Photo: Curtis Johnson
Vocal ensemble Cantus performed at St. Mary's Catholic Church on April 30, 2015.
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Wonderful concert, hard seats!
J
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One of the more interesting pieces they sang was ‘Waltzing Matilda.’ I love how the arranger took a pretty ordinary folk song we all used to sing in grade school and turn it into something amazing, and always surprising. I thought their most beautiful number was ‘Danny Boy,’ while the one where Cantus’ power was shown forth was ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’ And for the sheer joy found in their eccentricities, I loved the ‘monkey’ song.
Lori Smith
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On the Cantus performance last night at St. Mary's. I purchased my tickets at the last minute on Thursday and was so pleased I did. The male voices were so clean and clear. The acoustics lended to their selection of very global tunes. It is a wonder they remembered their notes and all the languages they sang, not being native speakers of any of them. The performance added to a wonderful spring night. Thanks.
K. E. Renquist
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This was a terrific program, well balanced and executed to perfection. We are so glad we were present.
Bob and Eunice Welsh
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A thoroughly enjoyable evening, well balanced program, marvelous voices, very personable group that enjoyed including the audience in several instances, and skillfully exited after one encore!
Ruth Dawson
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Bravi Bravi Bravi
Magnificent singing
Magnificent program
And such nice guys to interact with the audience afterwards.
Must have them back in the new Hancher.
Mel Sunshine
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Cantus concert was one of my favorite Hancher events! They are amazing musicians and seem like real people too. Loved the focus on anthems from around the world—the monkeys were impressive. Bring them back please, I will definitely go see them again.
Mary Adamek
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I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of Cantus performance. I liked the way they presented their songs and why we sing. The choices were chosen so that familiar and not familiar songs were spaced. I read the lyrics quickly from the program. Having the English translation gave even more understanding. It was just a wonderful program. I bought tickets at the last minute and am so glad I did as it far exceeded my expectations.
Nancy Spalj
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I don't know if these small concerts are worth it to Hancher once the new auditorium opens, but I would like to see some of these small concerts continue. I've listened to Cantus for years, so it was great to finally see them in person. They did not disappoint.
Patrick Muller
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Thanks for the opportunity to react to the Cantus, Anthems concert. I was pleased to see that St. Mary's Church was almost full, and it's a large church. Evidently I am not the only person in Iowa City who loves choral music and wishes that much more of it would be available--in live concerts and on radio and television.
I thought the Cantus singers were excellent. Their choice of program was varied and sometimes challenging, but they also hit a number of old favorites. (Danny Boy? Are you serious? But they took it well beyond musical cliche.) For many years, Nkosi Sikelel l'Afrika has been a favorite of mine, but I had never heard the version that incorporates Zulu, Xhosa, and Sesotho in one anthem. Now I have a new favorite. I also appreciated the languages--Gaelic, Japanese, Latin, Czech, Hebrew, Hungarian, Punjabi, Croatian. That should be a great selling point for Cantus in a city like Iowa City, with all the travelers here.
Which leads me to this point: Please have them back. I'd be happy if they became a "go-to" group for Hancher, in the way that Joffrey Ballet has been. The Cantus men said they'd be happy to return (but perhaps not when the pollen count is at 11.4, far higher than Minneapolis counts! That must have made it tough to sing, no doubt, but I never noticed it until they told me after the concert.)
Anne Tanner
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My husband and I really enjoyed the performance by Cantus. The venue seemed to be just the right for the concert. Bring them back in the future.
Nancy Granner
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Wonderful concert! What variety!
Gene Savin
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Cantus is one of the finest musical groups in the country! The concert with its impeccable harmonics was superb. And St. Mary's Church was a perfect setting for Cantus' a cappella music. If this same concert and location were repeated 7 nights a week, I would be there every night! Thank you for this marvelous bit of programming! Bring Cantus back whenever you can! The crowd at St. Mary's is the best indication of Iowa's appreciation for this group.
Linda Laugen
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St. Mary's has a beautiful space for music and Cantus filled it with a varied and delightful program. I liked the program. I appreciated the talented collaborators in the group. I enjoyed the time and place.
Mark Isham
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It was great!
Jeanne Liston
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Cantus was incredible. What a glorious performance. I was especially happy that we got to sing as well! The acoustics were lovely (although the pews were hard.) I'm looking forward to hearing this kind of performance in the new Hancher space!
AmyRuth McGraw
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We loved this concert!
Joe Brennan
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