Winter-2022

SHORT CUTS EVENT Director Daniel Henriks conducting the I Cantori di Carmel orchestra and choir at their spring concert in the Carmel Mission Basilica earlier this year. T he Christmas season is upon us, and to honor this festive time, Carmel’s audi- tioned volunteer chorus, I Cantori di Carmel, is celebrating its 40th year with an impressive Christmas program. This December, they will perform J.S. Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium, per- haps the most important and beloved German Christmas choral work of all time. That’s thanks to Director Daniel Henriks, who brings an incredible amount of experience and talent to our small town. Henriks has an impressive back- ground as a conductor (starting professionally at the precocious age of 13) and as a dramatic baritone, performing in opera houses all over the world. Hailing from Essen, Germany, Henriks is excited to bring this particular piece to our com- munity, “It’s probably the biggest concert pro- duction I Cantori has ever done... It is special in many ways, because it involves a large orchestra and it’s not your typical choral concert.” Written at a time when many people couldn’t read, the Weihnachts-Oratorium was designed to share the story of the nativity, through festive music—artfully depicting the story in a psychologically intricate yet relatable way. “No matter what religion, or if you are religious at all, this piece is a very human and communal experience,” says Henriks. This year, I Cantori invited singers from all over the country to audition for their new Vocal Arts Academy, a program designed to bring stellar emerging artists to the peninsula to perform with the chorus. Eight soloists were chosen from over a hundred who applied, and each will perform during the four concerts of the Weihnachts-Oratorium this December. For more information and tickets, please visit www.icantori.org or call 831/644-8012. Concerts at the Carmel Mission Basilica take place on December 10th and 11th at 8PM. Additional concerts will be held in Santa Cruz and San Jose. I Cantor i di Carmel’s Chr istmas Program Br ings Tremendous Talent to the Carmel Mission B Y AME L I A WARD 70 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 Photo: Lillie Grossman