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<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="118191821-02122009"><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><span class="930510122-02122009">Here's </span>info on our brand new
group, Cantus Novus<span class="946505621-02122009">.<span class="790450722-02122009"> .. </span></span></font></font></span></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><strong></strong></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><strong>MEDIA CONTACTS</strong> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Dorene Sykes, 508-564-8248, <a href="mailto:dorene@dorenesykes.com" target="_blank">dorene@dorenesykes.com</a> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Gisela Tiller, 508-540-2988, <a href="mailto:gtillier@cape.com" target="_blank">gtillier@cape.com</a></font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">=================== </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><strong>EVENT SUMMARY</strong> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Event: "Noël, Noël! A French Christmas"
concert<br>Organization: Cantus Novus - 14-voice a cappella
ensemble<br>Days/times: <br>Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 PM, Chapel at St.
Barnabas Church, Falmouth, MA<br>Sunday, December 20 at 4 PM, St. Joseph's
Church, Woods Hole, MA</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Short Description: The 14-voice a cappella ensemble
Cantus Novus performs traditional Christmas carols by French composers of the
Renaissance. Complementing the program with instrumental music are Jan Elliott
on recorder and Lisa Esperson on percussion. Admission: Free will donation
Public contact information: web: <a href="http://www.cantusnovus-falmouth.org" target="_blank">www.cantusnovus-falmouth.org</a>
email: <a href="mailto:info@cantusnovus-falmouth.org" target="_blank">info@cantusnovus-falmouth.org</a>
phone: 508-563-1971<br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><span class="930510122-02122009"></span></font></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><span class="930510122-02122009"> </span>===================<br><strong>PHOTO<span class="118191821-02122009"> OF CANTUS NOVUS</span></strong>: From left to right
are Gundi Eder, Dorene Sykes, Dorothy Carlock, Chuck Bacon, Maria Moniz, John
Stegeman, Margaret Sulanowska, Barbara Leighton, Sue Ernst, Christina Roberts,
Joe Hackler, Pierre Tillier, and music director Gisela Tillier. (Missing from
the photo are singers Adrian Green and Christine
Watt.)<br>===================</font></font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><font size="3"><strong>Cantus Novus performs "Noël,
Noël! A French Christmas"</strong></font><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Falmouth, MA - December 2, 2009 - Cantus Novus, a
new 14-voice a cappella ensemble, will present its debut concert "Noël, Noël! A
French Christmas" on Saturday, December 19 in Falmouth and Sunday December 20 in
Woods Hole. Under the musical direction of Gisela Tillier, the group will sing
traditional French carols and Christmas songs by French composers of the early
to late Renaissance. </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Accompanying several of the carols are Jan Elliott
on recorder and Lisa Esperson on percussion. The instrumentalists will also
perform several pieces of their own, including 13th and 14th century dances by
Guillaume de Machaut and Tielman Susato.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Approximately half of the choral pieces bring to
life traditional French carols arranged by British composers of the 20th
century. This includes "A Maiden Most Gentle" by Andrew Carter, the rhythmic
"Patapan" by Reginald Jacques, the pastoral "Gabriel's Message" by Sir
David Willcocks, and "Il est né le divin enfant" by John Rutter, a carol often
sung during the holidays. Mr. Rutter, the youngest and arguably the most
recognized British composer on this program, founded the acclaimed Cambridge
Singers in 1981 and co-edited "Carols for Choirs," a collection of anthologies
popular with a cappella choruses today. </font></div><font face="Arial" size="2">
</font><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br>The balance of the program recounts the story of Christmas in motets
and chansons by French composers of the early to late Renaissance. Pieces range
from the introspective unison plainchant "Puer Natus" to the challenging "Allon,
Gay Bergères" by Guillaume Costeley which tells the story of shepherds rushing
to see the Child. The three-part Magnificat by 15th century, Franco-Flemish
composer Guillaume Dufay, the most renowned European composer of his time,
begins with a solo Gregorian incantation that evolves to the polyphonic style of
the Renaissance where parts move independently and imitate one another.
</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br>Most members of this new ensemble have experience singing with other
auditioned choral groups on and off Cape. "I'm thrilled to be working with a
small group of talented singers dedicated to performing choral music drawn from
many centuries and countries," advises music director Gisela Tillier. "Our
shared mission is to bring to life the rich repertoire of sacred and secular a
cappella music, from medieval through contemporary songs, sung in their original
languages." After presenting their French Christmas program, Cantus Novus will
begin rehearsals for their spring program of 18th to 20th century American
anthems and folk songs.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">The debut performance of "Noël, Noël! A French
Christmas" by Cantus Novus will be held on Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 PM in
the chapel at St. Barnabas Church, 91 Main Street in Falmouth. The second
performance will take place on Sunday, December 20 at 4 PM at St. Joseph's
Church, 33 Millfield in Woods Hole. A free will donation is
requested.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Cantus Novus is an a cappella group based in
Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Founded in 2009, the 14-voice ensemble,
under the direction of Gisela Tillier, performs sacred and secular music through
the ages, from medieval through contemporary. Ms. Tillier holds degrees in music
education and French from institutions in Germany. She taught music and French
in Germany and France, and sang for 23 years with the Gächinger Kantorei and the
Stuttgart Bach Collegium. Locally, she was the choral director at Falmouth
Academy from 1989 to 2006 and also directed the Woods Hole Cantata Consort. She
currently sings with the Chatham Chorale and the Chatham Chorale Chamber
Singers.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Jan Elliott began taking recorder lessons in
Falmouth at age three. After many years of study with Ruth Guillard and Patricia
C. Brown, she attended Wesleyan University with a focus on early music, music
education and ethnomusicology. Ms. Elliott taught at Boston University and later
received a Master of Arts in dance from UCLA. She now teaches privately in Woods
Hole and performs with Ensemble Passacaglia.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Lisa Esperson began playing early music with the
group In Praise of Folly, performing at the Boston Early Music Festival in 1991.
Dr. Esperson, a Falmouth-based chiropractor, studied Arabic dumbek and riqq with
master percussionist Karim Mohammed at New England Conservatory. She currently
teaches percussion, performs with Ensemble Passacaglia, and directs the youth
ensemble Explicit Noise. </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">For more information, visit <a href="http://www.cantusnovus-falmouth.org" target="_blank">www.cantusnovus-falmouth.org</a>. Or
contact Cantus Novus at <a href="mailto:info@cantusnovus-falmouth.org" target="_blank">info@cantusnovus-falmouth.org</a> or
508-563-1971. </font></div>
<div> </div>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div>
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