Chanticleer Christmas, Dec 6, 2024

I heard Chanticleer in a Christmas concert at St. Ignatius of Loyola on Dec 6, 2024. I've been a fan of theirs back to the 90s, I've probably heard them in concert about 15 times. I love them, admire their artistry, have curiously watched the comings and goings of members over the years (with only twelve members each person makes an impact), and have even noticed changes in their sound.

It's an all-male group, half of them counter tenors and the other half not. Some of those guys sing REAL high. One tall lanky drink o' water sounds exactly like an English choirboy. It's rather incongruous but hey, they all sound fantastic so where's the problem.

I've been to a number of their Christmas concerts at St. Iggy's (as it's known in the classical singer community) and each one starts in the same way, with the lights going out completely and the singers processing down the center aisle holding candles, singing a chant. They assembled a stunning lineup of settings of "Ave maris stella"s or "Ave Maria"s and while all five composers are grouped under the heading of "early music" (which means anything before Bach and Handel), it was quite a span of time, from 1390 to 1611.

I describe the current Chanticleer sound as quiet, lustrous, and reticent. A few years ago I described them as bashful, but thankfully they've moved past that. The one moment of the concert when they definitively stepped out of that sound was in his opening set - - one entrance was so warm, full, and strong, it took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes.

Britten's "There Is No Rose" was written for treble choir and harp - - Chanticleer did an arrangement for the treble men singing the treble part and the basses singing the 5, 1, 5, 1 that the harp does. It was very effective and they had the perfect chilly sound. Jonathan Rathbone's "The Oxen," like other pieces on the program, had some tasty harmonies. I always say why have just three pitches in a chord when you can have five, six, seven? There's no extra charge. Chanticleer always sang these dissonances with razor-sharp accuracy.

John Francis Wade's arrangement of "O Come, All Ye Fathful" used something of those wacko chords and they really had me hearing the hymn with fresh ears. Quite the achievement.

Every Chanticleer Christmas concert includes Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria." The program notes say the piece "has become synonymous with Chanticleer." Richard and I heard this concert in the same church a few years ago and this cute old dude next to me told me he had come all the way from North Carolina just to hear that piece. It's not hard to imagine, it's sublimely beautiful and no one sings it better than Chanticleer. The performance I heard in this concert might have been more reverent than in previous years. This piece does such a number on me, I started weeping as they took their places BEFORE they sang it. Just seeing the nine guys on the left and the three soloists on the right, I knew what was going to happen and I was weeping in anticipation. I know, I'm a mess.

Jared Graveley's arrangement of "Good King Wenceslas" folded another familiar tune into the center section. I was too distracted to be able to identify it and I haven't found anything useful online. I hope Chanticleer (or someone else) records it so I can figure it out. I'm documenting this here, I will keep you posted...

Adam Ward's "Joy To the World" felt like it was in twelve parts. It had a showy ending with one of the sopranos holding a high note for what felt like a whole page.

Please indulge me in some musician talk for a minute. Graveley's arrangement of "Silent Night" had a 5 of 5 chord at the "Christ the savior is born" - - if we're in the key of C, the melody on the word "born" goes from C to E. Graveley used a chord progression I've heard many times before and always love. The C was rooted in A minor and the E went to a D major with a seventh and a ninth. It made me smile big time. The same moment in "Jesus Lord at thy birth" used what I call a "far out chord," something slippery and unexpected. Love that, too!

They closed the program with two arrangements by Joseph Jennings of traditional spirituals. It's always bothered me to see a group of largely white guys singing African-American music. One of the issues is that they're wearing white tie and tails, which makes it even more unsettling. But this year I realized if I have a problem with the white guys in the group singing that, then I should feel like the Black guys in the group (and there are a few) shouldn't be allowed to sing the Du Fay, the Victoria, or maybe even the Britten. See how much progress I've made.

The encore was Jennings's arrangement of "Christmastime Is Here," beloved by many of us from its original appearance in *A Charlie Brown Christmas.* Another piece that turns me into a weepy mess.

It's so helpful that St. Iggy's listed the whole program on their website...

I

Ave maris stella Guillaume Du Fay (1397–1474),

John Dunstaple (c.1390–1453),

Alexander Agricola (c.1445–1506),

Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

Ave Maria, mater Dei† William Cornysh (d.1523)

II

This endris night Sarah Quartel (b.1982)

Now make we joy English, 15th c.

Make we joy now in this fest William Walton (1902–1983)

III

Ther is no rose of swych vertu English, 15th c.

There is no rose from A Ceremony of Carols Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

Balulalow from A Ceremony of Carols Britten

The Oxen Jonathan Rathbone (b.1957)

Suo Gân Traditional Welsh, arr. Lance Wiliford

IV

Nowell sing we English, 15th c.

Noel Canon Steven Sametz (b.1954)

A Christmas Fanfare (Angelus ad Virginem) Anonymous, 13th c., arr. Steven Sametz

V

O come, all ye faithful John Francis Wade (1711–1786), arr. Amanda Taylor

Ave Maria Franz Biebl (1906–2001)

VI

Wassail Song Traditional English, arr. Gladys Pitcher

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day Traditional English, arr. Dale Grotenhuis

Good King Wenceslas Traditional English, arr. Jared Graveley

Joy to the world Lowell Mason (1792–1872), arr. Adam Ward

VII

I Am Snow from The Rivers Are Our Brothers Majel Connery (b.1979), arr. Majel Connery and Doug Balliett

And the trees do moan Traditional Appalachian, arr. Tim Keeler

Silent night Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863), arr. Graveley

VIII

(Everywhere I go) Somebody talkin’ ‘bout Jesus Traditional Spiritual, arr. Joseph H. Jennings

Oh, Jerusalem in the mornin’ Traditional Spiritual, arr. Jennings