The ship has sailed!
"on the face of the deep"
After four years in the works, in April 2024 Cantore released "On the Face of the Deep," our most ambitious and fulfilling project since our founding as a group in 2001. Read all about it below, listen to samples of the ten tracks, watch our full-length release concert video, and order the CD (with mp3 downloads and lyrics booklet) and other related materials.

On the Face of the Deep is ten original sea shanties, each of them based on biblical stories involving the sea. The shanty texts were written by biblical scholar and sailor Dr. Linford Stutzman, and the original music was written by members of Cantore a cappella ensemble. Stories of the sea and seafarers that we find in the Bible were written mostly from the viewpoint of people of Hebrew origin—people of the Land. As such, the biblical version of the stories reflect the Hebrews’ land-based identity, and sometimes reveal their suspicion or even fear of the sea. In order to shed fresh light on these stories, the ten sea shanties on this album tell the same stories, but from the point of view of the primarily pagan seafarers themselves. We hope you gain new appreciation for these stories, as rewritten by Dr. Stutzman in the voice of ancient Mediterranean seafarers, and as sung by Cantore—eight serious singers acting like salty sailors.
- About the CD: This is a deluxe edition, with color art and photos throughout, a 16-page lyrics booklet, and a download code for getting all the music as mp3 files for playing on almost any audio device.
- About the cover art: Cantore member Don Bomberger is also a talented artist. He painted a beautiful original reproduction of Rembrandt's famous Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, with one creative twist: He replaced the heads of eight of the disciples with the heads of the eight members of Cantore, putting us there on the sea with Jesus. Can you guess who's who? CLICK HERE for a larger image to zoom in on the details.
Thanks to the hundreds that joined Cantore at Park View Mennonite Church on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, 2024, to help us launch this project to the public. Click video below to watch the whole concert.
And click here to order the CD and/or Study Guide.
And click here to order the CD and/or Study Guide.