Upcoming Concerts
November 1, 2026 – The Three B’s, Music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms
December 13, 2026 – Christmas with Canticus
March 7, 2027 – “Pops goes Canticus”
June 6, 2027 – Spring Concert
Past Concerts
“Americana”
Canticus Vocal Ensemble presented “AMERICANA,” its final concert of the 2025–26 season. The concert was held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, at Englewood Christian Church.
The concert was a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, leading to the creation of the United States of America. “AMERICANA” featured music and texts that recounted the American Spirit of 1776.
The concert also represented the writings of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. Canticus performed Randall Thompson’s “Testament of Freedom,” a four-movement setting of the words of Jefferson from the time just prior to the American Revolution.
“Music Mosaic”
In creating a mosaic, an artist will assemble a colorful array of fragments, usually bits of glass, stone or ceramic. Cementing these pieces together results in a stunning piece of artwork, often displayed on walls or floors or in art galleries.
Highlighting the concert will be the appearance of seven “guest conductors,” who are also Canticus members. Dr. Scott Peterson, Canticus founder and artistic director, said he wanted to share the podium with others.
“I don’t need to conduct every piece of every concert,” he said. “We have people who possess conducting talents and we want to show them off in a different context.”
“Christmas with Canticus” And the Olde Towne Singers
December 14, 2025
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
The Seasons Turning
November 2, 2025
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
The concert title comes from the final line of a poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri set to music by composer Ola Gjeilo. While there is no particular theme for the concert, the poetry and music reflect various concepts of what the term “seasons” means, according to Dr. Scott Peterson, Canticus founder and artistic director.
“Sometimes we are talking about seasons of the year such as autumn and winter, but we also mean events within a lifetime — birth, youth, and death,” Peterson said. “Silvestri’s poem compares seasons of weather to human emotion, which is the underlying concept of this concert.”
Alway Something Sings
Englewood Christian Church
511 N. 44th Ave.
Yakima, WA 98902
May 4, 2025
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
and guests:
CWU Wildcat Chorus
Yakima High School Honor Choir
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Canticus Vocal Ensemble closed its 10th Anniversary Season with a concert of choral music reflecting the welcome arrival of Spring’s warmth and light. The concert’s title “Alway Something Sings” comes from a poem by one of America’s most celebrated poets, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Besides highlighting the talented vocalists of Canticus, the concert featured the Central Washington University Wildcat Chorus and the Yakima High School Honor Choir comprised of singers from six high schools throughout the Yakima Valley.
Connections: Our Earth, Ourselves
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
March 2, 2025
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
CWU Chamber Choir
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
A Canticus Christmas
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
December 15, 2024
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
10th Anniversary Concert
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
November 3, 2024
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Tis the Month of Maying
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
May 5, 2024
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Yakima High School Honor Choir
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Music About America
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
March 3, 2024
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
The Camerata Club of Yakima
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Christmas With Canticus
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
December 10, 2023
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Music of the Stage
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
November 5, 2023
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Sing to the Future
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
May 7, 2023
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
CWU Vox Divina
CWU Wildcat Chorus
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Return, Renew and Revive!
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
March 5, 2023
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Christmas With Canticus! Together Again!
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
December 11, 2022
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Songs of Hope Concert
Englewood Christian Church
511 N 44th Ave., Yakima, WA
November 13th, 2022
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
CWU Chamber Choir
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Poster
Audio Recordings
Jubilate Deo
A Ukrainian Prayer
A Glimpse of Hope
I Have Hope
A Chrysalis of Threefold Memories
Spring Quarter Choral Concert
Central Washington University
Hertz Concert Hall
May 15, 2022
Canticus Vocal Ensemble
CWU Chamber Choir
Dr. Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Audio Recordings
Jubilate Deo
We Gather Together
Old Joe Clark
If Music Be The Food Of Love
A Ukrainian Prayer (CWU Chamber Choir and Canticus Vocal Ensemble)
Music of the Baltic Lands
Canticus Vocal Ensemble and Orchestra
March 7, 2020 – 1st Methodist Church, Ellensburg
March 8, 2020 – Englewood Christian Church, Yakima
Poster
Featured the beautiful sound of choral music from the nations that surround the Baltic Sea with a a wide variety of styles and tastes as a musical smorgasbord. Musical delicacies from Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, German, Russia and Finland by composers such as Hugo Alven, Jean Sibelius, Lars Edlund, Part Uusberg and Sven-Erik Back.
Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Anne Schilperoort, Accompanist
Aaron Hirsch, Organ
Brittany Stahley, Soprano
Audio Recordings
Concert Fantasie, Op. 1
Praise to the Lord – Anne Schilperoot
Den Danske Sang, C. Nielsen
Two Scandinavian Folksongs, Lars Edlund
Lo, We Go Up To Jerusalem, Sven Erik Back
Onward, Ye Peoples, Jean Sebelius
Ah, Varmeland – Brittany Stahley
Be Still My Soul, Jean Sibelius
Transulaul, Veljo Tormis
Musika, Pert Uusberg
Här är gudagodt att vara, Gunnar Wennerberg
Aftonen (Evening), Hugo Alvén
Bogoroditse Devo, All-Night Vigil, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Heilig, Felix Mendelssohn
Little Tommy’s Choir, arr. Ken Berg
Handel’s Messiah
by George Frideric Handel
Canticus Vocal Ensemble and Orchestra
Englewood Christian Church, Yakima
December 15, 2019
Poster
Scott R. Peterson, Conductor
Julie Finch, Soprano
Melissa Schiel, Mezzo-soprano
Tor Blaisdell, Tenor
Micah Parker, Bass (or was it Vijay Singh??)
Canticus Chamber Orchestra
Aaron Hirsch, Director
Video Recordings
Audio Recordings
And The Glory of the Lord
And He Shall Purify
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
His Yoke is Easy
Surely, And With His Stripes, All We like Sheep
Lift Up Your Heads
Let Us Break Their Bonds
Hallelujah
Since By Man Came Death
Worthy Is The Lamb