Slow TV Choir 'Cantus' - Album Review

Cantus' Northern Lights - New Album

Cantus. Not only are they the choir singing in the choral music to Disney's 'Frozen', more importantly for this blog, they are one of the many choirs who featured in NRK's Hymn Book Slow TV. And they have a new album out. And it's rather good.

In November 2014, there was a huge Slow TV production in Trondheim - 60 hours of singing the entire Norwegian Hymnbook, cover to cover, with a couple hundred choirs and a few thousand singers rostered in during those days.

I was blessed to be in Trondheim to cover the Salmeboka Minutt for Minutt Slow TV for my Masters Degree, which majored on Slow TV.

I followed a few of the choirs on social media during my time in Trondheim and in the time following. So, when Cantus' marketing kicked in, my ears pricked up and I thought, 'this is something I need to investigate'.

I bought the CD from a UK high street retailer (I like to help keep alive physical music shops you can walk in to, browse and purchase music) and have listened to it many times over in the time since its release

Here's a short review from my instagram account:

My 1 minute #review of @cantusnorway #NorthernLights CD. Longer video on slowtelevision.blogspot.no Thursday morning 25th May. #ClassicalMusic #ChoralMusic #ClassicFM #Norway #Frozen #WomensChoir #FrodeFjellheim #Choir

A post shared by Tim Prevett (@the_slow_tv_blogger) on May 24, 2017 at 2:09pm PDT

Here's a longer review from my YouTube account:

I was absolutely entranced by Cantus' performance of "Mitt hjerte alltid vanker" (audio used in the below video). It remains one of my favourite musical moments during Salmeboka Minutt for Minutt, so I am pleased there's a short reference to it in 'Northern Lights'.

The video is made of offcuts which didn't make it into the final edit of my main documentary. All music used with permission.

It's great to hear Cantus' 'Northern Lights' on Classic FM in the UK (chart announcement below). Let's hope they can dominate the chart.

@cantusnorway #NorthernLights entered @classicfm chart at Number 2! Other UK #ClassicalMusic chart at Number 1. Maybe it'll get higher this week on the #ClassicFM #MusicChart? #ChoralMusic #Norway

A post shared by Tim Prevett (@the_slow_tv_blogger) on May 25, 2017 at 1:26am PDT

Cantus performed for a few hymns, and all segments of Salmeboka Minutt for Minutt with Cantus can be seen HERE, the first performance just before 29 minutes in, at this link

Follow Cantus on their Facebook page

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