the phrase “alone together,”

THE PHRASE “ALONE TOGETHER,” in the context of tonight’s program, was coined in 2010 by MIT professor Sherry Turkle. During the 30 or so years prior, she had grown concerned with how computers were changing us as people and began to explore the ways that scientists, computer owners, and children behaved among their new “thinking” machines. But as the years passed and these devices became smaller, lighter, and more portable, our detachment and discontent only grew. In 2016, Cantus began developing a show that would explore the desire for meaningful connection in this relatively new Digital Age. In the United States alone, 96 percent of the population own a cell phone of some kind, and 81 percent own smartphones. How was this changing the way we interacted with people on a day-to-day basis? We could now talk with people around the world, follow the lives of friends we hadn’t seen in years, and even find new love matches with the swipe of a finger.

However, it seemed that the connections we were making were less with the human and more with the machine.

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 me. Have we become so utterly dependent on these tiny machines that we’ve lost our skills, and perhaps even our sense of self?

Jacob ChristopherArtistic CouncilTour Manager

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The philosophical, social, and anthropological questions that arise are seemingly endless, and we will only be able to explore some of them in the next 50 minutes.

But as the second year of the pandemic looms, it will be even more important for us to check in on friends and family members. Because while the collective ‘we’ may present an online persona of happiness and satisfaction, it’s more likely that each of us is struggling in some way. This new normal — with its mix of pandemic-induced isolation and searching for connection, of doom scrolling and Zoom happy hours — gave new urgency to the Alone Together theme, prompting us to revisit and recast our program for this complicated moment. Additionally, it isn’t lost on us that we’re asking you to watch this concert on a computer while hoping you’ll also step away from that same device — for a while — to reflect on how it might be impeding your ability to interact with the physical world. But for now, we’re first and foremost thankful that you’re here with us and hope that someday very soon, we’ll be back together again to sing for you in person.

ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS

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visionmission

Samuel GreenEducation Outreach Coordinator

Jacob ChristopherTour Manager

Alexander NishibunProduction

Anne TodeyBox Office Coordinator

Alberto de la PazProgramming

Joseph HeitzExecutive Director

Jacob ChristopherTour Manager

Jeff Reed, ChairAttorney (retired)

Nancy GaschottConsultant to Nonprofit Leaders

David Niles, TreasurerVice President, Avant Energy

Bryan FisherDirector of Choral and Vocal Music,Minneapolis Southwest High School

Alberto de la PazTenor, Cantus

Theresa Gienapp, Vice ChairDirector of Planned GivingMacalester College

Brian NewhouseAssociate Vice President of Individual Giving, Minnesota Orchestra

Jonathan GuytonPrincipal, CornerstoneWealth Advisors, Inc.

Paul JohnsonFounder & President,Creative Fundraising Advisors

Kevin StocksExecutive Director, Twin CitiesGay Mens Chorus

Barbara ThomasSenior Program Manager, IT Mergers and Acquisitions, Medtronic

Beth Anne Thompson, SecretaryAssociate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, St. Olaf College

Elizabeth Drotning HartwellAttorney, Best & Flanagan LLP

Paul ScholtzTenor, Cantus

Craig ShulstadVice President, General Mills (retired)

Frank StubbsNon-Profit Executive (retired)

PaviElle FrenchArtist; Equity, Youth Outreach and Operations Coordinator, AIA Minnesota

ARTISTIC COUNCILADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER

Cantus gives voice to shared human experiences.

Cantus 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: artists and staff work together to reach new levels of artistic

excellence, innovation and audience engagement.

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Now in its 26th season, the “engaging” (New Yorker) men’s vocal ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. The Washington Post has hailed the Cantus sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and the Philadelphia Inquirer called the group nothing short of “exquisite.”

As one of the nation’s few full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has grown in prominence with its distinctive approach to music-making. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process.

In a typical year, Cantus performs more than 60 concerts both in national and international touring, and in its home of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Cantus has performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, UCLA, San Francisco Performances, and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival. Cantus has a rich history of collaborations

with other performing arts organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Pops, Chanticleer, and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

The ensemble is heard frequently on classical public radio nationwide and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Cantus has released 18 recordings on the group’s self-titled label and has recently signed with British record label Signum to release the COVID-19 Sessions as a live album.

The ensemble actively commissions new music and seeks to unearth rarely performed repertoire for men’s voices, having received commissioning grants from New Music USA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Chorus America, American Composers Forum, and Chamber Music America.

Integral to the Cantus mission is its commitment to preserve and deepen music education in the schools. In a typical year, Cantus works with more than 5,000 students each year in master class and workshop settings across the country.


CHRIS FOSS, BASS

SAMUEL GREEN, BASS*

ADAM REINWALD, BARITONE JEREMY WONG, BARITONE

ALBERTO DE LA PAZ, TENOR ALEXANDER NISHIBUN, TENOR

PAUL SCHOLTZ, TENOR

JACOB CHRISTOPHER, TENOR

5CANTUS | ALONE TOGETHER

A native of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Jacob Christopher began his career as a chorister with the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2010–2012) before moving to New York where he appeared in Ragtime at Lincoln Center, Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Paper Mill Playhouse, Studio Cast Recording), and, in 2016, made his Carnegie Hall debut with the

New York City Chamber Orchestra. A graduate of Luther College, Jacob has also performed backup vocals for Ben Folds and The Judds.

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Alberto’s early choral music experience consisted of arrangements from diverse varieties and styles of Latin American music. Alberto graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, then participated in the Young Artist Program at Illinois Bach Academy. Following graduation

he served as choral director at Leyden High School in Chicago. When Alberto isn’t busy singing, he enjoys reading a good novel or salsa dancing.

Prior to joining Cantus, Alex performed as a soloist and chamber musician with such renowned groups as the Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Handel & Haydn Society, Blue Heron Renaissance Choir, and Ensemble Origo. Boston Classical Review praised his “smooth-toned voice (of) spring-water clarity.” Alex is from Kentucky and is a graduate of New England

Conservatory of Music and Huntingdon College.

When not performing with Cantus, Paul enjoys engagements as a concert soloist and appearances with Bach Vespers at The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in New York City. A recent highlight was a performance of Handel’s Messiah with the late J. Reilly Lewis of the Washington Bach Consort. Paul is a native of northeast Iowa and received

his B.A. in English from Luther College.

A graduate of Millikin University and the University of Nebraska, Chris grew up in southwest Iowa. In addition to his experience as a soloist and ensemble singer, Chris brings his choral conducting and award-winning arranging experience to Cantus. When Chris isn’t singing, you might find him playing one of his favorite guitars or trying to stop his

dogs from jumping out of the canoe.

Prior to joining Cantus, Samuel was a sought-after musician in the thriving Kansas City arts scene, lending his voice to several ensembles including the GRAMMY Award-winning Kansas City Chorale under the direction of Charles Bruffy, the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, and Kantorei of Kansas City. In addition to chorister experience, Samuel

has taken the stage performing jazz, barbershop, southern gospel, and country music as a soloist and ensemble musician, and is also a voiceover artist.

Nationally recognized vocal chamber artist and conductor, Adam is in demand as a coach and strategist for small- to mid-sized arts organizations, focusing on new media and virtual/digital branding. Adam combines artistic and administrative leadership from over two decades of experience in the nonprofit arts sector. Adam performed with Cantus from 1998-2014, and oversaw programming and Board development during a 17 year tenure. Adam held the position

of Assistant Conductor/Community Engagement Manager with the National Lutheran Choir, based in Minneapolis, from 2014-2020. Recent groundswell 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 Open Voices LLC, nurturing artists and building community.

Jeremy enjoys a wonderfully varied career as a singer, conductor, and voice teacher who has performed on both the international and U.S. stages with focuses in oratorio, art song, and ensemble singing. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, past seasons have seen him premiering solo roles in major choral compositions that honor the culture and history of the islands. He is passionate about

collaborative music making, and is thrilled to create music at a high level with the singers of Cantus.

* Samuel Green is attending to family needs and will not appear on this program.

* World Premiere and winner of Cantus' second annual Young & Emerging Composer Competition

6 ALONE TOGETHER | CANTUS

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TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS

music and text by Win Butler, Richard R. Perry, William Butler, Jeremy Gara, & Régine Chassagne

music and text by Ingrid Michaelson

music and text by David Lang

Here in my place and timeAnd here in my own skin I can finally begin.Let the century pass me by,Standing under the night skyTomorrow means nothing.

I was only a child thenFeeling barely alive whenI heard a song from a speaker of a passing carPraying to a dying star, the memories fadingI can almost remember singing…

We watched the end of the centuryCompressed on a tiny screen.A dead star collapsing and we could seeSomething was ending.Are you through pretending? We saw the signs in the suburbs.

You could have never predictedThat it could see through you—Kasparov, Deep Blue, 1996Your mind's playing tricks now,Show's over so take a bowAnd leave it in the shadows…

Hey, put the cellphone down for a while!In the night there is something wild,Can you hear it breathing?

Hey, put the laptop down for a while!In the night there is something wild,I feel it, it's leaving me.

Where do I go when I don’t have a friend?Where do I go at another day’s end?Nobody loves me, somebody loves me on...Twitter!

I think I’m a big big loserThen I go to my computerTurn it on, and I feel grandAll because of...Twitter!

Direct message mePlease, please message meOr at least reply to my...Twitter!

I want to be with someonewho won’t get tired of mewho wants to be with me for who I amwho will never leave me

I want to be with someonewho is actually afraid to lose mewho values open communicationwho really knows me

I want to be with someonewho cares about me, supports me,encourages mewho makes my heart jump when I hear their key in the doorwho wants to be with me


continued...

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who is exactly what I’ve said I always wantedwho accepts me for who I am

who I find so interesting and exciting and understands my thinkingwho’s going to be healthy for the long haulwho is smarter than that, with more depth and more soul

who feels the same waywho won’t clip my wingswho laughs at my jokeswho won’t leavewho likes to have funwho will want to be with mewho is very comfortablewho respects all the other aspects of mewho gets mewho can see a future with mewho is comfortablewho wants to work

I want to be with someonewho matches mewho teaches mewho wants to be

music and text by LAURA MVULA

She walked towards youwith her head down lowShe wondered if there’s a way out of the blueWho’s gonna take her home this time?She knew that this time wouldn’t be the last time

There she waits looking for a saviorSomeone to save her from her dying selfAlways taking ten steps backand one step forwardShe’s tired, but she don’t stop.

Oh, She don’t stop, she don’t stop, she don’t stop...

Every day she stood hoping for a new lightShe closed her eyesand she heard a small voice say"You don’t stop, no, you belong to me."She cried, maybe it’s too late!

She don’t stop, she don’t stop, she don’t stop...

She walked towards youwith her head down lowShe wondered if there’s a way out of the blueWho’s gonna take her home this time?She knew that this time wouldn’t be the last time

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music by Libby Larsentext by Emily Dickinson

YouYou, knowwhereYou,are…You,are…whowho are Youwho are…

Who are you?YouI’m Nobody! Who are you?Are you — Nobody — Too?Then there’s a pair of us!Don’t tell! they’d advertise — you know!How dreary — to be — Somebody!How public — like a Frog —To tell one’s name — the livelong June —To an admiring Bog!

COMMISSIONED BY MUSIC ACCORD FOR CANTUS In his landmark book, Keeping Together in Time, William McNeill convincingly states that its our natural condition, as humans, to create and sustain human community. We share feelings, we keep together in time through coordinated movements, like dancing, making music, marching, group exercising, attending community events, celebrating birthdays and holidays, we create groups, clubs, political parties, religious affiliations... All these human efforts, and more, are powerful forces in holding us together.

Yet, we are alone, ultimately, living the paradox of being alone together. YOU – is a musical essay on the human condition of being alone together. It's about us and we are its theme. YOU are the subject and recipient of its message. Cantus is our essay's narrator. For the libretto, I identified nine words which describe being alive – You, here, now, who, are, where, know, need, love – and used them to frame questions about being human: Am 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

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He was a most peculiar man.That’s what Mrs. Riordan saidand she should know;She lived upstairs from himShe said he was a most peculiar man.

He was a most peculiar man.He lived all alone within a house,Within a room, within himself,A most peculiar man.

He had no friends, he seldom spokeAnd no one in turn ever spoke to him,‘Cause he wasn’t friendly and he didn’t careAnd he wasn’t like them.Oh, no! he was a most peculiar man.

He died last Saturday.

He turned on the gas and he went to sleepWith the windows closedso he’d never wake upTo his silent world and his tiny room;And Mrs. Riordan sayshe has a brother somewhereWho should be notified soon.

And all the people said,

“What a shame that he’s dead,But wasn’t he a most peculiar man?”

music and text by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel

music and text by Carlos Lalonde

It's strange about stars....You have to be still when they look at you.They push your song inside of you with their song.Their long silvery rayssink into you and do not hurt.It is good to feel them resting on youlike great white birds...and their shining whitenessdoesn't burn like the sunit washes all over youand makes you feel cleaner'n water.

I lie awake consumed by fear.Hold on tight, a shining light.

Awake for morning comes.

But I cannot sleep.I'm caught by the tide,No one by my side.

I miss the days when life stood still.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.

music by Melissa Dunphytext from Sun-Up [IV. Betty] by Lola Ridge

WINNER OF CANTUS' SECOND ANNUALYOUNG & EMERGING COMPOSER COMPETITION

*World Premiere

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I am sitting here wanting memories to teach meTo see the beauty in the world through my own eyes.I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes.

You said you'd rock me in the cradle of your arms.You said you'd hold me ‘til the storms of life were gone.You said you'd comfort me in times like these and now I need you.And you are - gone.

Since you've gone and left me, There's been so little beauty,But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes.

Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place.Here inside I have few things that will console.And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life,Then I remember that I was told.

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.

music by Andrea Ramseytext by Helen Keller

music and text by Ysaÿe M. Barnwell

I think on the things that made me feel so wonderful when I was young.I think on the things that made me laugh, made me dance, made me sing.I think on the things that made me grow into a being full of pride.I think on these things, for they are truth.I thought that you were gone, but now I know you're with me.You are the voice that whispers all I need to hear.

I know a "Please", a "Thank you", and a smile will take me far.I know that I am you and you are me, and we are one.I know that who I am is numbered in each grain of sand.I know that I am blessed, again, and over again.

APRIL 9 — 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

Visit www.cantussings.org/how-to-give to donate today!

Your generosity, now and over the last 25 years, has allowed Cantus to serve our community, advance our art form, and give voice to shared human experiences.

However, as we navigate a year defined by its uncertainty, we respectfully request your help.

As one of the nation’s two full-time professional vocal ensembles, Cantus continues to sing, collaborate, and create new content that we look forward to sharing with you in the coming months.

If you are able, will you please help to keep Cantus singing?

Visit www.cantussings.org/online-concert for further details.

the phrase “alone together,”

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