Photos courtesy of Daniel Herman
JOEL M. RINSEMA Managing Artistic Director
Come be a part of the excitement!
We are just coming off our 25th anniversary season, and we’ve got some great plans in the making for our next 25 years and beyond! I’m celebrating my 10th year with Kantorei, and this season, I’ve programmed some of my favorite music in the choral repertory. You’ll hear music from the Renaissance period to newly written works just for us! Some of my favorite composers are represented: from Palestrina and Schütz, to J.S. Bach and Brahms, as well as contemporary composers Lauridsen, Hagenberg, Quartel, Ešenvalds, and Pärt – we’ve got something for everyone!
We are thrilled to announce that we’ve been invited to perform the opening welcome concert for the Southwestern division conference of the American Choral Directors Association that Denver will host in February. We’ll be bringing our dear friend Ola Gjeilo to join us to perform his Dreamweaver with string orchestra and soprano soloist, Sarah Moyer for our choral colleagues from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. This concert will be free, so plan on joining us!
I hope you will consider becoming a member this year. For only $50 per household, you can be one of our inner-circle friends! Not only do you get substantial savings on tickets that will enable you to invite your friends and family to join you in the Kantorei experience, I’ll be reaching out to you regularly throughout the season so you will have insider information on what’s going on behind the scenes. You only have until October 8 to become a member, so don’t wait!
If you haven’t been to a Kantorei concert for a while, there’s no better time to come back! If you’re one of our regulars, Thank You! As you make your plans this year, think about others in your life who need the Kantorei Experience. They will thank you too!
See you soon!
Joel Joel M. Rinsema Managing Artistic Director
Welcome to the 2023-2024 Kantorei season!
It will be a year of outstanding performances centered around repertoire that has been handpicked by Joel to celebrate his tenth year as the Artistic Director. Congratulations, Joel, and thank you for sharing your love of the choral arts with our singers and patrons. Kantorei as an organization has grown beyond all expectations under your leadership.
It has been an honor to serve this organization as a member of the Board of Directors for the past five years. As I enter my last year as the Board Chair, I would like to thank my fellow Board Members, Joel, our staff, the singers and especially our patrons for your support. Your support ensured that Kantorei not only survived, but thrived, during one of the most challenging periods in our 25-year history. As we look to the future, we have created a legacy giving program whereby you can include Kantorei in your estate planning. We hope you will consider Kantorei as you plan for the future.
Kantorei exists because we have loyal audience members. We delight in sharing with you the communal experience that is the Choral Arts. We strive to lift the spirit, feed the soul, and bring joy to your life with the exquisite sound that is Kantorei.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer
Jennifer Moore Chair, Kantorei Board of Directors
AUDIENCE TESTIMONIALS:
“Beautiful arrangements, high caliber... They are always artful, intelligent, and amazing performances.”
“…one of the most incredible and spine-tingling concerts that I have heard in a long time. Looking forward to the rest of the season.”
JENNIFER MOORE President
Facebook.com/Kantorei | Instagram.com/Kantorei | Twitter.com/kantoreidenver Youtube.com/Kantorei | Soundcloud.com/KantoreiCO
Kantorei is a Denver-based, choral ensemble comprised of volunteer singers under the direction of Managing Artistic Director Joel M. Rinsema.
Formed in 1997 under the leadership of six friends and artistic director Richard Larson, Kantorei has established itself as one of the nation’s premier choral ensembles. Our choral artists have studied at schools with strong music programs across the United States such as Baylor University, Brigham Young University, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, St. Olaf College, Wartburg College, and Westminster Choir College. Kantorei’s singers reside throughout the greater Denver area. Some serve as choral music educators, church choir conductors, and vocal instructors. Others are doctors, social workers, optometrists, counselors, clinical psychologists, accountants, realtors – all brought together in weekly rehearsals for shared artistic excellence and community.
Kantorei has performed for major choral conventions across the U.S. and with The Aspen Music Festival, toured the world, and has commissioned and premiered new choral works from such renowned composers as Kim André Arnesen, Eric William Barnum, Abbie Betinis, René Clausen, Ola Gjeilo, Jocelyn Hagen, Sarah Quartel, Jake Runestad, Joshua Shank, and Eric Whitacre. In the summer of 2022, Kantorei performed the Central American premiere of Jake Runestad’s “El Último Hilo” in Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala, along with Guatemelan choir Vocalis. In the fall of 2021, Kantorei began its three-year collaboration with M. Roger Holland, II as Artist-in-Residence.
Kantorei has released two recordings on the Naxos label. “Sing, Wearing the Sky” (2020) choral music of Jake Runestad reached the #3 best-selling classical album on iTunes, #4 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts, and the top ten in both the best-selling classical album and new classical release categories on Amazon. “Infinity: Choral Works of Kim André Arnesen” (2018) climbed to the #2 best-selling classical album on iTunes, #6 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts and #19 on the overall Classical Billboard charts. Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc. publishes the Kantorei Choral series.
KANTOREI 2023-2024 CONCERT SEASON
OCTOBER 7-8: WANTING MEMORIES
Saturday: First Plymouth UCC
Sunday: Wellshire Presbyterian Church
NOVEMBER 4: SALON
Saturday: The Home of Alex & Melissa Menter
DECEMBER 1: A WINTER ’S NIGHT
Friday: Bethany Lutheran Church
DECEMBER 10, 15-17: CAROLING, CAROLING NOW WE GO!
Sunday (Dec 10): D. L. Parsons Theatre
Friday: Saint John’s Epicopal Cathedral
Saturday: First Plymouth UCC
Sunday: Wellshire Presbyterian Church
FEBRUARY 27: SWACDA WELCOME CONCERT
Tuesday: Trinity United Methodist Church
MARCH 9-10: MOTET MASTERS
Saturday: Wellshire Presbyterian Church
Sunday: First Plymouth UCC
MAY 17 & 19: THE MUSIC OF M. ROGER HOLLAND, II
Friday: Saint John’s Episcopal Cathedral
Sunday: First Plymouth UCC
“Thank you for the joy you have brought into my life.”
“I’ve been smiling all day long. I’m so glad I got to experience the beauty of Kantorei’s performance. It was truly heartwarming.”
K antorei’s vision is “to elevate the human experience through choral excellence.”
“What an incredible experience…words cannot convey the magnitude of the program…spellbinding. Not soon to be forgotten.”
WANTING MEMORIES
10.07.2023
Saturday @ 7:30 pm
First Plymouth UCC
10.08.2023
Sunday @ 3:00 pm
Wellshire Presbyterian Church
Music stirs up memories of people and events from our past. Heinrich Schütz memorialized a dear patron through his monumental Musikalische Exequien. This funeral work was the first requiem in the German language and one that Johannes Brahms used as a foundation for his masterwork Ein Deutsches Requiem
Herbert Howells was commissioned to write funeral music for the dual American-Canadian Memorial Service for President John F. Kennedy held in Washington. We commemorate the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination with performances of Take Him, Earth for Cherishing. American poet Sara Teasdale remembers childhood friends in Only in Sleep, set by Latvian composer Ērik Ešenvalds, and Ysaye Barnwell from Sweet Honey in the Rock challenges us all to “see the beauty in the world around us through our own eyes” in Wanting Memories
Music by:
Heinrich Schütz
Herbert Howells
Ērik Ešenvalds
Elaine Hagenberg
Kim André Arnesen
Eliza Gilkyson
Ysaye Barnwell
CAROLING, CAROLING NOW WE GO!
12.10.2023
Sunday @ 2:00 pm
D. L. Parsons Theatre
12.15.2023
Friday @ 7:30 pm
Saint John’s Episcopal Cathedral
12.16.2023
Saturday @ 7:30 pm
First Plymouth UCC
12.17.2023
Sunday @ 3:00 pm
Wellshire Presbyterian Church
Kantorei celebrates the season with some of your favorite carols old and new, including some of John Rutter’s most famous settings, Candlelight and Angels’ Carols. British Jazz/Classical composer Alexander L’Estrange infuses holiday standards with his colorful harmonies and Kantorei sopranos and altos will perform American composer Daniel Pinkham’s Company at the Creche accompanied by the tenors and basses playing bells; a glorious way to ring in the holiday season!
Included:
Company at the CrecheDaniel Pinkham
Carols arranged by John Rutter and Alexander L’Estrange
Other seasonal favorites
MOTET MASTERS
03.09.2024
Saturday @ 7:30 pm
Wellshire Presbyterian Church
03.10.2024
Sunday @ 3:00 pm
First Plymouth UCC
Throughout the history of western choral music, the motet has been one of the most important forms of choral music. It helped move choral music from solo chant into the glorious polyphonic music of the renaissance and baroque. Highly spiritual in nature, motets serve as both contemplative and joyous responses. In this program, Kantorei surveys the history of the motet, performing works of renaissance composers Josquin des Prez and Giovanni Palestrina moving into the height of the Baroque period with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Lobet den Herrn (BWV 230). Also included on the program is Johannes Brahms melancholic Warum ist das Licht gegeben (Opus 74 No. 1), as well as examples of famous motets from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Music by:
Josquin des Prez
Giovanni Palestina
Vicenzo Lusitano
Pedro Bermúdez
Salamone Rossi
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johannes Brahms
Maurice Duruflé
Charles Villiers Stanford
Healey Willan
Morten Lauridsen
Arvo Pärt
THE MUSIC OF M. ROGER HOLLAND,
II
05.17.2024
Friday @ 7:30 pm
Saint John’s Episcopal Cathedral
05.19.2024
Sunday @ 3:00 pm
First Plymouth UCC
As the finale of our three-year relationship with Roger Holland as our Artist-in-Residence, Kantorei will present the world premiere of a new ambitious multi-movement work blending styles and techniques drawn from both Euro-American art music and African American choral traditions.
Sponsored by:
Photo courtesy of Alvin Jones
SALON
11.04.2023
Saturday @ 7:00 pm
The Home of Alex and Melissa Menter
Join us at the beautiful home of founding members Alex & Melissa Menter for an elegant evening. Sip on cocktails and enjoy amuse-bouches while your favorite singers entertain you with solos and small ensemble performances. Proceeds will benefit the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship
A WINTER’S NIGHT
12.01.2023
Friday @ 7:30 pm
Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village
This time-honored annual tradition brings together Kantorei and the Meistersingers of Cherry Creek High School. We are always pleased to be joined by this excellent group of young singers, as we encourage them to pursue the gift of singing beyond their high school experience. We invite you to bring the whole family for a program of familiar songs of Christmas—you’ll want to make it a part of your own holiday traditions.
SWACDA WELCOME CONCERT
02.27.2024 | Tuesday @ 7:00 pm
Trinity United Methodist Church, Denver
Kantorei has accepted the prestigious invitation to perform the welcome concert of the 2024 Southwestern Division biennial conference of the American Choral Directors Association held in Denver.
Joining Kantorei for this FREE concert is composer/pianist extraordinaire, Ola Gjeilo to perform his Dreamweaver Featuring soprano Sarah Moyer and string orchestra and with texts by lyricist and Kantorei friend Charles Anthony Silvestri, Kantorei welcomes choral experts to the mile high city from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas for a celebration of the choral artform at its very finest.
Also included on the program:
The Lamentations of Jeremiah – Alberto Ginastera
My Heart Be Brave – Marques Garrett
Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Müseligen? (Op. 74 No. 1) – Johannes Brahms
Thanksgiver: A Child’s Rhyme – Jean Belmont Ford
Alison N. Roman
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Alison Roman was a beloved member of the Kantorei family and a fiercely dedicated music educator. She touched countless lives, and for this reason, with the blessing of Alison’s family, the Kantorei board of directors has named the Kantorei Individual Scholarship the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship.
The Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship is designed to support students of color who intend to pursue the choral arts in college, whether as a music major or a singer in collegiate choral groups.
If you would like to contribute, you can do so on the enclosed order form. You can also make a donation online at www.kantorei.org/giving/scholarship.
VENUES
BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH
December 1
ADDRESS 4500 E Hampden Avenue, Cherry Hills Village, 80113
www.bethany-denver.org
D.L. PARSONS THEATRE NORTHGLENN ARTS
December 10
ADDRESS 1 E Memorial Parkway, Northglenn, 80233 Box Office 303-450-8888
www.NorthglennARTS.org
FIRST PLYMOUTH UCC
October 7, December 16, March 10, May 19
ADDRESS 3501 S Colorado Boulevard, Cherry Hills Village, 80113 www.firstplymouthchurch.org
SAINT JOHN ’ S ESPICOPAL CATHEDRAL
December 15, May 17
ADDRESS 1350 N Washington Street, Denver, 80203
www.sjcathedral.org
TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
February 27, 2024
ADDRESS 1820 Broadway, Denver, 80202
www.umc.org
WELLSHIRE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
October 8, December 17, March 9
ADDRESS 2999 S Colorado Boulevard, Denver, 80222
www.wpcdenver.org
BECOME A SEASON MEMBER!
New this year is a membership option designed to expand upon the Kantorei concert experience! What’s included:
» 25% off main concert series tickets (up to 10 tickets per concert series – does not include Salon, A Winter’s Night, or the Dec 10th performance)
» VIP Reserved seating at included concerts
» Recognition in our concert programs that you are one of our inner-circle super-fans!
» Other special offers, discounts, and invitations throughout the season
By purchasing one $50 membership for your household, you more-than-breakeven by simply purchasing two discounted tickets to each concert series. AND you can buy up to eight more tickets to each concert to invite your friends and family at the discounted price!
Available through October 8, 2023
TICKET ORDER FORM
Tickets will be delivered via email. Tickets will NOT be shipped via US mail. If you do not have an email address, please make a note of this in the “Email” field and delivery will be arranged. Tickets & memberships are also available online at www.kantorei.org.
Name (please print) __________________________________________
Address
Email ______________________________ Phone ______________
MAKE YOUR SELECTION
CONCERT
Wanting Memories
Kantorei would like to thank our sponsors for their generous and ongoing support!
Caroling, Caroling Now We Go!
I would like to become a member! $50
DATE ADULT SENIOR STUDENT
Sat, Oct. 7, 2023
7:30 pm
Sun, Oct. 8, 2023
3:00 pm
Fri, Dec. 15, 2023
7:30 pm
Sat, Dec. 16, 2023
7:30 pm
Sun, Dec 17, 2023
3:00 pm
Sat, Mar. 9, 2024
7:30 pm
Motet Masters
Sun, Mar. 10, 2024
3:00 pm
Fri, May 17, 2024
7:30 pm
The Music of M. Roger Holland, II
Nonmember: $30 x ____Nonmember: $25 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $22.50 x ____Member: $18.75 x ____
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Nonmember: $35 x ____ Nonmember: $30 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $26.25 x ____ Member: $22.50 x ____
Nonmember: $35 x ____ Nonmember: $30 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $26.25 x ____ Member: $22.50 x ____
Nonmember: $35 x ____ Nonmember: $30 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $26.25 x ____ Member: $22.50 x ____
Nonmember: $30 x ____Nonmember: $25 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $22.50 x ____Member: $18.75 x ____
Nonmember: $30 x ____Nonmember: $25 x ____ $0 x ____
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Nonmember: $30 x ____Nonmember: $25 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $22.50 x ____Member: $18.75 x ____
Sun, May 19, 2024
3:00 pm
Sat, Nov 4, 2023
Salon
A Winter’s Night
Nonmember: $30 x ____Nonmember: $25 x ____ $0 x ____
Member: $22.50 x ____Member: $18.75 x ____
7:00 pm $100 x ______
Fri, Dec 1, 2023
7:30 pm $20 x _______
Membership (if purchased) & Tickets Subtotal $______________
Additional Donation to Kantorei $______________ Thank you!
Additional Donation to the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship Fund $______________ Thank you!
Total Amount Enclosed $
PAYMENT INFORMATION (PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH)
Check enclosed - Please make checks payable to “Kantorei .” -OR-
Credit card Number: __________________________________________________________
Expiration: ______/________ CVV ________ Zip: __________
DETACH AND MAIL ORDER FORM AND CHECK TO:
K antorei, 3501 South Colorado Boulevard, Englewood, CO 80113
Photo courtesy of John Ludwig
KANTOREI 3 50I South Colorado Boulevard Englewood, CO 80113 k antorei.org PLACE POSTAGE HERE
