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The mission of St. Charles Singers is to perform, promote and preserve the finest choral music to inspire diverse audiences regionally, nationally and internationally. Thank you for your belief in our mission and for your support of our choir.

Cello Songs, a world premiere, commissioned by Douglas Bella and David Hunt, written by Grammy nominated composer Jake Runestad, lyrics by Todd Boss, performed by the St. Charles Singers with guest artist Cameron Grimes, cello. This work will be lovingly performed in memory of Doris Hunt at the choir’s upcoming performance, “Overturn the Night – Songs of Hope and Renewal.”

“It’s deep, rich and lush, with moving, surging energy and it ends with a delightful, playful surprise.” David Hunt

Lyricist Todd Boss – on Cello Songs

(Photo by Janderson Tulio)

“When composer Jake Runestad was commissioned to write a work for choir and cello, he knew he wanted to give the cello a strong voice in a piece that celebrates its fullest range of moods.

On his living room wall, Jake has a letterpress broadside of the poem “Cello” by Dorianne Laux. Its central image is a fallen tree, lying in the arms of a living one. As years pass, it “…rubs its fallen body / against the living, building / its dead music / making its raw mark, / wearing the tough bough down / as it moans and bends, the deep / rosined bow sound of the living / shouldering the dead.”

Todd created a new four-movement text inspired by Dorianne’s poem. Intended as love songs—and written sparingly so as to allow the cello plenty of interpretive space—”Cello Songs” uses the four seasons as a structure to examine how the cello’s richness and complexity might mean very different things to us at different times in our lives.

Its unique last movement, “Spring,” consists of just two lines of text, graphically scattered across the page in a kind of visual puzzle representing a soft rainfall—a puzzle Runestad embraced in a composition that ends in a patter of technical playfulness and joyful release.”

Tickets for “Songs of Hope and Renewal”

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Music Samples

There is No Rose

Bushes and Briars

Swansea Town

Early One Morning

Londonderry Air

Brigg Fair

IN MEMORIAM

St. Charles Singers expresses our sympathy for the recent passing of Sterling Mische of DeKalb, and our appreciation for the gifts that have been made in his memory.

St. Charles Singers’ Klop positiv organ was given in memory of Gloria and Jim Seymour by their son and his wife, Burch and Diana Seymour.

Thanks to Elizabeth and Carl Safanda, whose generous gift in loving memory of their son Ben, helped make possible the cd release of American Reflections.

St. Charles Singers expresses grateful appreciation for donations received to honor the memory of Sterling E. Ainsworth, Vida Bardsley, Alan Berg, Donna Blomquist, Virgil V. & Erma S. Bogert, Robert Bourne, Charles Brown, Eva Lauraine Cunningham, Thomas Dickens, Gamgee Dripps, Linda Goodwin, Roberta Gerbrecht Grayson, Diane Herr, Ralph Gordon Hinners, Doris Hunt, Max Hunt, Sterling Mische, Ronald Koeppl, Thomas Matthews, Patricia Murray, Randy Schmidt, John Schnier, Dorothy Smith, Janet W. Safanda, Roy Safanda, Randy Wilke and Charles Yang.