On Wednesday, December 6^th at 7:30pm, the acclaimed vocal ensemble Cantus returns to The Kennedy Center for their only Washington, DC appearance of the season to perform their 2017 Holiday program Three Tales of Christmas as part of the Fortas Chamber Music Series at the Terrace Theater.  Cantus is acknowledged around the world for their programmatic versatility, artistic excellence and charismatic personality.  Each year, their original holiday programming ignites the audience’s holiday spirit through bold storytelling and imaginative repertoire.

 
In the 2017 Cantus Holiday Program, Three Tales of Christmas, Cantus reimagines A Christmas Carol, Gift of the Magi, and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas through arrangements of familiar carols alongside contemporary works like Ola Gjeilo’s “Ubi Caritas” and Jeffrey Horvath’s setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Alone,” entitled “Demon in my View” (complete repertoire list below).

Featuring narrated passages from these three classic holiday tales, Three Tales of Christmas evokes the meaning and joy of the season with fresh perspective and just the right amount of nostalgia. In addition to the performance at the Kennedy Center, the program will be presented in Longview, Washington; Dallas, Texas; Lawrence, Kansas; Burlington, Vermont; Rockport, Massachusetts, and at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in New York for WQXR. 

Fortas Chamber Music Series Presents Cantus in Three Tales of Christmas
Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 7:30pm
The Kennedy Center
Terrace Theater
2700 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20566
Tickets, $45, are available online HERE

Three Tales of Christmas Repertoire
arr. Vaughan Williams: God Rest, Ye Merry Gentlemen
William Walton: Make We Joy Now in this Feast
Christina Rosetti: Love Came Down at Christmas
Johnny Marks: Silver and Gold
Gustav Holst: In The Bleak Midwinter
arr. Cantus: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Healey Willan: The Three Kings
Horvath: Demon in my View
Traditional English Carol, arr. Lichte: Wassail
Ola Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas
Traditional Hymn: Joy to the World
Paul Williams: With a Thankful Heart
arr. McGlynn: Noel Nouvelet
Martin and Blaine: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Three Tales of Christmas Complete 2017 US Touring Dates
November 29, 2017       Lawrence, KS                   Lied Center – University of Kansas
December 1, 2017         Longview, WA                  Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts
December 3, 2017         Dallas, TX                        St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
December 5, 2017         New York, NY                  Greene Space at WQXR
December 6, 2017         Washington, DC               Kennedy Center: Terrace Theatre
December 8, 2017         Burlington, VT                  Recital Hall – University of Vermont
December 10, 2017       Rockport, MA                   Rockport Music – Shalin Liu Performance Center