Great Barrington — The fabled vocal ensemble Chanticleer performed to a packed house at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 11. Expectations were high—but not high enough.
Over the course of 90 minutes, those familiar with the group’s trademark sound got a great deal more than they had hoped for—and it was all about the repertoire.
Originally known for its interpretations of Renaissance music, Chanticleer has long championed contemporary works through new commissions, devoting much of its recording catalog to them. For example, the ensemble won GRAMMY awards for its recording of Sir John Tavener’s “Lamentations & Praises” and for the collection “Colors of Love.” Other awards include the Dale Warland/Chorus America Commissioning Award and the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming.
When Chanticleer performs new music, it is clear that composers are eager to exploit the group’s full technical range—a range that seems boundless in the most beautifully complex arrangements.
The ensemble sounds better than ever on older material, but it is on new pieces and new arrangements that Chanticleer shatters expectations and delights the most discriminating listener with harmonies so lush they verge on the celestial.
Chanticleer gives new meaning to the word eclectic, as Friday’s set list illustrates well:
The show opened with Toby Twining’s “Hee-oo-oom-ha,” an altogether appropriate demonstration of the human voice’s versatility that combines unconventional vocal techniques—like yodeling, vocal fry, and rhythmic panting—with polyrhythms and mixed meters to produce a sound that vigorously challenges traditional choral norms. Whenever the group executes such material, it convincingly showcases Chanticleer’s technical prowess and adaptability. The result is engaging and exhilarating.
Another highlight of Friday’s program was ”Not an End of Loving,” a piece by American composer Steven Sametz that Chanticleer commissioned in 2009 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Lehigh University Choral Union. It employs intricate harmonies, intricate rhythms—intricate everything—in a flawless showcase of the group’s virtuosic capabilities.
Founded in 1978 for the purpose of offering historically authentic performances of music from the Renaissance, Chanticleer comprises two basses, one baritone, three tenors, and six countertenors. Based in San Francisco, the group is celebrated for its exceptional versatility and lush sound.
In 1986, Chanticleer established a formal education program in the San Francisco Bay Area called Singing in the Schools. Today, Chanticleer’s 12 singers and special guest artists serve students in grades five through 12, as well as adults in other parts of the country.
Friday’s show was an exhilarating experience even for seasoned Chanticleer fans. For newcomers, it was a revelation.
