Artistic Council & Education Outreach Reports
| 5._artistic_council___education_outreach_reports.pdf |
Programming – Chris Foss
Over two years ago, Cantus recorded an album for eOne, a classical music record label. They have since closed their doors, and our contractual waiting period for ownership is up. After months of waiting, Cantus finally received the session files via download last week. We’ve solicited interest and bids from several producers and engineers for mixing/mastering, and we will be looking into selling the album to other record labels as well.
We have assembled materials for next year’s Christmas show, and have distributed them to AAM for help with their sales and marketing for the show. We will remount the Three Tales of Christmas format. However, we have tentatively chosen three new tales to frame the arc of the evening: The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, Christmas, or, The Good Fairy by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and selection from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.
The premiere of Libby Larsen’s work “You” went very well at Penn State last month. Libby was in attendance, and she was very happy with how it all turned out (the audience’s reaction was the same). We look forward to sharing this monumental achievement with our Twin Cities audiences over the next few weeks.
We will be recording the show at Wayzata Community Church on Oct. 21 for our “live” album version of the show. After the relative success of last year’s spring show live album, we’ve pressed ahead to make one of the fall touring show to see how it goes. We’ve been pre-selling the album on tour, and sales have already started coming in. After the 21st, we hope to have a very quick turnaround and get the album out as soon as we can.
Production – David Geist
The last month has been busy for us! After we wrapped up our collaboration concert with Lorelei we hit the road for more touring. We premiered Libby Larsen’s newly composed pieces at Penn State, which was a success. We have also been to Tennessee, Sioux Falls, Kentucky, and two stops in Michigan. We particularly loved our time at the University of Kentucky. We worked with seven different ensembles (both larger traditional choirs and a handful of student run acapella groups), as well as lecturing to the voice and music education majors. The students were incredibly invested and interested in all of the information we supplied, and the faculty could not have been more welcoming and positive about us being there.
Last Wednesday we had our first official Christmas rehearsal, although we have already been working on Christmas music during our pre-show times over the past three weeks. We are already getting into that Christmas spirit!
By the board meeting on Monday we will have opened our fall/touring show, Alone Together, in the Twin Cities. This show is one of my favorites from the time I’ve been in Cantus, and it seems like all the audiences who have seen it have connected to it strongly. We hope our Minnesota audiences do too!
Education Outreach – Sam Green
High School Residency
Our first masterclasses with our participating schools took place this week. We also used this visit to establish goals (identified by the students) to revisit during each masterclass. Applications for 19-20 HSR are due at the end of November. I am soliciting applications from a handful of schools and directors that we have identified as desirable collaborators. The application process is open to all. If there are high school choir directors within your sphere of influence, we would love for them to apply!
Minnesota Boychoir Residency
We visited the Minnesota Boychoir during the past week for our first masterclass. We were blown away with the focus, musicality, and engagement from the boys. This promises to be a fantastic year with MBC. Over the next month, Mark Johnson, their director, and I will brainstorm possible repertoire for us to perform together during our collaborative concert in June.
National Outreach
Our most recent tours included a collaborative Beibl and Lecture/Demonstration with the VikeSing men’s festival chorus under the director of Paul Nesheim of Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD), a 2-day residency with the entire choral program at the University of Kentucky (see email below), and masterclasses with Brighton HS (Brighton, MI), and Howell HS (Howell, MI). I speak for the Artists when I say the University of Kentucky was a fantastic experience. I know this email was forwarded earlier, but I would like to include it again:
Elizabeth L. Wilson, Adjunct Professor of Choral Music, University of Kentucky
Dear Jacob and Sam,
I hope you are reading this email after easy, successful travels back home to the twin cities.
What a wonderful two days! The master classes and clinics, as well as the concert with Cantus are events that our students will never forget (nor will I). It's honestly been a while since I've experienced a residency with guest artists; this one will remain a personal favorite for my lifetime. The work you did with our students during the master classes and clinics was educational, professional, inspirational, and (for several students) even life-changing. Your performance in the concert was absolutely superb. Our staff's interactions throughout the two days with each of you were warm, open, personable, and honest.
Your impact on the students at UK:
I shared with some of you yesterday about the young man who has been considering dropping out of school; your words while working with the a cappella groups might just have changed his mind. Another young man has been feeling very confused about his major and future life path, it seems your work here may have helped him refocus. And a young lady in Choristers whom, to date, has seemed very unsure and perhaps even unhappy at UK, broke down in tears during your performance in our master class; she was visibly moved, and I saw her relax into herself in a way that I hadn't yet. Wow. Those are just a few. I KNOW there will be many more similar stories to come from our students over the next few days.
Your Concert:
Simply unbelievable in quality, content, and emotionality. You touched me and EVERYONE in the audience. Just stellar.
Your Friendliness/Openness:
Finally, on a more personal note, I absolutely LOVED the conversations, exchanges of advice, stories, and laughs that we shared throughout your visit, and I truly hope we will remain in touch. You each gave of yourselves so selflessly. On behalf of all of UK Choirs, I am incredibly grateful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Please pass along this message to the entire group (yours were the only email addresses I had), and take good care.
Fondly,
Your new friend, Beth
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.
Over two years ago, Cantus recorded an album for eOne, a classical music record label. They have since closed their doors, and our contractual waiting period for ownership is up. After months of waiting, Cantus finally received the session files via download last week. We’ve solicited interest and bids from several producers and engineers for mixing/mastering, and we will be looking into selling the album to other record labels as well.
We have assembled materials for next year’s Christmas show, and have distributed them to AAM for help with their sales and marketing for the show. We will remount the Three Tales of Christmas format. However, we have tentatively chosen three new tales to frame the arc of the evening: The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, Christmas, or, The Good Fairy by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and selection from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.
The premiere of Libby Larsen’s work “You” went very well at Penn State last month. Libby was in attendance, and she was very happy with how it all turned out (the audience’s reaction was the same). We look forward to sharing this monumental achievement with our Twin Cities audiences over the next few weeks.
We will be recording the show at Wayzata Community Church on Oct. 21 for our “live” album version of the show. After the relative success of last year’s spring show live album, we’ve pressed ahead to make one of the fall touring show to see how it goes. We’ve been pre-selling the album on tour, and sales have already started coming in. After the 21st, we hope to have a very quick turnaround and get the album out as soon as we can.
Production – David Geist
The last month has been busy for us! After we wrapped up our collaboration concert with Lorelei we hit the road for more touring. We premiered Libby Larsen’s newly composed pieces at Penn State, which was a success. We have also been to Tennessee, Sioux Falls, Kentucky, and two stops in Michigan. We particularly loved our time at the University of Kentucky. We worked with seven different ensembles (both larger traditional choirs and a handful of student run acapella groups), as well as lecturing to the voice and music education majors. The students were incredibly invested and interested in all of the information we supplied, and the faculty could not have been more welcoming and positive about us being there.
Last Wednesday we had our first official Christmas rehearsal, although we have already been working on Christmas music during our pre-show times over the past three weeks. We are already getting into that Christmas spirit!
By the board meeting on Monday we will have opened our fall/touring show, Alone Together, in the Twin Cities. This show is one of my favorites from the time I’ve been in Cantus, and it seems like all the audiences who have seen it have connected to it strongly. We hope our Minnesota audiences do too!
Education Outreach – Sam Green
High School Residency
Our first masterclasses with our participating schools took place this week. We also used this visit to establish goals (identified by the students) to revisit during each masterclass. Applications for 19-20 HSR are due at the end of November. I am soliciting applications from a handful of schools and directors that we have identified as desirable collaborators. The application process is open to all. If there are high school choir directors within your sphere of influence, we would love for them to apply!
Minnesota Boychoir Residency
We visited the Minnesota Boychoir during the past week for our first masterclass. We were blown away with the focus, musicality, and engagement from the boys. This promises to be a fantastic year with MBC. Over the next month, Mark Johnson, their director, and I will brainstorm possible repertoire for us to perform together during our collaborative concert in June.
National Outreach
Our most recent tours included a collaborative Beibl and Lecture/Demonstration with the VikeSing men’s festival chorus under the director of Paul Nesheim of Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD), a 2-day residency with the entire choral program at the University of Kentucky (see email below), and masterclasses with Brighton HS (Brighton, MI), and Howell HS (Howell, MI). I speak for the Artists when I say the University of Kentucky was a fantastic experience. I know this email was forwarded earlier, but I would like to include it again:
Elizabeth L. Wilson, Adjunct Professor of Choral Music, University of Kentucky
Dear Jacob and Sam,
I hope you are reading this email after easy, successful travels back home to the twin cities.
What a wonderful two days! The master classes and clinics, as well as the concert with Cantus are events that our students will never forget (nor will I). It's honestly been a while since I've experienced a residency with guest artists; this one will remain a personal favorite for my lifetime. The work you did with our students during the master classes and clinics was educational, professional, inspirational, and (for several students) even life-changing. Your performance in the concert was absolutely superb. Our staff's interactions throughout the two days with each of you were warm, open, personable, and honest.
Your impact on the students at UK:
I shared with some of you yesterday about the young man who has been considering dropping out of school; your words while working with the a cappella groups might just have changed his mind. Another young man has been feeling very confused about his major and future life path, it seems your work here may have helped him refocus. And a young lady in Choristers whom, to date, has seemed very unsure and perhaps even unhappy at UK, broke down in tears during your performance in our master class; she was visibly moved, and I saw her relax into herself in a way that I hadn't yet. Wow. Those are just a few. I KNOW there will be many more similar stories to come from our students over the next few days.
Your Concert:
Simply unbelievable in quality, content, and emotionality. You touched me and EVERYONE in the audience. Just stellar.
Your Friendliness/Openness:
Finally, on a more personal note, I absolutely LOVED the conversations, exchanges of advice, stories, and laughs that we shared throughout your visit, and I truly hope we will remain in touch. You each gave of yourselves so selflessly. On behalf of all of UK Choirs, I am incredibly grateful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Please pass along this message to the entire group (yours were the only email addresses I had), and take good care.
Fondly,
Your new friend, Beth
Spread the word that Cantus offers a variety of educational outreach opportunities locally and around the country each year. If you know educators/organizations interested in working with us, refer them to education@cantussings.org, or contact Sam at sgreen@cantussings.org.