Hundreds of vocalists will gather March 17-18 at Albion College for the twice-postponed National Intercollegiate Tenor-Bass Choruses Conference. The world-renowned Cantus offers a headline concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, while ensembles from five U.S. states and Canada will perform five additional concerts during the two-day conference. All performances take place in Albion College’s Goodrich Chapel.

All conference concerts, including Cantus, are free and open to the public. To see the full list of concerts, visit albion.edu/imc or contact the Albion College Music department at 517-629-0481 or [emailprotected].

“It’s exciting to have this event happen at long last,” said music professor and conference organizer Clayton Parr. The COVID shutdown forced Parr to cancel the 2020 gathering just days before it was scheduled to take place in Albion, and the 2022 conference was also determined to be too risky.

Friday evening will feature special guest Cantus, a professional ensemble that tours annually across the U.S. and internationally. Cantus has performed with artists as diverse as the Boston Pops, Sweet Honey in the Rock and the James Sewell Ballet. Despite a demanding performance schedule, Cantus is committed to music education, scheduling regular performances and workshops with young musicians.

The 2023 conference includes hundreds of music teachers, choral directors and performers, many of whom will sing during one of the five concerts scheduled over two days.

“The tenor-bass sound is really distinctive,” said Parr, noting that such ensembles are nonetheless not common in most communities. “This conference is the only way you can hear so many tenor-bass groups in one place. It’s going to be wonderful.”