The Washington Post calls Cantus “a boatload of talent,” and that’s just what is in store for the Gustavus community.

Cantus, an all-male vocal acapella group will be performing a  concert on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Bjorling Recital Hall. The cost is $5.00 for students and $15.00 for non-students.

Once named the “Premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States” by Fanfare magazine, Cantus is a vocal ensemble based out of the Twin Cities that has performed all over the nation.

Currently, the group is Minnesota Public Radio’s Artist in Residence and is in the midst of their Greater Minnesota Tour,’funded by the Classical Minnesota Public Radio’s Artist in Residence program and a Minnesota State Arts Board grant.

St. Peter is just one of Cantus’s many stops. They will also be visiting Ely, Grand Rapids and Crookston, Minn.

The thing that sets Cantus apart from many other singing groups is that in addition to performing, they take time to travel all over the nation, visiting schools and working with students who are interested in music and singing. They have visited many of the schools in the Twin Cities area and have even spent time at St. Peter High School.

The Cantus Singers are relatablefor people of all ages, thanks to the wide variety of music in their repertoire. Some genres the audience might hear at a Cantus performance are pop, spiritual, world music, art songs and Renaissance motets.

Although the group’s style may vary considerably, their musical appeal never changes. According to the Washington Post, the singers are known for their “beaming and elastic” sound and “spontaneous grace.”

The group originated at St. Olaf College in 1995, when a few college friends with a common passion got together to sing. Since then, the group has performed over 400 concerts nationwide, from places like Merkin Concert Hall in New York City and Harvard University to UCLA and the American Choral Directors Association.

In 2000, the group established itself as a full-time, nonprofit arts organization based in Minnesota. The group’s motto, “Live. Play. Sing.” is the motivation for all that they do, including their commitment to encouraging education and singing in others.

Gustavus music students, many of whom have already seen Cantus perform on multiple occasions either at their high school or on a tour, could not be more excited for the upcoming concert. Joe Turner, a sophomore music major and avid Cantus fan, says that he “absolutely loves going to Cantus concerts and thinks it’s awesome that they will be performing right here at Gustavus. Not only are they an absolutely amazing musical ensemble, but they are also a group of awesome, humble guys who just love to make music.”