The Hamilton College Classical Connections series opens its spring season on Friday, Jan. 19, with a performance by the male a cappella group Cantus 8 p.m. The performance will take place at Wellin Hall in the Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts.
Gaining recognition as one of America's finest professional male vocal ensembles, Cantus was founded in the fall of 1995 when a few college friends gathered on the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Their objective was to spend time away from the rigors of college life doing something they enjoyed: singing. During the next two years the ensemble grew to 12 members and began performing at venues on campus.
Since then, Cantus has performed more than 300 concerts across the nation during the past seven years, including appearances at AmericaFest, the Lied Center in Lawrence, Kansas, UCLA Live, the University of Chicago Presents, and many conventions of the American Choral Director's Association. In September 2000, Cantus established itself as a full-time nonprofit arts organization based in Minnesota. In summer 2002, Cantus sang to great acclaim at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis, and was the choir-in-residence at the International Choral Kathaumixw in British Columbia, Canada. In summer 2003, Cantus made its first European appearance singing at the Polyfolia festival in Normandy, France. For the last three years Cantus has also appeared in concert with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in a holiday program titled Cantus and Carols, which has been broadcast around the country through Public Radio International.
The singers of Cantus are active proponents of music education, encouraging people of all ages, and especially young men, to sing. They are frequent clinicians at festivals, elementary and middle schools, high schools and colleges and universities across the country.
Cantus has recorded eight CDs on their own label, Cantus Recordings. Cantus' repertoire spans many periods and genres, including Gregorian chant, Renaissance motets, contemporary works, art songs, folk music, spirituals, and pop. Currently, Cantus is the resident artist at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn.
Tickets are $18 general admission with discounts for groups, senior citizens and students. All seating is general admission. For more information or to order tickets, call the box office at 859-4331.
