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Spring Concert 2008

Los Cantantes del Lago is a community chorus whose members live on the shores of beautiful Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, just south of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco.

Made up of 55 (plus) singers, Los Cantantes del Lago is a community choir striving for artistic excellence in choral singing. Members of Los Cantantes range in age from 17 to 86 and we come from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and of course, Mexico.

Consisting of Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass voices, Los Cantantes del Lago sings both accompanied (by professional musicians) and a capella. We perform a wide range of music from many periods and genres, including sacred, classical works, spirituals, pop and musicals.

Recent repertoire has included: The Foundling Hospital Anthem and The Messiah by G. F. Handel; Requiem by Gabriel Fauré, works by F. Mendelssohn, Michael Praetorius, Stephen Paulus, John Tavener, G.H. Telemann, African-American spirituals, American and English folk songs, works by Guadalajara composers and songs from musicals and other twentieth-century composers.

Originally performing two concerts a year at "Lakeside", we have now begun traveling. October 2005 saw us touring Greece and Turkey on the "Steps of Paul Revelation Alive" tour. And in August 2007 we traveled to Quito, Ecuador as special guests of the Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre and the Third Festival Internacional de Canto Coral. In October 2007, the State of Jalisco's Secretaria de Cultura's Department of Music invited us to perform as part of their regular "Musical Tuesdays" program at the Ex-Convento del Carmen in Guadalajara.

Whenever possible, Los Cantantes features local musicians in solo, vocal and instrumental capacities in its concerts, as well as performing the works of local composers such as Victor Manuel Medeles Romero, Arturo Marques, Rafael Eduardo Cueva and Juan José Medina de la Cruz.

One of the choir's objectives is the support of young musicians. Special guests in their Christmas 2005 concert was a local children's choir, and in December 2006 they invited the Orquesta Infantil Juvenil Guadalajara, A.C. to share the stage with them. In December 2006, Los Cantantes del Lago sang in Guadalajara at a concert given by the Orquesta Infantil Juvenil Guadalajara. In December 2007, we performed with the Golden Strings Youth Orchestra in Ajijic, earning formal recognition from Jalisco's Secretaria de Cultura, the Chapala Department of Culture and Golden Strings for our participation.

Recording: We recorded  "Christmas Is..."  in December 2006, a CD offering Christmas music from around the world. Now you, your family and friends can celebrate Christmas year-round with Los Cantantes del Lago.

2008-2009 Concert Series

Christmas 2008: "Christmas in North America"

Tuesday, December 2, 2007 @ 8:30 PM -- Ex-Convento del Carmen, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Saturday, December 13, 2008 @ 4:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Sunday, December 14, 2008 @ 4:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 @ 7:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Spring 2009: "Music of North America:  Canada, Mexico, United States"

Saturday, March 28, 2009 @ 4:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Sunday, March 29, 2009 @ 4:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 @ 7:00 PM -- Centro Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Watch this site for more details.

Rehearsals

Cantantes Rehearsal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Los Cantantes del Lago rehearse on Thursday afternoons (September to December and January-April)  from 3:00-5:30 PM at St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Riberas del Pilar, (Jalisco, Mexico). Rehearsals for our Christmas 2007 concerts will begin Thursday, September 20, 2007.Cantantes Rehearsals

New Members

We always welcome new members, encouraging them to be musically literate; read rhythmical and musical notation.

For inquiries about joining Los Cantantes del Lago, send email to cantantesdellago@gmail.com or use our Join Us form which will allow you to give us some background information about who you are and what kind of choral experience you have or are looking for.

Music Director/Conductor

Timothy G. Ruff Welch, DirectorIn 2003, seeking professional direction, Los Cantantes del Lago was fortunate enough to persuade the talent from Luther College, Iowa, in piano and business administration. He attended graduate school at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, concentrating on coaching and accompanying. He came to Guadalajara from Chicago where he was a choral director, pianist and organist.

As well as conducting Los Cantantes del Lago, Welch is the organist/choirmaster at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in AjiTimothy G. Ruff Welch with children's choirjic; and sang tenor in the a cappella octet Ensamble Vocal Contrapunto. He also played piano with the Quinteto Mexicano who, in Summer 2006, represented Mexico as musical ambassadors to Ecuador. He premiered the piano composition, Opus 30, No. 2  by Guadalajara composer Luis Montes in France in May 2007. He is currently performing with Trio con Brio.

Tim accompanies instrumentalists and vocalists on piano and coaches singers and choirs in rehearsal and concert. He has performed throughout Europe, Israel and North America and has participated in 30 recordings.

When asked about his aspirations for Los Cantantes, Welch said he would like them to become known as a versatile and accomplished choir that can sing anything from Handel to Billy Joel, and perform at least one concert a year in Guadalajara.  His enthusiasm is evident and infectious: “I enjoy the challenge of working with this group of musicians,” he says.  “It’s a community choir and yet it’s not.  Some have musical training and some don’t, and the makeup of the choir changes with each concert.  This presents a professional challenge and gives me the personal satisfaction of knowing that everyone in the group wants to be there and are keen to achieve the best they can musically.”

Contact Information

For more information about Los Cantantes del Lago and our upcoming concert season, send email to cantantesdellago@gmail.com.


Copyright © 2006-2008 Los Cantantes del Lago
Last modified: May 02, 2008