2025KANT Sacred Threads Program_final_digital

Page 1


SACRED THREADS C elebrating Palestrina’s 500th & Pärt’s 90th Birthdays

SACRED THREADS

Celebrating Palestrina’s 500th & Pärt’s 90th Birthdays

KYRIE GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA (C. 1525 1594) G LORIA

Seth O'Kegley, incipit

CREDO

Matthew Eschliman, incipit

O HOLY FATHER NICHOLAS (COLORADO PREMIERE) ARVO PÄRT (B. 1935)

KANTOREI’S VISION:

To elevate the human experience through choral excellence

Our Mission:

Kantorei is an inclusive community of volunteer singers that invites audiences to experience the richness and diversity of the choral art form, joyously executed at the highest standard of musical excellence. We are innovators: we responsibly leverage our resources to commission work by living composers, perform music by underrepresented and emerging artists, encourage future talent through educational engagement, and nurture the choral community.

Our Values:

MUSICAL EXCELLENCE – We maintain the highest possible standards. We hold ourselves and each other accountable for putting in the necessary effort. We take on artistic challenges that many choirs cannot. We provide our audiences with unique musical experiences performed with professionalism, accuracy, passion, and finesse. We are a volunteer choir with world-class aspirations and achievements.

INCLUSION – We strive to create a singer community where individuals from all backgrounds and experiences can be their best. We celebrate and perform composers that have been underrepresented in the choral tradition alongside those who have historically enjoyed the spotlight. We amplify voices that should be heard, and seek to bring our voices to new places. We connect diverse audiences through the power of music.

JOY – We make music because it brings us joy and we are passionate about sharing that joy with others. Audiences feel our connection to each other and the music; through our work they experience intellectual and emotional expansion. Sharing this joy with each other and our audiences is a privilege.

COMMUNITY – We provide an opportunity for singers, artists, students, and audiences from many different backgrounds and identities to share in musical experiences that allow us to transcend the world we live in. Our singers show up for each other, both musically and personally. We are in community with the composers who partner with us. We create nurturing relationships with other choirs so we can collectively thrive. We show young and emerging artists what their musical future can look like.

INNOVATION – As an organization, we are never stagnant. We feel a responsibility to use our funding to educate, delight, and amaze, which is evident through every aspect of our work: programming, recordings, concerts, and community impact. We move the art form forward by celebrating the full diversity of modern choral composition, and juxtaposing it with treasured work of the traditional canon. Our audiences can feel the musical past resonating with wisdom in the present, and the present reaching back to seek guidance from the past.

Land acknowledgement

Kantorei honors and acknowledges the Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), hinono’eino’ biito’owu’ (Arapaho), Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) Tribes, and all of the original Indigenous peoples of the land upon which we rehearse and perform.

PROGRAM NOTES

Sacred Polyphony Across Five Centuries

MISSA PAPAE MARCELLI

GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA (c. 1525-1594)

The Missa Papae Marcelli stands as perhaps the most famous mass setting of the Renaissance era, embodying the pinnacle of Catholic polyphonic tradition. Composed around 1562/63, this six-voice mass was dedicated to Pope Marcellus II, who reigned for only three weeks in 1555 but left a lasting impression with his desire for liturgical music that served the text with clarity and devotion. Legend holds that this mass saved polyphony from prohibition by the Council of Trent, though modern scholarship suggests this story may not be entirely true. What remains undeniable is Palestrina's masterful balance of musical sophistication with textual intelligibility. The work demonstrates his ability to weave multiple vocal lines into a seamless tapestry while ensuring that the sacred words remain comprehensible to worshippers.

The mass follows the traditional five-movement structure: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus (including Benedictus), and Agnus Dei, though the Agnus Dei includes a separate second part (Agnus II). The work is freely composed, not based upon a cantus firmus, paraphrase, or parody, allowing Palestrina complete creative freedom in his approach to the text.

The Kyrie establishes the work's contemplative character through overlapping vocal entries that create a sense of continuous prayer. The Kyrie represents the highest achievement of Palestrina's serene, flowing, spiritually elevated style, with each individual vocal line maintaining independence while contributing to the whole.

The Gloria and Credo demonstrate Palestrina's sensitivity to textual demands. These movements feature textual declamations performed in homophony by three or more voices, with Palestrina creating interest by varying the vocal pairings and adding passing tones. The Credo shows particular musical diversity, divided into four distinct sections: the opening affirmation, Christ's incarnation, his crucifixion and resurrection, and the core Catholic beliefs.

The Sanctus and Benedictus create moments of transcendent beauty, with the "Hosanna" sections bursting forth in joyful polyphony. These movements represent quintessential Palestrina, achieving spiritual elevation through purely musical means.

The Agnus Dei movements provide a fitting conclusion, with the first Agnus offering supplication and the second (Agnus II) building to the final "dona nobis pacem" (grant us peace) in a gesture of ultimate surrender and hope.

FIVE SACRED WORKS BY ARVO PÄRT (b. 1935)

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt represents one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary sacred music. After experimenting with serialism and collage techniques in his early career, Pärt underwent a profound creative transformation in the mid-1970s, emerging with what he termed his "tintinnabuli" style—a compositional technique inspired by the resonance of bells.

This program’s selection of five works spans nearly three decades of Pärt's mature output, showcasing the evolution and consistency of his unique musical language.

O Holy Father Nicholas (2021) carries extraordinary historical and spiritual significance. This work was composed to celebrate the reopening of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was completely destroyed on September 11, 2001. The piece received its world premiere on October 31 and November 1, 2021, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, performed by the Artefact Ensemble under the direction of Benedict Sheehan. The premiere setting itself was deeply symbolic: the ancient Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum provided a sacred space where this new work honoring Saint Nicholas could resonate. The choice of venue connected ancient spiritual traditions with contemporary remembrance and renewal. The work demonstrates Pärt's ability to create profound spirituality through the simplest means, channeling both grief and hope into music that serves as both memorial and celebration of resilience.

The Deer's Cry (2007) sets an ancient Irish prayer attributed to Saint Patrick, though modern scholarship suggests it dates to the early 8th century rather than Patrick's own time. According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote it in c. 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. The prayer's evocative title comes from a remarkable legend: Saint Patrick, knowing that he and his accompanying monks were about to be ambushed and likely killed, led his men through the woods reciting that prayer. It is said to have turned St. Patrick and his followers into deer when they were being pursued by the king's men early one morning, thus allowing them to escape unharmed. Also known as "Saint Patrick's Breastplate" or

"Lorica" (meaning armor or breastplate), this prayer for protection invokes all the power of God as a safeguard against evil in its many forms. The text represents a fascinating fusion of pre-Christian Celtic spirituality with Christian theology, calling upon the Trinity while also invoking the protective power of angels, creation, and the elements. Pärt's setting captures both the prayer's humble supplication and its confident assertion of divine protection through carefully constructed harmonic progressions that seem to emerge from silence and return to it, mirroring the mystical transformation at the heart of the legend.

Da Pacem Domine (2004) carries profound historical weight and represents one of Pärt's most emotionally charged compositions. The work was commissioned by the renowned early music specialist Jordi Savall for a peace concert in Barcelona on July 1, 2004. However, its composition became deeply personal when Pärt began setting this ninth-century Gregorian antiphon just two days after the Madrid train bombings on March 11, 2004, as his tribute to the victims of that terrorist attack. The text takes on urgent contemporary relevance in Pärt's hands. This ancient prayer for divine protection becomes a plea born from modern tragedy, demonstrating how sacred music can respond to contemporary suffering while drawing on timeless sources of comfort. Since its premiere, Da Pacem Domine has been performed annually in Spain to commemorate the victims of the March 11 attacks, establishing it as both a work of art and a ritual of remembrance. The composition demonstrates Pärt's remarkable ability to channel collective grief into music that offers both lament and hope. The work moves through various textures and dynamics while maintaining an underlying sense of hope and supplication, showing how Pärt's seemingly simple style can carry profound emotional weight and serve as a bridge between ancient prayer and modern experience.

Nunc Dimittis (2001) stands as one of Pärt’s most sublime explorations of sacred text through his distinctive tintinnabuli technique. Setting the ancient Latin canticle from the Gospel of Luke—Simeon's words upon seeing the infant Jesus—Pärt creates a work of extraordinary spiritual intimacy and architectural precision. The composition unfolds with characteristic restraint, weaving melodic lines that seem to breathe with the rhythm of prayer itself, while the underlying harmonic structure reflects his mathematical approach to musical construction.

Like much of Pärt's sacred choral music, the "Nunc Dimittis" achieves a paradoxical effect: through the most minimal means—simple melodic gestures, carefully controlled dissonance, and crystalline textures—it evokes a sense of the infinite. The work exemplifies how Pärt's post-Soviet compositional voice found profound expression in ancient liturgical texts, creating music that feels both timeless and unmistakably contemporary, speaking to listeners regardless of their religious background through its pure, contemplative beauty.

Musical Bridges Across Time

Though separated by over four centuries, Palestrina and Pärt share remarkable common ground in their approach to sacred music. Both composers understand that the most profound spiritual expression often emerges from apparent simplicity rather than complexity. Both demonstrate extraordinary sensitivity to text, allowing words to shape musical gesture in fundamental ways.

Where Palestrina achieved transparency through masterful counterpoint, Pärt finds clarity through radical reduction. Where Renaissance polyphony creates space through the interweaving of multiple equal voices, Pärt's tintinnabuli technique creates space through the resonant relationship between melody and harmony. Both composers understand that sacred music serves something greater than itself, and both have created works that seem to exist beyond the boundaries of their respective eras.

This program invites us to experience how two very different musical languages can serve the same eternal human need for connection with the divine, demonstrating that great sacred music transcends both time and style to touch something universal in the human spirit.

Program Notes compiled by Sara Michael

Artistic Director

Joel M. Rinsema joined Kantorei (Denver, Colorado USA) in 2014, becoming the second conductor in its history. During his tenure, Kantorei has experienced tremendous audience growth, nearly tripled its budget, and launched an ambitious recording strategy. A frequent collaborator and champion of new works for chorus, Joel has commissioned and premiered works by many of today’s leading composers, including Kim André Arnesen, Mason Bates, René Clausen, Jean Belmont Ford, Ola Gjeilo, Jocelyn Hagen, Mark Hayes, Cecilia McDowall, Sarah Quartel, Jake Runestad, Christopher Tin, and Eric Whitacre.

In the summer of 2022, Joel conducted the Central American premiere of Jake Runestad’s El Último Hilo (The Last Thread) in Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala with Kantorei and the Guatemalan choir Vocalis. He returned in May of 2023 to conduct Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil and serves as Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of Vocalis

Under Joel’s direction, Kantorei has released two recordings on the Naxos label. Sing, Wearing the Sky: Choral Music of Jake Runestad (2020) was the #3 best-selling classical album on iTunes, reached #4 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts, and was in 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. The release of the third recording, Song Offerings: Choral Music of Christopher Tin, is anticipated in November 2025, this time on the Decca Gold label.

Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc., publishes the Joel Rinsema / Kantorei Choral series.

Joel led Kantorei in performances at the 2019 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association, and has prepared Kantorei as the primary chorus for the Aspen Music Festival, with Maestro Robert Spano conducting, in the summers of 22021, 2022, and 2025. More recently, he conducted Kantorei along with the Canadian Brass in December of 2022, and commissioned and prepared Kantorei for the world premiere of the string orchestra version of Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil, conducted by the composer, and guest conducted The Sacred Veil with the Washington (DC) Choral Arts Society in May of 2023.

A passionate advocate for the professional choral art form, Joel frequently consults with choral arts organizations around the country. Because of his leadership in his field, he received the Louis Botto Award for “Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal” from Chorus America, the industry’s advocacy, research, and leadership development organization for choruses, choral leaders, and singers.

Joel is an accomplished conductor of major works for choir and orchestra and was one of eighteen conductors chosen nationally through audition to participate in master classes and workshops presented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and Chorus America. As a tenor soloist, Joel performed across the United States as well as in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Joel also serves as Director of Music and Technology in Worship at First Plymouth Congregational Church in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. He was also the North American Choral Promotion Manager for Oxford University Press based in Oxford, England from 2017 to 2020, a tenure during which he worked closely with and represented roster composers John Rutter, Mack Wilberg, Bob Chilcott, Sarah Quartel, Cecilia McDowall, Gabriel Jackson, and Will Todd among others. He holds music degrees from Arizona State University and Whitworth University and is a member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

Joel came to Kantorei from the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. Throughout his 23-year tenure with the Phoenix Chorale, he served in nearly every capacity with the organization, including his last 15 years as President & CEO and Assistant Conductor. He negotiated an ongoing recording contract with the prestigious U.K.-based Chandos Records, and Phoenix Chorale recordings received a total of eight Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards during his tenure. Joel appears on all Phoenix Chorale recordings and was a soloist on the Grammy Award-winning “Spotless Rose: Hymn to the Virgin Mary.” In addition to his work with the Phoenix Chorale, Joel served as the Director of Music at Church of the Beatitudes United Church of Christ in Phoenix for 15 years, and he was the founding chorus master of the Arizona Musicfest Chorus.

He and his wife Sarah Branton (Choir Director at Cherry Creek High School) and stepson Simon Harrison live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado along with their miniature Dachshund Lucia. They enjoy all that Colorado has to offer outdoors, including camping, fishing, golfing, and snow skiing.

Kantorei is a Denver-based, choral ensemble comprised of volunteer singers under the direction of 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 Indiana University, St. Olaf College, Wartburg College, Concordia College, Luther 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, Christopher Tin, 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 Guatemalan choir Vocalis.

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. In January 2025, Kantorei once again joined forces with Grammy-winning producers Soundmirror to record choral works of Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin, to be released on November 7, 2025 on the Decca Gold label.

Kantorei’s vision is “to elevate the human experience through choral excellence.”

“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.”

Photo courtesy of Daniel Herman

THE CHOIR

SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS

Mo Bailey

Victoria Bailey

Melissa Clouzet

Riley Jayne Gallivan

Christina Graham

Heather Gunnerson

Stacie Hanson *

Emma Hartmann

Shannon Lemmon-Elrod

Sara Michael *

Leah Porter Tracy

Martina Richardson

Alicia Rigsby ◊

Becca Schjodt

Christianna Sullins

Betsy Thurley

Safia Ahmed

Emily Alexander

Lindsey Aquilina

Lyn Berry-Helmlinger

Sarah Branton *

Desiree Deliz-Morales

Erin Greenfield

Chelsea Kendall

Madison Martindale

Tegan Masoero-Palmer

Melissa Menter

Erin Meyerhoff

Jennifer Moore

Allison Pasternak *

Kaleigh Sutula

Jane Wright

* Section leader ◊ Collaborative Pianist

STAFF MEMBERS

Courtney Huffman

Executive Director

Sarah Branton

Assistant Conductor

Sara Michael

Business Manager

Ximena Wheeler House Manager

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Josh Corwyn

President

John Bartley

Vice President

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Kai Berry-Helmlinger *

Ben Corwyn

Joshua Corwyn

Matthew Eschliman

Mason France

Keith Harrison

Bryce Kennedy

Severin Lier

Samuel Low

Alex Menter

Chad Nelsen

Seth O'Kegley *

Ethan Rossi

Jonathan Von Stroh

John Wright

John Bartley

Michael Bizzaro *

Michael Boender

Adam Cave

Garth Criswell

Scott Horowitz

Brad Larson

Bryan Lastrella

John Ludwig

Max McKee

John Schaak

Kirk Schjodt *

Griffin Sutherland

Matt Weissenbuehler

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SEASON MEMBERS!

Joel M. Rinsema

Artistic Director

Richard Larson

Artistic Director & Conductor Emeritus

Alicia Rigsby

Accompanist, Collaborative Pianist

Desiree Deliz-Morales

Treasurer

Melissa Menter

Secretary

Leslie &

Rebecca

Sharon Erlacher

BEQUESTS

Making a gift to Kantorei through your will or estate is a beautiful way to create a lasting legacy and to ensure that our music and our mission will live on well into the future.

A bequest is generally a revocable gift, which means it can be changed or modified at any time. You can choose to designate that a bequest be used for a general or specific purpose so you have the peace of mind knowing that your gift will be used as intended. Bequests are exempt from federal estate taxes. If you have a taxable estate, the estate tax charitable deduction may offset or eliminate estate taxes, resulting in a larger inheritance for your heirs.

For questions, or to request a Bequest Intention Form, please contact Courtney Huffman, Executive Director, courtney@kantorei.org.

Lynn Hardcastle

Bryce Kennedy & Josh Larson

John Ludwig

Alicia Rigsby Joel Rinsema

Judd & Linda Rinsema

Terry Schlenker

Andrea Ware-Medina

Kyrie

Ordinary mass

Kyrie eleison

Christe eleison

Kyrie eleison

Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy

Lord have mercy

Gloria

Ordinary mass

Et in terra pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te.

Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.

Domine Deus, Rex cœlestis.

Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris.

Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostrum; qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.

Cum Sancto Spíritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

And on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you.

We give you thanks for your great glory.

Lord God, heavenly King, O God almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of The Father, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;

who takes away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; who is seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

Credo

Ordinary mass

Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cœli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium, Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum, ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt.

Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de cœlis.

Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato; passus et sepultus est, et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, et ascendit in cœlum, sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria, judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis.

Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem: qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.

Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.

Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.

Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.

The Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

O Holy Father Nicholas

From the Orthodox Prayer-Book

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.

A rule of faith and a model of meekness, a teacher of abstinence hath the reality shewn thee unto thy flock; therewithal hast thou acquired: by humility – greatness, by poverty –riches; O Father hierarch Nicholas, intercede before Christ the God that our souls may be saved.

O Holy Saint Nicholas, Pray unto God for us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now, and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Sanctus/Benedictus/Hosanna

Ordinary mass

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt cœli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

The Deer’s Cry

The Lorica of St. Patrick

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in me, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Christ with me.

Da Pacem Domine

Antiphon circa 6th or 7th century, from II Kings 20:19; II Chronicles 20:12, 15; & Psalms 122:6

Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris quia non est alius qui pugnet pro nobis nisi tu Deus noster.

Give peace, O Lord, in our time because there is no one else who will fight for us if not You, our God.

Agnus Dei I

Ordinary mass

Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Nunc Dimittis

Luke 2:29-32

Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace, quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum, quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum, lumen ad revelationem gentium et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.

Lord, now lettest thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast preparest before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Agnus Dei II

Ordinary mass

Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

EVERY NOTE WE SING BEGINS WITH

DONORS

DIAMOND BATON

$50,000 - $99,000

Keith* & Sue Ferguson

SCFD - Arapahoe County

SCFD - Denver County

GOLD BATON

$15,000 - $24,999

Olson-Vander Heyden Foundation

SILVER BATON

$10,000 - $14,999

Linda & Randall Chilcote

Lynn Hardcastle

Bryce Kennedy* & Joshua Larson

BRONZE BATON

$7,500 - $9,999

Lindsey* & Mark^ Aquilina

SCFD - Adams County

DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE

$5,000 - $7,499

Judy Fredericksen

BEGINS

YOU

BEGINS WITH

YOU

WITH YOU

You support Ways to Give

You support Ways to Give

You support Ways to Give

Performances that uplift and inspire Scholarships and grants

Performances that uplift and inspire Scholarships and grants

Performances that uplift and inspire Scholarships and grants

Make a one-time gift

Make a one-time gift

Make a one-time gift

Become a monthly donor

Pamela Mahonchak

Joel Rinsema^ & Sarah Branton*^

Virginia Hill Foundation

VIRTUOSO'S CIRCLE

$2,500 - $4,999

Michael* & Donna Boender

Susan Lewkow~

Lindsey Family Charitable Fund

Alex* & Melissa*^ Menter

Ann Rosewall & Steve Slotter

Jane* & John* Wright

SOLOIST'S CIRCLE

$1,000 - $2,499

William Blyth

Leslie & Eric Britton

James & Jean Clark

Garth Criswell* & Mark Kraft

Dwayne Dickerson

Matthew Eschliman*^ & Tessa Powell

Heather* & Kevin Gunnerson

Donors who contributed $100 or more between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are recognized in this progam * Singers ^ Board &

S Patrice Von Stroh

Jennifer & Jonathan* Von Stroh

Theresa Wallace

ARIA

$500 - $999

John Bartley*^

Kai* & Lyn* Berry-Helmlinger

Judy Bloomberg Schenkein^~ & Ed

Schenkein

Beatriz Bonnet

Constance Branton

Rebecca Caldwell

Colorado Gives Foundation

Landon Covington & Jason Hindman

Marilyn Dana

Desiree Deliz Morales*^

Elizabeth Duke

Deb & Don Felio

Beverly & Bruce Fest

Peter Fogg

Nancy Gallivan

Elaine & Michael Gardner

Gary Philanthropy

Google

Patricia Gunckel

Annette & Jim Gunnerson

Jason & Stacie* Hanson

Marjorie & Preston Hofer

Alan & Shirley Horowitz

Gordon & Liz Anne Johnson

Chelsea Kendall* & Andrew Quinlan

Marcia Jory & Ray Kennedy

Brad Larson*

Roberta Larson

Mark Leichthammer

Samuel Low*

Ann Ludwig

Elaine Menter

Mary Rollar

John Schaak*

Terry Schlenker

Chris & Keri Sexton

Lois Siegel~

Keith Small

Donald Branton & David Smith

Barbara & Erik Stone

Cynthia & David Susser

Christina Von Stroh

~ Volunteers

Jason Anderson

John Artley

Nancy Atkinson

Brenda Bailey-Hainer & Eugene Hainer

Lizabeth Barnett & Brian Porzel

Brian & Elizabeth Bauer

Jill & Robin Beemer

Boyd & Sharon Berry

Gordon & Terry Bloomberg

Kathy Bollhoefer

Paul Boulis

Judy Bowman

Jim & Joanie Calhoun

Sara Fischer & John Cannon

Tom Carlock & Richard Schirrmacher

Justin Cave

Matthew Church

Kate Criswell

Leslie Eber

Randi Ellefson

Scott Elrod~ & Shannon* Lemmon-Elrod

Don & Lil Filegar

Marilyn & Wilbur Flachman

Mary Beth & Roger France

Richard & Mary Gallivan

Ann Gallivan

Paul Gilbertson

Larry Graham

Christina Graham*

Pamela & James Grange

Ankush Gupta

Keith Harrison*

Scott Horowitz*^ & Leah Weinberg

Debora Jerome

Geoffrey Johnson

Edi King

Brett & Tami Krichiver

Anker Lerret

Albert & Terri Link

Mary Luellen

Betsy & Tad Lyle

Eric & Sharon Martin

Eric Matthys

Carol & Jerry Mayer

Eide Bailly LLP

Erin Meyerhoff*

Sara Michael*^

Denver Municipal Band

Reuben N

Andrea & Patrick Ware-Medina

Global engagement and international collaborations

Become a monthly donor

Global engagement and international collaborations

C. Stephen & Gracie Hooper

Joan Winstein

Donald & Sharron Neufeld

Elizabeth & Theodore Obenchain

Global engagement and international collaborations

Commissioning new works

Commissioning new works

A welcoming community

A welcoming community

Commissioning new works

A welcoming community

Learn more and make your donation at kantorei.org/support

Learn more and make your donation at kantorei.org/support

Learn more and make your donation at kantorei.org/support

Become a monthly donor

Leave a bequest

Leave a bequest

Leave a bequest

Brad Jackson & Mark Jennison

David Jory

King Soopers Community Rewards

John Ludwig*

David~ & Jennifer* Moore

Osaic Foundation

U.S. Bank Foundation

Vanguard Charitable

CANTATA

$200 - $499

Margaret Aarestad

Safia Ahmed*

Western Union

Jennifer Allen

Allison* & Timothy Pasternak

William Peck

Erin Pettitt

Judd & Linda Rinsema

Michael Rogers

Pearl & David Rutherford

Trysten Schlottmann

Thank you to ALL of our donors! While we can’t name everyone individually, please know that your generous contributions mean the world to us. We truly appreciate your support!

Lisa Schrader

Dean Schramm

Terri Schwartz

Paul & Cass Seely

Tony Silvestri

Shelly Smith

Kelley Southerland

Noble Spencer

Jayne Sullivan

Teresa Bacon & Peter Sutherland

Karen Sutherland

Christopher Tin

Julia Toll

Sherry & Stephen Treat

Marjory Ulm

Stephen Van Hooser

Vicki Vande Voort

Deborah & Larry Weinberg

Matt* & Annell Weissenbuehler

Pam & Stan Whitaker

John Wilson

Austin Wintory

Karen & Scott Yarberry

OPERETTA

$100 - $199

Diana Aberchah

John & Priscilla Adams

Paul Adams

Emily*^ & Zach Alexander

James & Laurie Alexander

Emily Anderson

Georgia & Jorge Arribau

David & Lori Bailey

Norm Barber

Carol Bartley & Meredith Peters

Dianne Betkowski

Carly & Jordan Black

Robert Blauvelt & Michael Corrigan

Melissa Borkosky

Christy Boyle

Ken Brewster

Adam Bruttell

George Chrest

Carl Burgchardt

Sharon Butz

Craig Campbell

Adam* & Emily Cave

Ted & Elizabeth Cave

Lisa & William Chumley

Linda Coombe

Benjamin* & Joshua*^ Corwyn

Brian Crooks

John Culshaw and Michael Marucs

Chris Dearden

Lee Dehmlow

Edwin Deliz Rivera & Nancy Morales

Linda Dey~

Steve & Vicki Doty

David Doty

Lisa Dudek

Julie Durst

Kristin Eck

Mary Kaye Edwards

Don Eisenberg

Marilyn Elrod

Laura Epstein Scully

Debra & Paul Eschliman

Steve Eschliman

Robert & Ruth Fanslow

Byron Ferguson

Joan Finnegan

Karen & William Fisher

Lani & Richard Fletcher

Mason France*

Karen & Bill Gallivan

Craig & Cynthia Garrett

Barbara Garson

Kristin Gildersleeve

Mary Gill

Diane Goodwin

Michael Greenfield

Carol Greenwald

Nancy Gregory

Kaycie Grigel

Tim Gulsrud

Lisa Gumerman

Gurr Family Charitable Fund

Carol Hainsey

Andrew & Rachel Halladay

Carolyn & Vaughn Hanson

Mark Hardcastle

George Haskins

Suzanne & Will Helmlinger

Wil Henderson

Daniel Herman

Edward Holloway

Brent & Connie Holtzen

Antoinette Hubbard

Courtney Huffman^

Lara Lee Hullinghorst

Allan Hurst

Lisa Hutchings

Patrick Hynes

Winston Ian

Lucretia Jackson

Kelly Jarmuzek

Katherine Johnson

Shelley & Dan Kauffman

Traci & Steve Kegley

Greg & Rebecca Kendall

Tyler Kendall

Bill Kisselburgh

Nancy Knoll

Kelli Kubala

Karen & Tom Lafferty

Dick & Judy Larson

Lori & Paul Lastrella

Allen Lintvedt

Curtis Lintvedt

Dennis~ & Nancy~ Lintvedt

Matt Lintvedt

Dean & Sara Lund

William Martinez

Anthony Martini

Laura McCleary

Roberta McGann

Elle & Tim McMahon

Lisa Medina

Brenda & Mark Mehos

Paul Meissner

Pat Moore

Kent Mueller

Kayla Munoz

Ruth Neil

Chad Nelsen* & Sara Swenson

Denise Nelsen

Nancy Calkins & Lise Nelson

Sarah Noyes

Ladean Nuanes

Michelle Oliveira

Jason & Lexie Orvin

D R & Katie Palmer

Jo Alyson Parker

Linda & Mark Pasternak

Roberta Pepper

Marc Petersen & Nathaniel Hess

Mike & Patricia Petraglia

Leah Porter Tracy*

Sydney Purfield

Cindy & George Quinlan

Kate Raabe

Philip Read

Equinix, Inc.

James & Martina* Richardson

Margaret Richardson

Alicia*^ & David Rigsby

Rick & Jan Rodabaugh

Jerry Roemer

Giovanna Romero

Jake Runestad

Vicki Sakata

Jo-Michael & Mary Scheibe

Becca* & Kirk* Schjodt

Lynne Scholfield

Paula Schriefer

Roger Kleckner & Lynn Selby

John & Mary Shark

Debbie Smith

Austen & Christina Smith

Susanne Smith

David Spear

Mike Spencer

Susan Spencer

Melvin D Stolzenburg

Christianna* & Jeff Sullins

Tim & Chris Sullivan

Lynn & Steve Sutherland

Mary Sutula

Marleen Swanson

Judi Thomas

Mom & Dad Tracy

Tom Trenney

James Vardas

Nicole Versaw

Janice Vlachos

Robert & Jill von Trebra

Laura Waligorski

Tom Walsh

Lynn Wearden

Tom Westbrook

Edwin & Kathleen Whitney

Bruce & Julien Wiley

EOG Resources, Inc.

Mark Winemiller

Karen Witt

Tammy Wright

Donors who contributed $100 or more between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025 are recognized in this progam * Singers ^ Board & Staff ~ Volunteers

In Memoriam and Honorarium

Kelli & Steven Chan, in honor of Jennifer Moore

Marilyn Elrod, in honor of Shannon Lemmon-Elrod

Judy Fredericksen, in honor of Alex & Melissa Menter

Elaine & Michael Gardner, in honor of Alicia Rigsby

Annette & Jim Gunnerson, in honor of Kevin & Heather Gunnerson

Roberta Larson, in honor of Bryce Kennedy

Basil LeBlanc, in honor of Brad Larson

Donald & Sharron Neufeld, in honor of Judy Fredericksen

Roberta Pepper, in honor of Ximena Wheeler

In Kind

Kai Berry-Helmlinger

Cherry Creek High School

Joshua Corwyn

First Plymouth UCC

Susan Lewkow

Metropolitan State University of Denver

John Schaak

Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship

William Blyth

Grace Bowen

Linda & Randall Chilcote

Dr. Judy Bloomberg Schenkein

Karen Sutherland

Jory Education Fund

David Jory

Bryce Kennedy & Joshua Larson

Jerry Roemer, in honor of John Ludwig

Jennifer Von Stroh, in honor of Jonathan Von Stroh

S Patrice Von Stroh, in honor of Jonathan Von Stroh

Nancy Atkinson, in memory of Ken Atkinson

Carol Greenwald, in memory of Jim Thornton

Andrew & Rachel Halladay, in memory of Alison Roman

Arlen & Lola Hershberger, in memory of Grace Martin

Eric & Sharon Martin, in memory of Grace Martin

Michael Clohesy & Oliver Scofield, in memory of Gede Sukertia

Tom Scofield, in memory of Grace Martin

Paula Wenger, in memory of Karen Oldfield

Elevate Classroom Grant

John & Priscilla Adams

Georgia & Jorge Arribau

Robert Blauvelt & Michael Corrigan

Elizabeth Duke

Leslie Eber

Barbara Garson

Kaycie Grigel

Lisa Hutchings

Gordon & Liz Anne Johnson

Pamela Mahonchak

Tegan Masoero-Palmer

Erin Meyerhoff

Shelly Smith

Judi Thomas

Sherry & Stephen Treat

Mark Winemiller

“Kantorei is an outstanding choir…excellent ensemble balance, fine intonation and musical expression…high level of energy.”

– Bruce McCollum, MusicWeb International, January 2021 (Read the full review here)

"...Always engaging and colorful...sung with depth and conviction by Kantorei."

- Karl W. Nehring, Classical Candor, December 2020 (Read the full review here)

“…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.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

KANTOREI 2025-26 CONCERT SEASON

DECEMBER 5: A WINTER’S NIGHT

FRIDAY: Bethany Lutheran Church

DECEMBER 6, 7, 19-21: SILENT NIGHTS

SATURDAY 12/6: First Plymouth UCC

SUNDAY 12/7: Parsons Theatre

FRIDAY 12/19: Saint John’s Episcopal Cathedral

SATURDAY, 12/20: Augustana Lutheran Church

Sunday: 12/21: Wellshire Presbyterian Church

FEBRUARY 28 & MARCH 1: SEASONS IN SONG

SATURDAY, 2/28: First Plymouth UCC

SUNDAY, 3/1: Wellshire Presbyterian Church

MAY 16 & 17: VOCES DEL SUR

SATURDAY, 5/17: First Plymouth UCC

SUNDAY, 5/18: Wellshire Presbyterian Church

MAY 30: COLORADO NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

SATURDAY, 5/30: Central Presbyterian Church

DETAILS

Kantorei would like to thank our sponsors for your generous and ongoing support!

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.