CANTORES MINORES

REPRESENTING THE PROTESTANT TRADITION

The Cantores Minores, the Helsinki Cathedral Boys' Choir, was founded in December 1952 by Finnish pastor Tarmo Nuotio and Finnish-American Dr. Ruth-Esther Hillilä. The Cantores Minores represents the rare type of Protestant boys' choirs holding the great German choirs such as Bach's Thomanerchor in Leipzig and Schütz's Kreuzchor in Dresden as its models. However, in contrast to the models which function as time-honoured boarding schools the boys of the Cantores Minores gather together four times a week to choir rehearsals from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Instead of eight hours a day, the boys have music practise eight hours a week. All the same their aims equal those of their models.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

From the beginning the choir's intention was to continue the medieval tradition of ecclesiastical boys' choirs which has continued almost intact in the Catholic church and in the modified form after Reformation especially in Germany. In Finland this tradition had, however, become extinct since centuries. As the Protestant choir acts as a choir school, it educates its own men's voices and is naturally a mixed choir in contrast to the Catholic choirs which usually consist of boys only and engage grown male singers when needed. The Protestant type of choir was the one for which Johann Sebastian Bach wrote all his great choral works and these masterpieces still constitute the core of the repertoire of this type of boys' choirs. Both musically and educationally it gives the youngsters besides musical education also self-confidence, sustained awareness, and a strong commitment to excellence.

TOP-LEVEL MUSIC EDUCATION

Auditions are held at least twice a year and some 40 boys aged 8 to 10 are yearly admitted to the Cantores Minores Choir School. After one year of instruction in musical theory, score reading and voice training and having passed appropriate examinations, the boys are admitted to the performing choir. Music education, rehearsing and voice training are intensified during camps held twice a year. In the fall of 1996 the Cantores Minores approached its historical models by starting to cooperate with the school authorities of the City of Helsinki. The aim is to integrate school and choir work and thus allow the boys more time for training. The first three years of this project have been successful enabling the choir to raise it standards even further.

A DEMANDING REPERTOIRE

The ca. 120 boys and young men of the main choir (Choir A) perform yearly at least two great works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The Passions according to St. Matthew and St. John are performed on Good Friday in alternate years, the Christmas Oratorio is sung every December. Bach's Mass in B Minor, Johannes Brahms' German Requiem and Mozart's Requiem are also performed at regular intervals. In addition, the Cantores Minores yearly prepares a repertoire of a cappella music consisting of pieces of all ages and styles up to the very modernest choral works. It is needed for the annual concert tours made both in Finland and abroad as well as for the many invited performances. Over the years the Cantores Minores has performed many big choral works abroad, e.g. Mozart's Mass in D major with the Romsey Cathedral Orchestra in England in 1970, Cimarosa's Requiem in Poland in 1980, Bach's Mass in B Minor with the Staatskapelle Dresden in Germany in 1985 and 1996 as well as Beethoven's Mass in C major with the Phoenix Opera Orchestra in Arizona (USA) in 1988, Bach's St. John Passion in Dresden in 1991, Mozart's Requiem in Tokyo in 1997 and Bach's Christmas Oratorio in with Moscow Symphony Orchestra in Moscow in 1999.

THE CM BOYS AROUND THE WORLD

The Cantores Minores takes pride in its history of numerous memorable moments. Already in 1954 the Cantores Minores boys were received by the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius in his home. During their first tour abroad in 1957 the boys sang before H.M. the King of Sweden Gustav VI Adolf. Since then they have been received by several heads of state and church, e.g. in the Parliament of England by the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the Vatican by the Pope John Paul II and in Bonn by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. The choir has also sung in many places steeped in tradition. In the Thomaskirche in Leipzig it is claimed to have received the first recorded applause from the public in the history of the church. Performances in the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, the Westminster Abbey in London, the Shinshoji Temple in Narita (Japan), the Notre Dame as well as the Sainte Chapelle in Paris and in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., represent highlights for various generations of Cantores Minores boys. In 1965 Cantores Minores won the first prize in the international choir competition 'Let the People sing' organized by the B.B.C. and in 1994 it was awarded the first prize in its cathegory in the first competition of European cathedral choirs held in Amiens, France. The Cantores Minores has toured most countries in Europe (currently 15), many of them several times, made four concert tours to the United States and three to Japan. In 49 years the CM boys have made altogether 38 tours abroad and visited 18 countries all over the world. The choir's first visit to Japan in February 1995 led to the founding of the CM Fan Club Japan. Since then, two additional concert tours in Japan have been made in November 1997 and December 2000. The CM did receive an invitation to tour Japan again in December 2001, but the fourth Japan Tour will not be arranged until December 2003.

The former President of the Republic of Finland (1994-2000), Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, and his spouse acted as patrons of the Cantores Minores choir in 1997-2000. President Tarja Halonen has agreed to continue this patronage during her term of office.

 

CONDUCTOR OF THE CHOIR

Hannu Norjanen (b. 1964) received his early musical training in Cantores Minores boys' choir and in Espoo Music Institute (piano and organ). After matriculation examination he first studied at the Sibelius Academy church music department. After completing studies there he turned to orchestra conducting class. Norjanen finished his studies with three diplomas, all with distinction: organ, choral conducting and orchestral conducting. His professors in conducting class included Jorma Panula, Eri Klas, Leif Segerstam and Atso Almila. Norjanen had a scholarship in the academic year 1990-91 to study choral conducting in Stockholm in the Royal Music Academy under Prof. Eric Ericson.

During his student time Hannu Norjanen was already active as conductor of choirs and orchestras. He was also several years assistant organist at the Helsinki Cathedral. Between years 1998-2001 Norjanen was artistic director of the Lappeenranta City Orchestra. He has held the same post in Vaasa City Orchestra since 1999. He has guest conducted most of the Finnish professional orchestras. He has also worked at the Finnish National Opera conducting operas such as La Boheme, Falstaff, La Traviata, Othello and Tosca among others. He conducts regularly also large works for choir and orchestra.

As a conductor Norjanen has visited Russia, Baltic States, Scandinavia and many other European countries. As a choir conductor Hannu Norjanen started already in his early student days. He has conducted several mixed chamber choirs and male choirs. He has also worked with a children's choir and a youth choir. Norjanen has been artistic director of Tapiola Chamber Choir since 1998. With them he has recorded all a cappella works for mixed choir and female choir by Toivo Kuula and Jean Sibelius. CD`s containing Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s music has got several prices. With male choir Amici Cantus Norjanen has recorded all a cappella works for male choir by Einojuhani Rautavaara. Norjanen has guest conducted the Finnish Radio Chamber choir several times in concerts and recordings. He is also artistic director of the Finnish Philharmonic Choir and Cappella chamber orchestra. He teaches conducting at the Sibelius Academy.

  

Hannu Norjanen