Hickory – Enjoy an original concert experience while immersed in the incredible acoustics of Lenoir-Rhyne’s Grace Chapel with a concert by the Cantamos Choir. Listen and participate, as they perform the program “The Creche” on Sunday, January 6th, at 4pm. “Cantamos will present an original story of the birth of Christ, created by Jane Caldwell, accompanied by Sandy Mathews, and sung by our choir and soloist, Diane Maynard. The story begins when Mary and Joseph enter Nazareth and meet the Innkeeper’s wife, Eliana, and then begin settling into their room (a stable). The presentation consists of narration and songs that are both traditional and contemporary,” explains Director, Ken Eidenmiller. The Philadelphia Lutheran Handbell Choir will accompany the performance.
Cantamos—Spanish for We sing—has recently celebrated their 20th anniversary as a ministry formed from the Via De Cristo movement. Via De Cristo, or “Way of Christ”, is a weekend program of spiritual retreat and personal renewal, and an outreach ministry of the Lutheran church. Cantamos was founded in 1997 when the Western NC chapter hosted the National Secretariat Annual Meeting for Via De Cristo at Lenoir-Rhyne University. A need for a choir was identified, and Cantamos was born with about a dozen members. “Cantamos arose out of necessity,” states founder Eidenmiller, “and became so very much more. Cantamos is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the Gospel through sacred music.” The Western North Carolina Via de Cristo movement holds a unique position as the only Via De Cristo community in the United States to have its own choral group.
Over the years, membership has continued to grow, as presently 47 members donate their time and talent to this outreach ministry, made up of volunteers from 18 different churches in the Hickory, Taylorsville, Statesville, Charlotte, Concord, and Kannapolis areas.
Cantamos has sung to over 10,000 in various venues, including churches, conventions, retirement centers, and organizations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. They continue to respond by invitation to those who seek Christian unity and worship.
The performance begins at 4pm, on Sunday, January 6th. Grace Chapel at Lenoir-Rhyne University is located at 625 7th Ave NE, in Hickory. Admission is free. Available at the door is the Cantamos 20th Anniversary CD, donations are appreciated.
For additional concert dates and other information about Cantamos, visit their website, cantamosonline.com or on Facebook at ‘Cantamos Online’.
