cantabile girl's Choir
The Cantabile Girls' Choir Program, now under the direction of the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota, offers two choral opportunities for young girls in Central Minnesota. The Choristers choir is for girls in grades 4-6 and Concert Choir for girls in grades 6-9.
The mission of the choir program is to provide a rich and varied choral experience for talented young women that will challenge, edify, and enrich the choir and its audiences, and provide opportunities to grow not only musically, but socially and academically as well, through the study and performance of quality choral literature.
Saint John's Boys' CHoir
Founded in 1981 by the monks of Saint John’s Abbey, the St. John’s Boys’ Choir continues the tradition of enabling boys to express themselves through music, and provides an environment that nurtures and encourages creativity. The organization has grown to include four choral ensembles for boys ages 8-15 who represent home, public, and private schools in more than 15 communities across Central Minnesota. The choir has embarked on several concert tours throughout North and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Their international travels have brought them to perform in venus such as Dvorak Hall in Prague, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and Notre Dame in Paris. In June 2019, they will make their Carnegie Hall debut in New York City. They have also appeared on the nationally-broadcast A Prairie Home Companion, and can be heard on any of several independently-released CDs, as well as on recordings by Saint John’s Abbey, Amy Grant, and the Grammy-nominated album Ghosts Upon the Earth by Gungor.
The Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota
Founded in 2005, the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota (YCCM) is a 501(c)3 non-profit chorus for students in grades 9-12. The organization seeks to impact young people in the region by offering an advanced choral ensemble committed to excellence in artistic quality. YCCM is an auditioned ensemble, consisting of singers representing 23 different high schools and 25 communities. The Chorale rehearses two hours each week on the campus of St. John’s University.
Bridging the gap between well-established area children’s community choirs and adult community choirs, the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota was founded in the spirit of collaboration. Singers perform 6-8 times per year with well-known performing arts groups such as The St. John’s Boys’ Choir, Cantabile Girls’ Choir, St. Cloud State Concert Choir, Great River Chorale, Minnesota Center Chorale, Kantorei, The Singers, and From Age to Age.
The Youth Chorale performs a diverse range of choral literature, from Renaissance masterpieces to commissioning new music every year. Past commissions have included Paul Brandvik, Matthew Culloton, Abbie Betinis, Eric Barnum, René Clausen, Dale Warland, Timothy Takach, Timothy Tharaldson, and Jocelyn Hagen.
The Youth Chorale is open by audition to all high school singers within driving range of Saint John’s University.