On June 4, Voices of Ascension returns to Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers for Voices Outdoors, an outdoor concert featuring some of our favorite chamber vocal pieces performed by the Voices of Ascension Singers. In honor of this year's installment of Voices Outdoors, we look back to last year's concert at Untermyer with Voices' performance of Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine.

Along with his Requiem, Cantique de Jean Racine remains one of Fauré's most cherished pieces, especially among choral music aficionados. Setting a paraphrased hymn by the 17th century dramatist Jean Racine, Fauré composed Cantique when he was only 19 years old, evoking a style of harmonic clarity and Romantic charm early in his career. The sweeping melodies over the triplet passages in the piano accompaniment conveys a sense of calm, which we thought paired well with the lovely horticulture at Untermyer Gardens. If you listen closely in the video below, you'll hear trickling water from the fountains and birds chirping in the background, serving as a layer of natural beauty that pairs well with the sonic tranquility of Cantique de Jean Racine. It's a nice reminder that in some cases where we listen to music is just as important as the music itself.

Take a listen to Voices' performance of Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine below.

FAURÉ Cantique de Jean Racine

Voices of Ascension
Dennis Keene, Artistic Director and Conductor
Daniel Beckwith, Piano
Recorded live at the Garden Amphitheater at Untermyer Gardens, June 19, 2021

The singers in this performance are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.