Though an evening of acappela music may not sound very exciting
to everyone, Cantus’ variety of material and creative
arrangements may interest even those who are typically not fans of
chamber music.
Cantus, one of America’s premier male vocal chamber
ensembles, will be flexing its vocal chords tomorrow night in
Schoenberg Hall.
“We’re a different type of choral group. We’re
really interested in every aspect of music and try not to
discriminate,” said Erick Lichte, one of the group’s
founding members.
The 10-man group’s repertoire includes pieces from many
different periods and countries. Tomorrow night, Cantus will be
performing such varied pieces as Smokey Robinson’s
“Who’s Lovin’ You,” a poem from “The
Lord of the Rings,” an Inuit chant, and an Irish folk
song.
The group will also be singing in a wide range of languages,
from Finnish to Inuit to Mandarin. But, the members of Cantus are
quick to point out that there is an order to their eclecticism.
“We try to tell a story with the songs we pick, and look
at some facet of life from these different perspectives,”
Lichte said.
Their performances are organized around specific themes and
tomorrow night’s program includes segments, such as
“The Diabolic, The Divine,” and “War and
Peace.”
Cantus started in 1995 in Minnesota as a group of college
friends who got together to sing for fun, but after graduating, the
members continued arranging and performing pieces. Today, the group
is one of only a few full-time professional choral ensembles
touring America.
The group members’ friendships and history have helped
Cantus develop a high degree of creative cooperation. Unlike other
groups, Cantus has no designated musical director. All 10 members
are involved in deciding the direction of the group and which
pieces they will perform.
Recently the group has been doing more than just arranging and
performing. In September 2000, Cantus established itself as a
nonprofit arts organization and focused energy on promoting music
education for high school and college students.
“We go to schools and show the students that singing is a
fun thing to do, that it should be part of everyone’s
life,” said Lichte.
Since they began their educational efforts, Cantus has worked
with over 10,000 students, performing at high school assemblies and
working with university choruses. Tomorrow night will be an
opportunity for UCLA students to both listen to and learn something
from Cantus’ unique musical offerings.
Cantus comes to Schoenberg Hall tomorrow at 8 p.m. Call the
Central Ticket Office at 310-825-2101 for more info.