Autumn Retreat this year was a Staycation vibe at our home base at Lutheran Church of the Cross! With so many exciting projects on the go, it was wonderful to keep the retreat experience closer to home this fall. Cantare was hard at work on a variety of programs for our upcoming 3 months, with LOTS of new musical ideas to test and explore together!

The weekend included two classroom sessions where our choristers continued their learnings about the signing of the Numbered Treaties across Canada, with a deeper look into the specifics of Treaty 7 which was signed nearby.

Treaty 7 is the last of the Numbered Treaties made between the Government of Canada and the Plains First Nations (see Indigenous Peoples: Plains). It was signed on 22 September 1877 by five First Nations: the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), Piikani (Peigan), Stoney-Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina (Sarcee). Different understandings of the treaty’s purpose, combined with significant culture and language barriers and what some have argued were deliberate attempts to mislead the First Nations on the part of the government negotiators, have led to ongoing conflicts and claims about the document.

In addition to this, we also explored some relevant history for our upcoming performances at the Field of Crosses Memorial Project on Memorial Drive during the 11 Days of Remembrance. This year’s ceremonies will place a great deal of emphasis on the 100th year of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force!

Our Saturday together included lots of fun activities both indoors and outdoors. We want to say a huge thank-you to all of our chaperones for organizing so many fun things throughout the day! Graeme led a session in the evening where we watched some of his footage from inside rehearsals of the World Youth Choir with Cecelia Rydinger, as well as highlight performances from Cantare’s participation in the 2024 Harbour Voices Festival including the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and Ma’nam. The choristers learned SO MUCH as a part of our 2024 Tour experience that we felt it was important to share the highlights with the entirety of this year’s ensemble so we can use those learnings in the rehearsal room!

Cantiga’s Autumn Retreat involved lots of extended buddy time together with Cantilena! It is a magical moment when we have these two ensembles in the rehearsal room singing together!

Downtown Field Trip to The Confluence

Cantare and Cantiga got to spend their retreat Sundays in downtown Calgary with guided tours of The Confluence!

This was an important follow-up to our learnings during Get In The Groove about the history and impacts of the signing of Treaty 7. Our tour included a walk together outside on a bright sunny day as well as a full tour of The Confluence facilities. Our choristers got to see the original Treaty 7 document and see many important pictures and artifacts.