>> ADIA: I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH ONE OF OUR FAVORITE GROUPS.

THE CHORAL GROUP CANTUS KICKS OFF THEIR NEW SEASON LATER THIS MONTH WITH A FALL CONCERT SERIES ENTITLED "SIMPLE GIFTS."

THE VOCAL ENSEMBLE SAYS IT IS AN ANSWER TO THE DEEPLY PERSONAL QUESTION "WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?"

WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC."

>> THANKS SO MUCH, GLAD TO BE HERE.

>> YEAH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, PAUL.

SO TALK ABOUT THE THEME OF GRATITUDE FOR YOUR FIRST CONCERT SERIES OF THE SEASON.

THE TITLE IS "SIMPLE GIFTS, PERSONAL STORIES AND MUSIC OF GRATITUDE."

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU ALL?

>> YES, FOR US, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO KIND OF LEAN INTO ONE OF OUR VALUES, WHICH IS VULNERABILITY.

AND, SO, IT'S A CHANCE FOR US TO SHARE SOME REALLY PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT GRATITUDE IN OUR OWN LIVES AND HOW IT INTERSECTS WITH OUR MUSIC MAKING, AND I THINK FOLKS ARE REALLY GOING TO RESONATE WITH THESE STORIES FROM STAGE AND THERE'S ALSO A REPERTOIRE THAT FOLKS WILL RECOGNIZE.

>> YEAH.

I'M EXCITED.

I MEAN, I WAS LOOKING AHEAD AND I SEE A FEW THINGS IN THE REST OF THE SEASON THAT LOOK PRETTY EXCITING.

TELL US ABOUT WHAT ELSE THEY CAN EXPECT.

>> WE'VE GOT OUR CHRISTMAS SHOW, AS USUAL.

WE'RE GOING TO BE EVERYWHERE OVER THE TWIN CITIES AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE TOURING FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.

WE'VE GOT OUR SPRING SHOW, WE'RE DOING A COVER SHOW THIS YEAR WITH ABBA, MUSIC OF ABBA, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, AND THEN WE HAVE A CHAMBER SERIES THIS SUMMER, WITH PIANO AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE MUSIC POETRY BY WALT WITTMAN, ARRANGEMENTS OF MUSIC, SO IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY REALLY GORGEOUS.

>> YEAH, I BELIEVE IT.

YOU HAVE BEEN GOING FOR MORE THAN 30 SEASONS, RIGHT.

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

>> YEAH, SO HOW DO YOU CHANGE FROM SEASON TO SEASON IN THE WORK YOU DO?

>> YEAH, SO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT CANTUS, WE'RE COLLABORATIVE, THERE'S NO ONE PERSON N CHARGE.

SO THE EIGHT OF US SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN MEETINGS.

WE PROBABLY MEET TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WE DO EVERY YEAR.

AND, SO, WE THROW A LOFT IDEAS ON THE WHITEBOARD AND FIGHT IT OUT A LITTLE BIT.

BUT WE REALLY LOVE THAT WORK, GETTING TO CHOOSE PROGRAMS AND THEMES THAT WE FEEL ARE RELEVANT, THAT REFLECT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD AND ALSO HOPEFULLY ARE RELATABLE TO FOLKS.

>> WONDERFUL.

WHAT IS THE DATE OF OUR CONCERT, THE FIRST DATE?

>> SO WE'RE COMING UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS, IN OCTOBER, YOU'VE GOT ME ON A GOTCHA QUESTION, BECAUSE I SHOULD KNOW THAT OFFHAND.

>> THEY CAN LOOK IT UP ON YOUR WEBSITE, RIGHT?

>> I WANT TO PERSONALLY APOLOGIZE TO OUR PUBLICIST, SO SORRY.

CHECK US ON CANTUSSINGS.ORG.

>> YEAH, WHAT ARE YOU SINGING TONIGHT?

>> SIMPLE GIFTS, A SHAKER TUNE THAT PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE.

AND LATER ON IN THE PROGRAM, BOBBY McFERRIN'S, "THE GARDEN."

>> WONDERFUL.

CANTUS.

♪ TIS A GIFT TO BE SIMPLE ♪ ♪ TIS A GIFT TO BE FREE ♪ ♪ TIS THE GIFT TO COME DOWN WHERE YOU ARE TO THEE ♪ ♪ AND WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE PLACE JUST RIGHT ♪ ♪ TWILL WILL BE IN THE VALLEY OF LOVE AND DELIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪ ♪ TO THEN WE SHANT BE ASHAMED ♪ TO TURN, TURN WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL THY TURNING, THY TURNING BECOMES ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪ ♪ TO BOW AND TO BEND WE SHANT BE ASHAMED ♪ ♪ TO TURN, TURN WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL BY TURNING, TURNING WE COME RIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL BY TURNING, TURNING ♪ ♪ WE COME RIGHT ♪ ♪ TIS A GIFT TO BE SIMPLE, TIS A GIFT TO BE FREE ♪ ♪ TIS A GIFT TO COME DOWN WHERE WE ARE TO BE ♪ ♪ AND WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE PLACE JUST RIGHT ♪ ♪ 'TWILL BE IN THE VALLEY OF LOVE AND DELIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAWHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪RUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪RUE SIMPLICITY IS TO BOW AND TO BEND WE SHAN 'T BE ASHAMED ♪ ♪ TO TURN, TURN, WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ 'TILL BY TURNING, TURNING, WE COME ROUND RIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪ ♪ TO BOW AND TO BEND WE SHANT BE ASHAMED 7 ♪ TO TURN ♪ ♪ TURN ♪ ♪ WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL BY TURNING, TURNING WE COME ROUND ♪ ♪ RIGHT ♪