las Cantantes
Photo by Max Woltman
The women's chorus, Las Cantantes, is directed by Dr. Maxine Thévenot. The group is comprised of about twenty singers who are selected via audition. This ensemble studies, rehearses and performs the finest literature written for treble voices. The ensemble is, at times, accompanied by other instruments such as the harp, percussion, piano, and pipe organ.
Performances occur several times throughout each academic term both on and off campus including many local churches, synagogues and concert halls.
Las Cantantes was founded in 1994 by Professor Bradley Ellingboe and during his fourteen-year tenure as its director, the group collaborated with several important musical figures and made several regional tours.
Under the direction of its new Director since Fall 2007, Dr. Maxine Thévenot and Las Cantantes—the only collegiate women's choir in the state of New Mexico—has performed many concerts in a wide variety of settings, and has recorded two internationally released CDs—My Dancing Day (2008), which features several premiere recordings of works for the Christmas season, and Dream a Little Dream, to be released in the fall of 2009 featuring a wide variety of unaccompanied and accompanied works, including several premiere recordings of works by New Mexican composers.
Stay tuned for more information!
Based on the success of its recordings, Las Cantantes was invited to sing concerts in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grace Church on lower Broadway, the historic Cathedral of the Incarnation, and Church of the Heavenly Rest in May 2009. |
UPCOMING CONCERTS:
Wednesday, October 28, 12:30-1:00 p.m., The Cathedral of St. John Lunchtime Concert Series. Freewill offering.
Friday, October 30, 7:30 p.m., Keller Hall, UNM.
Ticketed event ($7,5,3).
Thursday, December 10, 7:30 p.m., Keller Hall, UNM. Ticketed event ($7,5,3) .
Wednesday, March 10, 12:30-1:00 p.m. The Cathedral of St. John Lunchtime Concert Series . Freewill offering
Friday, March 12, 7:30 p.m. Keller Hall, UNM.
Ticketed event ($7,5,3).
Friday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. The Cathedral of St. John Friends of Cathedral Music Series. Ticketed event ($20,15,5).
AUDIO SAMPLES:
Psallite (Michael Praetorius)
Personent Hodie (from Dancing Day by John Rutter; harpist: Lynn Gorman DeVelder)
A la ru, a la me (northern New Mexican folk song, arr. Bradley Ellingboe; organist: Iain Quinn)
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas (arr. Bradley Ellingboe; oboist: Claudia Giese)
All of the above are selections from the newly released My Dancng Day. The CD is available for purchase from the Department of Music and also through Raven Compact Discs.
RECORDINGS AVAILABLE:
Enchantment at Chimayó
I Just Lightning
Stepping Westward
My Dancing Day
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to Las Cantantes to aid the many costs of operating a choral ensemble and in particular to help us get to New York City for our May 2009 tour, please send an email to thevenot@unm.edu for further information on how you can help keep choral music for young people alive.
To quote a great writer, T.S. Eliot said, “You are the music, while the music lasts.”
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