On the first Monday of every month, patients at the Lake Forest Nursing Center have the opportunity to listen to the Cantabile Ensemble as they perform music ranging from Elvis Presley to Mozart.
The Cantabile Ensemble is a volunteer music organization comprised of musicians across Orange County who seek to bring joy to senior citizens and patients at local hospitals. The members are not professional musicians but rather high school students with a deep passion for music. It was founded last April by a group of students interested in sharing their musical talents with others.
Throughout the month, members of the Cantabile Ensemble meet at each others’ houses to rehearse for the upcoming performance. “The rehearsals are one of best parts of being in the ensemble,” said Nathan Park, a cellist for the ensemble. “Each rehearsal is a lot of fun and it’s wonderful getting to play chamber music with everyone else.”
Not only does Cantabile Ensemble perform at hospitals, but the group also participates in many community events. During the holidays, Cantabile Ensemble seeks to bring the joy to those who cannot celebrate on their own. These included performances at the Orange County Rehabilitation Center, during its Christmas Candle Dinner, and the Orange County Ranch Historic Park’s Holiday Tree Lighting.
The group’s repertoire for this March concert was especially exciting. Cantabile performed Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Francois Devienne’s Siciliano, and J.S. Bach’s Waltz from Swan Lake, in celebration of Bach Month. The ensemble’s performance not only attracted patients but also many of the visitors, nurses, and doctors at the hospitals who became interested as melodies from Carmen echoed through the Nursing Center.
While the group was performing, patients in the audience would often sing along and tap to the music’s rhythm. At the conclusion of each piece, they would also make an effort to clap for the performers. “Seeing the patients as happy as they were honestly made me proud for what I have done,” said Park. “I didn’t know making other people happy can feel so good!”
Members of the Cantabile Ensemble would agree that they do more than just perform for others. “Our ensemble group does exactly what cantabile means to do,” says Jaeho Kim, another cellist for the group. “We express our love for music, the ‘voice of passion’ inside us, and make it flow through music.” Cantabile Ensemble will continue to perform for many patients with hopes of furthering their love for music.
