Cantus Youth Choirs is not affiliated with any religious organization. Cantus rehearses at Tree City Church of the Nazarene in Boise. Cantus performs at Northwest Nazarene University’s Brandt Center. Cantus Youth Choirs benefits greatly from its partnerships with these two religious institutions, but Cantus is a stand-alone, nonprofit organization that is not affiliated any other organization, religious or otherwise.
Part of a choir’s purpose is to find common ground around ideas expressed through music. There are no two people that can be perfectly unified on everything! Being a part of a choir gives us opportunities to look for what we have in common. Cantus makes literature selections from all appropriate genres: sacred, secular, Christmas, seasonal, ethnic, world, gospel, popular, contemporary, traditional, worshipful, hymn, folk songs, musical theater, and more. We look for music that is uplifting, entertaining, and thematically and age-appropriate. This music can have varying moods: somber, triumphant, jubilant, pensive, happy, sad, angry, etc.
As a performer it is important to connect with the song in a personal way so that performances are genuine storytelling experiences and have an impact on performers and audiences. Directors encourage singers to find meaning in the song and encourage singers to share their thoughts during rehearsal discussions. Often that meaning aligns with the composer’s intended meaning. However, like all art, a song can mean different things to different people, and choirs are frequently asked to perform music that may or may not fully align with their religious, political, or social beliefs.
We do not ask singers to conform to the meaning we want them to. We invite them to think for themselves, internalize and find meaning, and then share that meaning as they rehearse and perform.
For example, a non-christian singer may be in an ensemble that sings Silent Night on the concert. That singer may not be comfortable telling the story of the Virgin Mary and the “holy infant so tender and mild.” We would encourage that singer to find a message in the song that does have meaning to them; perhaps asking them to imagine the magic and wonder of the stillness and quiet of a winter night.