Friday, June 4, 2010

Covers3 kicks off tonight.

Normally I'd wait to do a blog post after an event has happened, but just was getting so excited to kick off this year's pop shows that I decided to write anyway.



It's Covers time again, and it looks like we might sell out every show! Cantus is very happy to bring back our friends Lee Blaske (commercial musician extraordinaire and husband to Twin Cities soprano Maria Jette), Dave Hagedorn (probably the best vibes player I've ever heard), percussionist Rikki Davenport (the cool guy playing tabla, congas, and djembe), and Mark Ilaug (playing sitar, guitars, and funky hair). Foss is back on guitar, I'm playing bass again, and we're presenting thirteen (!) new arrangements this year, done by nearly every member of Cantus, with music by Beck, America, Fleetwood Mac, Steven Stills, and the Beatles. By popular request, we have more a cappella in store for the evening, but the band is providing new colors and styles to the mix.

Tickets are available @ticketworks.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cantus with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra


Here you go, Chris!
Cantus with the SPCO and the incredible Kelley O'Connor.

Cantus Idol 2010

Just thought it would be a good idea to post at least ONE picture from Idol this year. Courtesy of our awesome photographer for this year's event, Jen Smith!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Terrible Paul

Dear Cantus fans:
Well, it's been a pretty crazy last couple of weeks for us. May has been the month of Pauls - Not only did Paul Rudoi (Cantus Idol 2010) fend off some stiff competition, but Cantus sang alongside some pretty talented musicians you may have heard of: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Well, not really alongside, but rather in front of, as you can see here:
Wait, no... that's the Boston Pops. Ah, here it is:
Um, whoops. That's actually Cantus with Bobby McFerrin. Hmmm... how about:
NO!!!! What is the National Lutheran Choir featuring Cantus members doing here?!?! What happened? Why can't we find the picture of Cantus with the SPCO? Oh, maybe it's because THERE ISN'T ONE!!!
Does anyone out there happen to have a photo of Cantus with the SPCO? Send it our way.
As far as the concert goes, it was pretty neat. Not only did we share the stage with the world-class musicians of the SPCO, but the concert also featured mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Conner for Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins. You can find out more about her here. SPOILER ALERT!! - she has an amazing voice.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Great Title Debate

For Cantus, marketing our product is everything. What is the Cantus product? Well, we hope it is wonderfully performed men's vocal music over a wide variety of genres and themes. But, like big for-profit companies, the question becomes How do we begin to market that product? When it comes to products like Recordings, the packaging helps to illuminate the themes present on the album. But what is really meant to grab the imagination is the Title! Recently, Cantus conducted a very informal survey of friends and family, gauging thoughts and interest in two different titles for an album we are recording this summer. We asked which of the two was most intriguing...and received equal votes for both. So, one time only on the Cantus blog, I'll pose the same question to you, faithful readers. The album is a collection of American Sacred music. Which of the two titles below is more representative of the American Sacred music theme, and which one 'intrigues you more':

1) That Eternal Day
2) A Love That Never Dies

Cantus is excited to see your responses. After all, our readers are our market! Please post responses below.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Artist In Residence and Cantus Idol!

This past weekend we had our second annual Artist In Residence concert at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington. It was a blast in so many ways! Earlier this season we had a Festival Day where, for a morning and an afternoon, the students in the program worked with Cantus and their teachers on several "mass choir" pieces that were programmed for the concert. The idea was to bring the students together and give them a chance to meet each other before the actual performance. It made the concert that much more exciting, almost like a reunion of sorts! This year our three schools were Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, Cambridge-Isanti High School, and South High School. Each of them had a set to sing, and they all did wonderfully. This is a special shout out to those schools... Thank you, and we loved working with you!

Now we are preparing for the remainder of the season, working with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins and our awesome collaborators for our 3rd annual Cantus Covers Concert. But before we get there, we have some time to unleash our inner pop or rock personalities.



It's CANTUS IDOL 2010, coming up on May 10th (two Mondays from now!), and it shaping up to be a really fun event, with emcee Erin Schwab, a new pack of judges, a live auction to benefit Cantus' educational outreach efforts, and a new location at The Dakota in downtown Minneapolis. Each of us has been trying to figure out, under the radar of course, what the others are performing, but it looks like most of these songs will be heavily guarded secrets until that evening. That being said, the show itself isn't much of a secret anymore, with over three quarters of our tickets already gone! If you want to get in on the action, follow this LINK to secure your seats.

Just in case you're curious, the descriptions for the items in the live auction can be found below. If I were bidding on something, I'd definitely put my money on "Own It All". Remember, along with the collection of music found on our regular CDs, there are tracks that have NEVER been released on that DVD!

Hope all of you can make it, and thanks for reading!


STEP IT UP!
Say “happy birthday” with true style or arrange a serenade under your true love’s balcony. A quartet of Cantus singers will punctuate a special occasion or event with a song. Like a singing telegram… but way cooler.

SING IT OUT!
If you have ever found yourself sitting in the audience at a Cantus concert and had to stop yourself from standing up and joining in, tonight’s the night! Join Cantus on stage later this evening for "It’s Alright" by Curtis Mayfield. While you sing your heart out, Cantus will make you sound like a pro. Don’t worry, we’ll all clap…no matter what.

DRINK IT UP!
Have you ever stood in front of shelves of wine and picked your bottle based on the label? Let Cantus do the picking for you! The singers and Board of Cantus have selected twenty bottles of red and white wine to enhance any occasion. Each bottle comes with an explanation of why we chose it for you. Cheers!

OWN IT ALL!
Be the envy of the Cantus fan world! The guys raided the archives and created a one-of-kind audio DVD with every piece Cantus has released… and several they have not. It’s a collection sure to put your sound system through its paces. They have also included a framed and signed photo of their smiling mugs to beautify your home.

SHOW IT OFF!
Treat your friends and family to a Cantus concert in your home or backyard! You provide the home and up to ten guests and we provide the rest. The singers will entertain with a 45-minute set. Board members Amanda Davisson and Tom Northenscold will serve as your personal chef and sommelier.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Questions for Cantus!

As we are near the culmination of our touring season, we recently asked members of the group some questions about their interests, pastimes, and favorite activities. TIme to find out vital information from some singers this week: get to know what makes Cantus singers tick!

Most Recent Book You Read:

Tim Takach: I read The Colorado Kid by Stephen King over Christmas, and surprisingly I didn't like it. It was a short, pulp fiction paperback, and I get what he was did with the story, but it left me needy.

Aaron Humble: The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart. by Bill Bishop

Matt Tintes: Pure Drivel by Steve Martin



Toughest Thing You Sing this Season:

Matt Tintes: Mountain Nights. Seriously! It's hard for me to be that quiet.

Gary Ruschman: There's one section of the Schubert that just goes too fast to breathe!

Aaron Humble: I'm guessing it will be something in the Weill!



Motto:

Aaron Humble: Work smarter not harder.

Gary Ruschman: Fearful people do stupid things.

Matt Tintes: It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Tim Takach: Work hard. Play harder. Eat plenty of bacon.




Guilty Pleasure TV:

Tim Takach: I only watch two shows, Lost and Heroes, both about a season and a half behind on DVD, and neither are guilty pleasures. I enjoy being a geek. My favorite goes to Battlestar Galactica.

Matt Tintes: Oh God, too many to count. Let's say..."Smallville".

Gary Ruschman: Police Chases!