Cantabile Singers lift up Chickasaw, Indigenous languages with season finale concert
May 3—The Chickasaw Nation was originally settled in the southeastern United States but after the Indian Removal act of 1830, the tribe was forcibly relocated to present-day, south-central Oklahoma. Though the Chickasaw population was estimated to be around 38,000 in 2010, and today less than 75 people still speak the Chickasaw language, or Chikashshanompa'.
But this weekend there will be 50 more Chikashshanompa' speakers — or singers, to be specific — performing at the First Congregational Church of Boulder.
The Cantabile choral group will perform its final concert of the season with a performance on Friday and on Sunday and will present "Iholba': the Vision." The concert is centered around the work of Native Chickasaw composer Jerod Tate, who wrote the piece as an ode to his Native American roots and culture. The nearly 11 minute song will be sung in Tate's native language, Chikashshanompa', by the Boulder-based group.
According to artistic director Brian Stone, the Cantabile Singers have worked tirelessly to perfect the diction and language for this piece.
"This piece is very outside of a lot of my singers' comfort zones," Stone said. "It's harmonically really challenging, and it's written in Chickasaw. In learning all of this music, one thing that you realize is as challenging and unfamiliar the piece is for us, at the end of the day we will have this really awesome learning experience."
Tate's work is an ode to a culture that most non-Native Americans will never see firsthand, and as the Chickasaw language diminishes, that chance grows lower and lower. "Iholba': the Vision" will give audiences the chance to appreciate Indigenous culture, make connections through the music and perhaps raise awareness for languages that have been lost.
Along with Tate's piece, Cantabile singers will be performing three other pieces adhering to the theme of celebrating Indigenous culture, including "Stomp on the Fire," by Andrea Ramsey, a powerful piece using vocal percussion to convey the human condition; "Chante Waste Hoksila (My Kind-hearted Boy)," a traditional Lakota lullaby arranged by Linthicum-Blackhorse in 2022 to honor the young victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas; and "Wichita Baptist Hymn," transcribed by Tracey Gregg-Boothby and arranged by Andrew Marshall, which features melodies of the Southern Plains Wichita tribe.
"Art provides us with cultural connections," Stone said. He strives each season to bring a culturally diverse and educational program to Cantabile listeners. "It provides us an opportunity to learn about someone else who has an experience different from ours."
Audiences have the chance to see "Iholba': the Vision" in two different performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and at 3 p.m. Sunday at the First Congregational Church of Boulder, 1128 Pine St. Tickets range from $5-$20. For more information, visit cantabilesingers.org.
