EVENTS
CONNECTIONS
2023—2024 SEASON
Welcome to our new concert season: Connections.
Now, more than ever, we know that you're looking for experiences that engage you in the most meaningful ways... experiences that inspire, renew, and bring joy.
With the 23-24 season at Cantata Singers - Music Director Noah Horn's second - our goal is to expand and explore what connects us: stories of remembrance and grief, sacrifice and love, and faith and hope. We want to continue empowering voices of all kinds. Noah has worked to create a season that showcases Cantata Singers as one of the most versatile choral-orchestral organizations in Boston. We are proud of our ability to pair Bach's timeless music with composers representing the depth and breadth of the human experience.
We have four exciting main stage concerts in the 23-24 season, two Chamber Series concerts, and two opportunities to interact with Cantata Singers in a more casual atmosphere. Inspiring you is at the top of our minds, and we can’t wait to connect with you this season.
23–24 Season Launch Party
Sunday, September 17, 2023 | 4 PM
Jack's Abby Brewery
100 Clinton Street
Framingham, MA 01702
Grab a brew, meet new friends, and join us to kick off the 23–24 season, Connections! New and old friends await at our season launch event. Food and drink will be available for purchase, and there will be family-friendly activities available, including skee ball, pop-a-shot, and a designated play area in the Beer Garden. Come for a couple of hours or stay for a drink or two... it's your call. Members of the chorus will sing at 5 PM, and Music Director Noah Horn will discuss the upcoming 23–24 season.
Remembering:
Duruflé’s Requiem
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | 4 PM
Church of the Covenant
67 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
Our connection to loved ones lost remains one of our deepest human experiences. How do we keep their essence? How do we process grief? How do we honor a legacy? We remember. Where Gregorian chant meets the sumptuous soundworld of 20th-century France, Maurice Duruflé's Requiem encourages deep reflection on the human experience and the ultimate mystery of death.
American-Canadian composer Zachary Wadsworth brings us a newly commissioned work called Faces of the Past, complementing Duruflé's Requiem by exploring themes of Memory, Faith, and Time.
Celebrating Walt Whitman Through Song
Saturday, November 11, 2023 | 3 PM
Follen Church
755 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
Our beloved Chamber Series returns with Director Allison Voth. This concert, fittingly on Veteran’s Day, includes Walt Whitman poems related to war, and music that is both gripping and heartbreaking.
Drawing from a diverse set of composers, this concert features music by black and female composers, relatively unknown American composers, young cutting-edge contemporary composers, and well-known composers. Let’s celebrate Walt Whitman through songs by Vaughn Williams, Kurt Weill, Helen Hopekirk, Ina Boyle, Ruth Schontal, Glen Roven, Daron Hagen, Charles Naginski, Jeremy Gill, and Nkeiru Okaye.
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion
Sunday, February 18, 2024 | 3 PM
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Bach's St. Matthew Passion tells the story of the last days of Jesus as seen by St. Matthew the Evangelist. Although the words of the St. Matthew Passion are almost 2000 years old, the themes are still relevant today: betrayal, judgment, sacrifice, death, and above all: love. Tenor William Hite (Evangelist) and baritone Dana Whiteside (Jesus) join as soloists for this special afternoon, along with the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Concert Choir, led by conductor Michele Adams.
Additional featured soloists:
Emily Adams, mezzo-soprano
Ellen Allen, soprano
Heming Cao, tenor
Quincy Cason, tenor
Adrian Cho, bass-baritone
Mark Andrew Cleveland, bass-baritone
Anand Dharan, bass-baritone
Kamil Ekinci, bass-baritone
Ifeanyi Epum, countertenor
Josh Glassman, tenor
Angelica Grau, mezzo-soprano
Lauren Guthridge, mezzo-soprano
Nathan Halbur, bass-baritone
Patricia Kopko, soprano
James Liu, bass-baritone
Lisa Lynch, soprano
Allyn McCourt, bass-baritone
Ryan Mewhorter, bass-baritone
Kay Patterson, soprano
Janet Ross, soprano
Max Rydqvist, bass-baritone
Jason Sabol, tenor
Felicity Salmon, soprano
Jennifer Webb, mezzo-soprano
Rachel Webb, soprano
Sara Wyse-Wenger, mezzo-soprano
La Belle Époque: Known and Little Known Composers
Sunday, March 17, 2024 | 3 PM
Follen Church
755 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
La Belle Époque witnessed an explosion of diverse musical styles. Ravel and Debussy embraced impressionism, while operettas gained popularity and early jazz was emerging. The era also saw the rise of music halls and cabarets, influencing the cultural fabric of Europe. Our beloved Chamber Series returns with Director Allison Voth presenting music of Ravel, Debussy, Lili Boulanger, Saint-Saëns, Satie, Chausson, Fauré, Viardot, Chaminade, and more.
Featuring members of Cantata Singers:
Kay Patterson, soprano
Jade Espina, mezzo soprano
Angelica Grau, mezzo soprano
Lauren Guthridge, mezzo soprano
Jennifer Webb, mezzo soprano
Majie Zellar, mezzo soprano
Adrian Cho, baritone
A Messiah for Our Time
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 3 PM
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
30 Gainsborough Street
Boston, MA 02115
Messiah, by the Swedish composer Sven-David Sandström, was commissioned by the Oregon Bach Festival and the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart to commemorate the 2009 Handel anniversary year. The work is based on Charles Jennen’s English libretto that Handel set in his famous oratorio. Many critics believe this Messiah to be worthy of the original from 260 years ago, and we’re thrilled to share the stage with new friends at the New England Philharmonic in its first performance on the East Coast!
Sven-David Sandström
Messiah (2009)
Boston premiere
Presented in partnership with New England Philharmonic
Cantata Singers, Noah Horn, Music Director (Co-conductor)
New England Philharmonic, Tianhui Ng, Music Director (Co-conductor)
Maggie Finnegan, soprano
Maria Dominique Lopez, mezzo-soprano
Dylan Morrongiello, tenor
Leroy Davis, bass-baritone
Cocktails + Cantatas
Saturday, May 18, 2024 | 6 PM
The Substation - Roslindale
4228 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02131
There's a place for you at Cantata Singers, from beloved, inspiring choral works to uplifting community engagement programs. Find out why on May 18, 2024.
Join us that evening at 6:00 p.m. SHARP as we celebrate the power of music and its ability to surprise, challenge, and inspire. We hope to have a fantastic and fun evening. You'll make the difference, so make plans to spend a few hours of your time with us, and we'll take you on a journey through the voices of Cantata Singers.
Bonds: Credo
Saturday, June 8, 2024 | 4 PM
Epicenter at Artists for Humanity
100 West 2nd Street
Boston, MA 02127
In her Credo, American composer Margaret Bonds sets W.E.B. Du Bois' 1904 essay of the same title into a blend of Western classical and spiritual traditions. This powerful and thought-provoking essay is one of the most iconic civil rights writings and lays out Du Bois' beliefs about the nature of humanity and the role of the individual in society. Bonds' masterpiece celebrates the intersections of faith, culture, and history.
Cantata Singers is proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program to broaden cultural programming accessibility.
Cantata Singers will offer 95% off the cost of tickets for EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare holders. For details on how to redeem, please visit the corresponding program’s website, email hello@cantatasingers.org, or call (617) 868-5885. Participants utilizing the codes may be asked to show their valid EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare card when checking in at the concert.
