Cantemus Chamber Chorus, with 42 members from across the North Shore, will present three concerts in December that share “The Peace of Wild Things.” Inspired by the Animal Kingdom, this concert preserves some seasonal traditions, and goes beyond. The repertoire ranges from Josquin des Prez and Mendelssohn to contemporary composers Eric Whitacre and Craig Hella Johnson. Some pieces reflect on the grace and beauty of the natural world; some involve animals being personified or used as poetic symbols; and some mimic actual animal sounds!
Flutists Kenji Kikuchi and Ceora Jaffe will open the concert with a flute prelude. Kikuchi will join Cantemus accompanist Jeffrey Mead and Cantemus singer Patty Clark on a four-hand piano arrangement of selections from Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals.” Both flutists will accompany the chorus on Jennifer Higdon’s “O Magnum Mysterium,” and small ensembles of singers will be featured throughout the varied program.
The concerts will take place in three North Shore towns: In Beverly on Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 4 Ocean St.; in Newburyport on Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 166 High St.; and in Gloucester on Sunday, December 15 at 4:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 10 Church St.
Cantemus’ Artistic Director Jason Iannuzzi said, “We are thrilled to present this expansive program of choral music from the 15th through the 21st century. The animal kingdom has provided a deep well of inspiration for poets and composers who have sought to capture their grace and beauty, as well as the seemingly human qualities of our fauna friends.”
For more information about the program and to purchase tickets, visit www.cantemus.org/concerts. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
Cantemus singers come from across the North Shore and New Hampshire: Amesbury: Ron Pressler; Beverly: Jennie-Rebecca Falcetta, Karen Kepler, Marjorie Short, Braden Willenbrock*; Bradford: Mern Ebinger; Danvers: Carrie Evanchik; Durham, NH: Sydney van Asselt; Essex: Betsy Vicksell; Georgetown: Patty Clark; Gloucester: Roger Garberg, Sarah Quinn; Hamilton: Donna Gale, Pamela Morris, Andrea Welty Peachey; Haverhill: Doug Guy; Ipswich: Elizabeth Krafchuk, Anne Maguire, Stephen Miles; Lexington: Artistic Director Jason Iannuzzi, Medha Jayendran*; Malden: Lea Pearson; Manchester: Isabella Bates, Caroline Royer, Byron Winn; Melrose: Accompanist Jeffrey Mead; Newburyport: Richard Blumenscheid, Claire Cayot, Ann Harter, John Moreland, Maryellen Moreland, Mark Robbins; North Andover: Jordan Mongell; North Reading: Priscilla March; Rockport: Brittany Betts; Roslindale: Deborah Lemont; Topsfield: Kristen McEntee; Wenham: Janet Glasser, Jeremy Satchell; West Newbury: Jamie Cabot, Melissa Lugo, Susan Nash.
*Cantemus Choral Interns from Beverly High School and Lexington High School
