Goodbye, Then: After long career, Cantus bass moves on

I met Timothy Takach for the first time when hosting Cantus at the State Fair three summers ago. I assumed his name had some foreign flourish to it but he assured me it was simply "tuh-CASH" a sound so natural, almost whimsical, a little kid could say it.

And what an approachable and easy-going person Tim is.

That nature belies the deep talents of this singer/composer/designer who - with a few friends back at St. Olaf seventeen years ago - just wanted to keep singing as a small men's choir, take their show on the road and hope for the best.

Cantus nowadays has surpassed what Tim could have dreamed up.

With hundreds of concerts annually, national and international tours and a new recording realease each year, the ensemble has earned its place as one of the best in the country.

And part of the reason for their success is their relaxed intensity, something Tim has long played a part in modeling.

Cantus has no Music Director and instead assigns a producer to guide and shape each piece. This ensures rehearsals are efficient, but also that everyone profits from working well together.

And while it accounts for their gorgeous singing, it might also account for how well these men enjoy each other's company, playing board games on tour, sharing meals and inside jokes, and giving us the feeling that they're "our" singers.

Surely Tim will miss this camaraderie and marvelous music-making. But with two small boys, he felt it was time to focus his energies at home and on his composing career. His wife Jocelyn Hagen is a full time composer and Tim credits her with giving him the courage to step into the future.

He tells me he has several projects he's working on at the moment and his biggest fear is how to stay organized and efficient with all this time freed up.

Tim will certainly be missed by us Cantus fans and we wish him all good things.

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