THE PHRASE “ALONE TOGETHER,” in the The philosophical, social, and anthropological context of tonight’s program, was coined questions that arise are seemingly endless, in 2010 by MIT professor Sherry Turkle. and we will only be able to explore some of During the 30 or so years prior, she had them in the next 50 minutes. grown concerned with how computers were changing us as people and began to explore But as the second year of the pandemic the ways that scientists, computer owners, looms, it will be even more important and children behaved among their new for us to check in on friends and family “thinking” machines. But as the years passed members. Because while the collective ‘we’ and these devices became smaller, lighter, may present an online persona of happiness and more portable, our detachment and and satisfaction, it’s more likely that each discontent only grew. of us is struggling in some way. This new normal — with its mix of pandemic-induced In 2016, Cantus began developing a show isolation and searching for connection, of that would explore the desire for meaningful doom scrolling and Zoom happy hours — connection in this relatively new Digital Age. gave new urgency to the Alone Together In the United States alone, 96 percent of the theme, prompting us to revisit and recast our population own a cell phone of some kind, program for this complicated moment. and 81 percent own smartphones. How was this changing the way we interacted with Additionally, it isn’t lost on us that we’re people on a day-to-day basis? We could now asking you to watch this concert on a talk with people around the world, follow the computer while hoping you’ll also step lives of friends we hadn’t seen in years, and away from that same device — for a while even find new love matches with the swipe — to reflect on how it might be impeding of a finger. your ability to interact with the physical world. But for now, we’re first and foremost However, it seemed that the connections we thankful that you’re here with us and hope were making were less with the human and that someday very soon, we’ll be back more with the machine. together again to sing for you in person.
If I forget my phone at home, my entire day could be disrupted. Emails would go unanswered, text messages missed, and I might even discover that I don’t know where I’m going if I can’t use my GPS to navigate for Jacob Christopher me. Have we become so utterly dependent Artistic Council on these tiny machines that we’ve lost our Tour Manager skills, and perhaps even our sense of self?
2 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ARTISTIC COUNCIL
Joseph Heitz Jacob Christopher Executive Director Tour Manager Anne Todey Alberto de la Paz Box Office Coordinator Programming Jacob Christopher Alexander Nishibun Tour Manager Production Samuel Green Education Outreach Coordinator
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeff Reed, Chair Elizabeth Drotning Hartwell Attorney (retired) Attorney, Best & Flanagan LLP Theresa Gienapp, Vice Chair Paul Johnson Director of Planned Giving Founder & President, Macalester College Creative Fundraising Advisors David Niles, Treasurer Brian Newhouse Vice President, Avant Energy Associate Vice President of Individual Giving, Minnesota Orchestra Beth Anne Thompson, Secretary Associate Director of Alumni and Paul Scholtz Parent Relations, St. Olaf College Tenor, Cantus Alberto de la Paz Craig Shulstad Tenor, Cantus Vice President, General Mills (retired) Bryan Fisher Director of Choral and Vocal Music, Kevin Stocks Minneapolis Southwest High School Executive Director, Twin Cities Gay Mens Chorus PaviElle French Artist; Equity, Youth Outreach Frank Stubbs and Operations Coordinator, AIA Non-Profit Executive (retired) Minnesota Barbara Thomas Nancy Gaschott Senior Program Manager, IT Mergers Consultant to Nonprofit Leaders and Acquisitions, Medtronic
Jonathan Guyton Principal, Cornerstone Wealth Advisors, Inc.
missionCantus engages audiences in a meaningful music experience and ensures the future of ensemble singing by mentoring young singers and educators. Cantus was founded on the ideals of collaborative music-making: visionCantus gives voice to shared artists and staff work together to reach new levels of artistic human experiences. excellence, innovation and audience engagement.
CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER 3 Now in its 26th season, the “engaging” with other performing arts organizations, (New Yorker) men’s vocal ensemble Cantus including the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint is widely known for its trademark warmth Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops, and blend, innovative programming and Chanticleer, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The ensemble is heard frequently on The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus classical public radio nationwide and on sound as having both “exalting finesse” and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Cantus has released “expressive power” and the Philadelphia 18 recordings on the group’s self-titled Inquirer called the group nothing short of label and has recently signed with British “exquisite.” record label Signum to release the COVID-19 Sessions as a live album. As one of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has grown in prominence The ensemble actively commissions new with its distinctive approach to music- music and seeks to unearth rarely performed making. Working without a conductor, the repertoire for men’s voices, having received members of Cantus rehearse and perform as commissioning grants from New Music USA, chamber musicians, each contributing to the the National Endowment for the Arts, Chorus entirety of the artistic process. America, American Composers Forum, and Chamber Music America. In a typical year, Cantus performs more than 60 concerts both in national and Integral to the Cantus mission is its international touring, and in its home of commitment to preserve and deepen music Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Cantus has education in the schools. In a typical year, performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Cantus works with more than 5,000 students Center, UCLA, San Francisco Performances, each year in master class and workshop and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. settings across the country. Cantus has a rich history of collaborations
4 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS JACOB CHRISTOPHER, TENOR SAMUEL GREEN, BASS* A native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Jacob Prior to joining Cantus, Samuel was a sought- Christopher began his career as a chorister after musician in the thriving Kansas City arts with the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2010–2012) scene, lending his voice to several ensembles before moving to New York where he including the GRAMMY Award-winning appeared in Ragtime at Lincoln Center, Disney’s Kansas City Chorale under the direction of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Paper Mill Charles Bruffy, the Simon Carrington Chamber Playhouse, Studio Cast Recording), and, in Singers, and Kantorei of Kansas City. In 2016, made his Carnegie Hall debut with the addition to chorister experience, Samuel New York City Chamber Orchestra. A graduate of Luther College, Jacob has taken the stage performing jazz, barbershop, southern gospel, has also performed backup vocals for Ben Folds and The Judds. and country music as a soloist and ensemble musician, and is also a voiceover artist.
ALBERTO DE LA PAZ, TENOR ALEXANDER NISHIBUN, TENOR Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Prior to joining Cantus, Alex performed as Alberto’s early choral music experience a soloist and chamber musician with such consisted of arrangements from diverse renowned groups as the Skylark Vocal varieties and styles of Latin American music. Ensemble, Handel & Haydn Society, Blue Heron Alberto graduated with high honors from the Renaissance Choir, and Ensemble Origo. Boston University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Classical Review praised his “smooth-toned then participated in the Young Artist Program voice (of) spring-water clarity.” Alex is from at Illinois Bach Academy. Following graduation Kentucky and is a graduate of New England he served as choral director at Leyden High School in Chicago. When Conservatory of Music and Huntingdon College. Alberto isn’t busy singing, he enjoys reading a good novel or salsa dancing.
CHRIS FOSS, BASS PAUL SCHOLTZ, TENOR A graduate of Millikin University and the When not performing with Cantus, Paul University of Nebraska, Chris grew up in enjoys engagements as a concert soloist southwest Iowa. In addition to his experience and appearances with Bach Vespers at The as a soloist and ensemble singer, Chris brings Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity his choral conducting and award-winning in New York City. A recent highlight was a arranging experience to Cantus. When Chris performance of Handel’s Messiah with the late isn’t singing, you might find him playing one J. Reilly Lewis of the Washington Bach Consort. of his favorite guitars or trying to stop his Paul is a native of northeast Iowa and received dogs from jumping out of the canoe. his B.A. in English from Luther College.
ADAM REINWALD, BARITONE JEREMY WONG, BARITONE Nationally recognized vocal chamber artist Jeremy enjoys a wonderfully varied career and conductor, Adam is in demand as a coach as a singer, conductor, and voice teacher and strategist for small- to mid-sized arts who has performed on both the international organizations, focusing on new media and virtual/ and U.S. stages with focuses in oratorio, art digital branding. Adam combines artistic and song, and ensemble singing. Born and raised administrative leadership from over two decades in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, past seasons have seen of experience in the nonprofit arts sector. Adam performed with Cantus from 1998-2014, and him premiering solo roles in major choral oversaw programming and Board development compositions that honor the culture and during a 17 year tenure. Adam held the position history of the islands. He is passionate about of Assistant Conductor/Community Engagement Manager with the National collaborative music making, and is thrilled to create music at a high Lutheran Choir, based in Minneapolis, from 2014-2020. Recent groundswell level with the singers of Cantus. presentations at Chorus America, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network have included “Making Video Accessible for your Community Chorus”, and “Building an Interfaith Programming Model.” Adam is the owner of Beer Choir, a communal singing event organization with 35 active chapters nationwide, and the operator of * Samuel Green is attending to family needs and will not appear on this program. Open Voices LLC, nurturing artists and building community.
CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER 5 * World Premiere and winner of Cantus' second annual Young & Emerging Composer Competition
6 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
music and text by Win Butler, Richard R. Perry, music and text by Ingrid Michaelson William Butler, Jeremy Gara, & Régine Chassagne Where do I go when I don’t have a friend? Here in my place and time Where do I go at another day’s end? And here in my own skin I can finally begin. Nobody loves me, somebody loves me on... Let the century pass me by, Twitter! Standing under the night sky Tomorrow means nothing. I think I’m a big big loser Then I go to my computer I was only a child then Turn it on, and I feel grand Feeling barely alive when All because of... I heard a song from a speaker of a passing car Twitter! Praying to a dying star, the memories fading I can almost remember singing… Direct message me Please, please message me We watched the end of the century Or at least reply to my... Compressed on a tiny screen. Twitter! A dead star collapsing and we could see Something was ending. Are you through pretending? We saw the signs in the suburbs. music and text by David Lang You could have never predicted I want to be with someone That it could see through you— who won’t get tired of me Kasparov, Deep Blue, 1996 who wants to be with me for who I am Your mind's playing tricks now, who will never leave me Show's over so take a bow And leave it in the shadows… I want to be with someone who is actually afraid to lose me Hey, put the cellphone down for a while! who values open communication In the night there is something wild, who really knows me Can you hear it breathing? I want to be with someone Hey, put the laptop down for a while! who cares about me, supports me, In the night there is something wild, encourages me I feel it, it's leaving me. who makes my heart jump when I hear their key in the door who wants to be with me
continued...
CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER 7 TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
who is exactly what I’ve said I always wanted who accepts me for who I am music and text by LAURA MVULA
who I find so interesting and exciting She walked towards you and understands my thinking with her head down low who’s going to be healthy for the long haul She wondered if there’s a way out of the blue who is smarter than that, with more depth Who’s gonna take her home this time? and more soul She knew that this time wouldn’t be the last time
who feels the same way There she waits looking for a savior who won’t clip my wings Someone to save her from her dying self who laughs at my jokes Always taking ten steps back who won’t leave and one step forward who likes to have fun She’s tired, but she don’t stop. who will want to be with me who is very comfortable Oh, She don’t stop, she don’t stop, she don’t stop... who respects all the other aspects of me who gets me Every day she stood hoping for a new light who can see a future with me She closed her eyes who is comfortable and she heard a small voice say who wants to work "You don’t stop, no, you belong to me." She cried, maybe it’s too late! I want to be with someone who matches me She don’t stop, she don’t stop, she don’t stop... who teaches me who wants to be She walked towards you with her head down low She wondered if there’s a way out of the blue Who’s gonna take her home this time? She knew that this time wouldn’t be the last time
8 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
music by Libby Larsen text by Emily Dickinson COMMISSIONED BY MUSIC ACCORD FOR CANTUS In his landmark book, Keeping Together in Time, William McNeill convincingly states that You its our natural condition, as humans, to create You, know and sustain human community. We share where feelings, we keep together in time through You, coordinated movements, like dancing, making are… music, marching, group exercising, attending You, community events, celebrating birthdays and are…who holidays, we create groups, clubs, political parties, religious affiliations... All these human who are You efforts, and more, are powerful forces in who are… holding us together.
Who are you? Yet, we are alone, ultimately, living the You paradox of being alone together. YOU – is I’m Nobody! Who are you? a musical essay on the human condition of Are you — Nobody — Too? being alone together. It's about us and we are Then there’s a pair of us! its theme. YOU are the subject and recipient Don’t tell! they’d advertise — you know! of its message. Cantus is our essay's narrator. How dreary — to be — Somebody! For the libretto, I identified nine words which describe being alive – You, here, now, who, How public — like a Frog — are, where, know, need, love – and used them To tell one’s name — the livelong June — to frame questions about being human: Am To an admiring Bog! I fated?; What is my meaning?; I need!; Am I safe?; Am I secure?; What is the center of my spirit? Then, drawing on poetry of Emily Dickinson and Edna St. Vincent Millay as muses for these questions (Dickinson's You cannot put a Fire out – fate, I'm Nobody – Who are You? – meaning, Wild Nights! – need; and Edna St. Vincent Millay's First Fig and Thursday – security), I created a loose narrative for my essay – I am unconditionally alive...I feel out of control...Who am I?...I need physical human contact...I need security... what is security?...I am security.
I am so grateful to Music Accord for providing the opportunity to partner with the members of Cantus in the process of creating this new work. It has been a rich and rewarding fabric of creativity! — Libby Larsen, 2018
CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER 9 TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
music and text by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel music by Melissa Dunphy text from Sun-Up [IV. Betty] by Lola Ridge He was a most peculiar man. That’s what Mrs. Riordan said It's strange about stars.... and she should know; You have to be still when they look at you. She lived upstairs from him They push your song inside of you She said he was a most peculiar man. with their song. Their long silvery rays He was a most peculiar man. sink into you and do not hurt. He lived all alone within a house, It is good to feel them resting on you Within a room, within himself, like great white birds... A most peculiar man. and their shining whiteness doesn't burn like the sun He had no friends, he seldom spoke it washes all over you And no one in turn ever spoke to him, and makes you feel cleaner'n water. ‘Cause he wasn’t friendly and he didn’t care And he wasn’t like them. Oh, no! he was a most peculiar man.
music and text by Carlos Lalonde He died last Saturday. WINNER OF CANTUS' SECOND ANNUAL YOUNG & EMERGING COMPOSER COMPETITION He turned on the gas and he went to sleep With the windows closed I lie awake consumed by fear. so he’d never wake up Hold on tight, a shining light. To his silent world and his tiny room; And Mrs. Riordan says Awake for morning comes. he has a brother somewhere Who should be notified soon. But I cannot sleep. I'm caught by the tide, And all the people said, No one by my side.
“What a shame that he’s dead, I miss the days when life stood still. But wasn’t he a most peculiar man?” A fleeting shadow, Endless thrill.
I tried to hide the feelings welled inside. Somehow I know I'll live, I'll live!
For morning comes.
*World Premiere
10 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS
music and text by Ysaÿe M. Barnwell
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me I think on the things that made me feel To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes. so wonderful when I was young. I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me I think on the things that made me laugh, To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes. made me dance, made me sing. I think on the things that made me grow You said you'd rock me in the cradle of your arms. into a being full of pride. You said you'd hold me ‘til the storms of life were gone. I think on these things, for they are truth. You said you'd comfort me in times like these I thought that you were gone, and now I need you. but now I know you're with me. And you are - gone. You are the voice that whispers all I need to hear. Since you've gone and left me, There's been so little beauty, I know a "Please", a "Thank you", But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes. and a smile will take me far. I know that I am you and you are me, Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place. and we are one. Here inside I have few things that will console. I know that who I am is numbered And when I try to hear your voice in each grain of sand. above the storms of life, I know that I am blessed, again, and over again. Then I remember that I was told.
music by Andrea Ramsey text by Helen Keller
What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. A sunset, a mountain bathed in moonlight, the ocean in calm and in storm — we see these, love their beauty, hold the vision to our hearts.
All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Life is overlord of death, Life is stronger than death.
And love can never lose its own.
CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER 11 Thank you for joining us for Alone Together, recorded live from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. We hope it brought you a few moments of reflection, relief, joy, and peace as we contine to navigate these challenging times. Have feedback? Fill out a quick survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/AloneTogether2021
APRIL 9 — 11
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