offerings include masterpieces from the past as well as new music, either written for them or arranged from a multitude of other sources.

The only other well-known groups I can think of that are even remotely like them are San Francisco’s Chanticleer and England’s King’s Singers - all of them serve similar musical missions and unconventional repertoire. But Cantus has no countertenors, sticking mostly to the usual TTBB configuration.

Ah, but what they DO with that configuration is enchanting.  The singers - solo quality all - produce a wonderfully warm, gutsy and masculine sound (their bass end is stunning) as well as the kind of smooth delivery, overt emotionality, and uncanny sense of ensemble we have come to expect from St. Olaf choirs.  But a certain gusto - a sense of boundless joy in music making - keeps this group from lapsing into the occasional blandness of the “St. Olaf Sound”.  They achieve amazing precision, balance and interpretive unity - all without a conductor or apparent leader (none is credited).

The bulk of their work is a cappella, though some pieces - usually the folk or exotic foreign ones - employ a variety of percussion instruments (drums, xylophone, hammers, chains and a gong!)  One piece gets piano support.  We also hear an impressive array of choral effects, such as rhythmic chanting and grunting, droning basses, nasally thin vocal keening, and animal sounds - among others - according to whatever culture’s sound-world they seek to evoke.  Arrangements, done exclusively by their own members are invariably imaginative and engaging.

These two collections are actually quite different.  Let Your Voice Be Heard is the more laid-back and informal one, offering sheer exuberant choral fun, interspersed with more reflective fare.  It celebrates a rich variety of mostly national folk idioms, encompassing domestic, Native American, African, Indian, Chinese and pan-European traditions.  Cultural styles explored include Latin, Jewish and Celtic.  Most works - and of course all the arrangements - are new to me, though such familiar pieces as ‘Loch Lomond’, ‘Shenandoah’, and ‘What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor’, and the spiritual ‘Were You There’ keep us anchored in the familiar and beloved territory.

...against the dying of the light is a much more serious collection, with works from such masters as Josquin, Schubert, Sibelius, Debussy and Barber keeping it rooted in the classics.  Its predominant themes are rather somber, having mostly to do with death and suffering.  One of the choirs avowed goals with this release is to prove they can stand toe-to-toe with the big name ensembles - and they succeed most admirably.

Schubert’s original arrangement of ‘Grab und Mond’ is realized with particular depth and sensitivity.  Other choral favorites heard here are Pablo Casals’ searing motet, ‘O Vos Omnes’ and Randall Thompson’s ever-popular ‘Alleluia’.  Discoveries include the fearful prayer, ‘God Protect us from War’, by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis (b. 1930).  The discs title is an excerpt from the text of ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Goodnight’, one of Two Laments on Dylan Thomas by Kenneth Jennings (b. 1925), who is new to me.  It is a masterpiece of outraged resignation.  The only piece I don’t much care for is Carl Orff’s ‘Sunt Lacrimae Rerum’, which sound like a simplistic rehash of Carmina Burana, only without its excitement and moments of beauty.

This pair of releases brings the group’s total discography to five, all distributed by Cantus, their own label.  Sound quality is sate-of-the art.  Texts are beautifully laid out, but are given in translation only - and rightly so, given the Babel of original languages here.  There are some empty pages in the second disc’s booklet but nothing seems to have been left out.  Notes are otherwise sparse, especially in the second collection, with no information about the composers or their works and very limited information about the choir.  I had to go to their website to learn of their origins and history.

Each of these releases brings tremendous pleasure; male chorus fans are in for rare and enchanting treats here.  Watch for this unique and charismatic group - it is just the sort of un-stuffy and engaging ensemble this nation needs more of, if we are to continue generating interest in serious music in an overwhelmingly pop-oriented culture.  We are likely to be hearing much more from them.

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Classics Today, December 7, 2002
Review for Let Your Voice Be Heard
David Vernier

Artistic Quality ­ 9
Sound Quality ­ 10

Choral music lovers will find a wealth of interesting and unusual repertoire here, expertly performed by the professional, all-male, Minnesota-based vocal chamber ensemble Cantus, recorded in lively, vibrant, detailed sound. Even the more familiar songs ("Danny Boy", "Loch Lomond") in this profoundly eclectic mix drawn from all over the world--Chinese, Georgian, Irish, Indian, Inuit, Zulu, African-American, Venezuelan--are presented in new or less-common arrangements. The only exceptions are the Parker/Shaw "What shall we do with a drunken sailor" and James Erb's "Shenandoah", which have become staples of the modern choral/folk-arrangement repertoire. The more intriguing pieces include dance music from India, Inuit chants, a wild and wooly Irish working song (sung in Gaelic), a raucous Zulu freedom song (complete with whoops and shouts), a "Swedish judge's dance"(!), and a set of Tanzanian folk songs titled "Songs from Matengo Folktales".

Not as successful is the opening African jazz tune "Let your voice be heard", whose multipart improvisational concept just doesn't work (the song's fundamental structure is too weak and repetitive). Unfortunately, Cantus tries this same piece again at the program's end--to no more appealing effect. Robert Scholz's lovely, tastefully elaborate arrangement of the oft-arranged spiritual "Were you there?" shows off the ensemble's rich blend and polished, nuanced phrasing--but why the pronunciation "crucifahd" and "sometahms"? Also, Cantus' decision to sing the harmonically striking, melodically distinctive Georgian wedding song "Shen khar venakhi" at so unbroken a pace negates some of this little gem's charm. However, in a program of such high technical standards and musical value, these are relatively minor points.

Much is made in the notes regarding the details of the sound engineering, including specifics of equipment setup, types of microphones, tape, monitoring equipment, mastering techniques, etc. If this is important to you, well, you can find it all here. However, the proof is in the listening--and, all I can say is, when you hear those chains rattling in the chain gang song "Rainbow 'round my shoulder" you'll think you're surrounded!

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April 30, 2004
Cantus singers band together to make name for themselves
Michael Anthony, Star Tribune