Cantata Singers

CONTACT:

161 First Street, Suite 203
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-868-5885
www.cantatasingers.org

Lisa Stiller, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

A "cantata" is a set of vocal works exploring a unifying theme. When powerful music is joined with powerful words, cantatas transcend their original historic era and speak forcefully to audiences in other times -- even ours.

The Cantata Singers was founded in 1964, originally to perform Bach cantatas; today they are a nationally awarded, leading, exponent of choral music from the 18th century to the present day.

Every year their 44-member (including many volunteers) chorus, and chamber orchestra present: a subscription series of eight concerts in Jordan Hall, at the New England Conservatory in Boston; a recital series of vocal chamber works; and a schools program, "Classroom Cantatas."

"Classroom Cantatas" annually serves more than 1,000 inner-city students in a 12-session, "residency" program, in which small groups of students with Cantata Singers help, write, compose, rehearse, and perform their own cantatas for school and parent audiences, based on themes they themselves have chosen -- e.g., courage, prejudice, the human body, the rainforest, etc. How powerful is this program? Recently, a 7th-grade boy, labeled "uncooperative" and "unresponsive," not only wrote a cantata but performed a solo in the performance. Music hath charms....

"Classroom Cantatas" is an excellent educational program that operates on an annual budget of just $20,000; will you help it grow?

(1997: CULTURE: Arts: Performing: Music and Dance)