Although we are eager to perform again, the health and safety of our singers and patrons is our priority. To that end, we have delayed announcing our 2020-2021 concert season. Our choir members remain engaged and highly involved as we work through this unprecedented time.
We miss singing for you. Very much. But we know we will get through this. And when that time comes, we look forward to celebrating choral music together once again. In the meantime, we hope you will journey with us via The Choir Diary. Over these next few months, we will be providing a glimpse into our regular process by posting pictures, poems, and short writings here.
In these last 6 months, choirs have had to reinvent how they make music together. When we went into isolation this past March, Cantabile began meeting through video conferences. We quickly learned that the things we had taken for granted were now technologically puzzling, if not impossible. We discovered that it isn’t possible to sing through video conferencing without large investments by our singers in computer and internet upgrades, and that while technology might be a bridge for some, it was a barrier for others. We found whatever solutions we could, did our best despite these issues, and continued to connect through the art of music in any way we could find. After a summer hiatus, we returned to our online format, and I was determined to find ways that felt as meaningful and as accessible as possible. We meet every other week, we discuss and listen to beautiful and important art, and in the next few weeks we’ll begin work on a virtual performance that you won’t want to miss.
While the methods are different, the reason we meet and reach out to all of you is the same. We love to make music together because of the meaning it brings to our lives. We love to present performances because they allow us an opportunity to express and comment on important ideas and emotions. The world needs art more than it ever has and we at Cantabile will continue, however the method might change, to create meaningful art that builds connection both within and outside of our ensemble.
In that spirit, we created a virtual performance of The Road Home, by Stephen Paulus.
Contributed by a small group of Cantabile singers, the Garage Singers.
When the necessary reactions to COVID were enforced, the idea of not being able to gather weekly to sing was devastating. But the perseverance and careful caution of a determined few has helped me fight the isolation in a more expressive way than I could have imagined. It’s remarkable how our small group of vocalists has been able to transform a space so bland and industrial into one full of harmony and I like to think that the occasional passerby is enlightened by it as well.
Vaughn Erhardt Weiss
ich fahr dahin, wenn es muß sein
Choirs everywhere are prevented from gathering to sing during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the choir enthusiast and especially for a Cantabilite, this is like losing oxygen. We grieve the loss of singing together in person and performing for our community.
As an inadequate but extremely meaningful replacement, some singers have gathered informally in ventilated parking garages for distance singing. To our delight and amusement, we have heard other people doing the very same thing at the very same time, but one parking garage over.
I look forward to the garage singing time so much! It’s so sweet to be able to get together and sing, especially now that social events are so limited. It’s lovely to hear everybody’s favorite pieces, and good practice to carry a part ourselves. The magic of feeling our voices resonating together is irreplaceable and such a treasure to me.
Michelle Fitzgerald
We often conclude our gathering with Brahm’s Abschiedslied, which always feels fitting. A love letter from us to Cantabile.
Nun halt die Treu als stet als ich! So wie du willt, so findst du mich. Halt dich in Hut, das bitt ich dich! Gesegn dich Gott! Ich fahr dahin! Ich fahr dahin, ich fahr dahin!
We miss choir, we miss Cantabile, but we know this won’t last forever. We will once again gather to sing as a whole… soon.
About times like when we stuffed the stage of Central Presbyterian Church with 100+ singers and dozens of instrumentalists back in May of ’19 to bring you the Colorado premier of Reflections on a Mexican Garden.
We had the tremendous honor of collaborating with composer Kevin Padworski and The Colorado Chorale to perform this sensational choral orchestral work. The work evokes mysterious images of a woman walking through a fragrant and lush garden and is set to texts in English, Spanish and the ancient Aztec language of Nahuatl.
Kevin Padworski is a brilliant local composer with whom Brian has collaborated on many occasions. And we could gush about Kathryn Radakovich, the amazing soloist who joined us.
So in case you missed it, here again is the performance for your listening pleasure.
Dig in. And volume up, please. This work deserves decibels.
Many things are different in our world right now, but our desire to sing together and share art is not. Like other arts groups, we are navigating new waters as we seek to serve our mission in a safe and responsible way.
Although we are eager to perform again, the health and safety of our singers and patrons is our priority. To that end, we have delayed announcing our 2020-2021 concert season. Our choir members remain engaged and highly involved as we work through this unprecedented time.
Julien Salmon, President of the Board of Directors
