Title - Into the Light
Artist - Cantus
In time for the holidays, acclaimed vocal ensemble Cantus release their latest Christmas album on Signum Classics.
Out October 14th, 2022, the album, Into the Light reflects Cantus’ commitment to diversity of repertoire, with works by a broad range of composers and arrangers: from John Jacob Niles and Kenneth Jennings to Joni Mitchell and B.E. Boykin.
The album also offers six pieces created specifically for Cantus, including two new arrangements from Reginald Bowens and Christopher H. Harris. The ensemble performs the program in ten venues throughout the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul in December.
1. Angels We Have Heard On High - Trad. French Christmas, arr. Saunder Choir
2. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Kenneth Jennings
3. I Wonder As I Wander - John Jacob Niles, arr. Paul John Rudoi
4. River - Joni Mitchell
5. Alleluia! Into The Light - Cheryl Camm
6. Love, the God Eternal - Chris Foss
7. O Magnum Mysterium - B.E. Boykin
8. Glory Hallelujah to Duh Newbo’n King - African-American Spiritual arr. William C. Powell
9. Mensaje de Paz - Francisco Grau Vegara
10. Children Go! - Traditional, arr. Joe Gilbert and Eddie Brown
11. I Saw Three Ships - Traditional, arr. Reginald Bowens
12. Aguinaldo Carols - Trad. Filipino Christmas/Jerry Brandy, arr. Saunder Choir
13. Still, Still, Still - Austrian Carol, arr. Aaron Humble
14. Noel Nouvelet - Traditional French Carol, arr. Sofia Söderberg
15. Silent Night - Franz Gruber, arr. Christopher H. Harris
16. Twas the Night Before Christmas - Chris Foss
17. We Toast the Days - Linda Kachelmeier
The low-voice ensemble, widely known for its trademark warmth and blend,
innovative programming and riveting performances of music, opens up their dutifully delightful new Holiday album with the simply divinely, low-ebb harmonies within Angels We Have Heard On High and the gently flowing, and updated O Little Town of Bethlehem, and then follow those up with the sterner, more individually constructed I Wonder As I Wander, a quite breathtaking, veritably translucent rendition of Joni Mitchell’s 1971 track River, the uproarious, at times, calming and soulful at others, work of composer Cheryl Camm, Alleluia! Into The Light, the wholly embracing Love, the God Eternal (a new carol written by Cantus bass Chris Foss, with text by Ella Wheeler Cox), and then we are treated to the expressive O Magnum Mysterium and the absolutely breathtaking, soul-sung African-American Spiritual Glory Hallelujah to Duh Newbo’n King.
Next up on this wily selected narrative is the fibrous connected harmonies within Mensaje de Paz and the upbeat, melodious and gently fervent Children Go! and they are in turn backed seamlessly by a beautiful track that deserves to atop their known repertoire, the rhythmic I Saw Three Ships, which is backed by the amazingly harmonized fervency within the Traditional Filipino Christmas within Aguinaldo Carols, the aptly-named Still, Still, Still (Austrian Carol), the glistening Noel Nouvelet (Traditional French Carol), the recording coming to a close on the almost crystalline Silent Night, the alluringly elegant, adroitly layered, world premiere arrangement of Twas the Night Before Christmas, and then we finally get the peaceful work of composer Linda Kachelmeier’s, We Toast the Days.
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