SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 25, 2009 – Described by the New Yorker as “the world’s reigning male chorus” and praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for its “combination of tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity,” Chanticleer launches its 2009-2010 Bay Area season on September 15 with a concert at the Mission San Louis Obispo.  It is the first of 21 concerts the Grammy-winning ensemble will give throughout California and the Bay Area, performing at favorite venues as well as in five exciting new locations.  A writer for the Chicago Tribune once observed, “I can’t think of another ‘orchestra of voices’ that can shuttle with such proficiency from Renaissance polyphony to gospel, contemporary classical to jazz.”  That trademark versatility and range is everywhere apparent in Chanticleer’s 2009-10 concerts; the group expands its offerings to four new programs this season, including “The Singing Life,” a celebration of the joy of singing at Davies Symphony Hall.

 In Time Of... Songs of Love & Loss, War & Peace is Chanticleer’s season-opening program, an exploration of centuries of music inspired by the most profound human experiences. The program features music from Renaissance masters such as Palestrina, Dufay and Janequin to works of modern composers including Ligeti, Chen Yi, Sametz, McGlynn, Bates, Gershwin and others. (Six concerts, September 15 – 27, with two additional concerts in S.F. on March 20 and 21).

 A Chanticleer Christmas, the group’s second program this season, has become a holiday classic throughout the Bay Area and across the country; it has been featured in four consecutive annual appearances by Chanticleer on NBC TV’s Today show, as well as on a DVD recorded in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art that aired widely on public television. With its beautiful blend of traditional carols, medieval and Renaissance sacred works and lively spirituals, the program celebrates the mystery and wonder of the season and enriches the spirit at this special time of year. Featured on this year’s program are selections from several of Chanticleer’s best-selling albums of holiday favorites. A writer for the New Yorker summed it up succinctly:  “No one does a better choral Christmas than the virtuoso male voices of Chanticleer.” (Eleven concerts, December 12 – 22).

 The Singing Lifeis the crowning event in Chanticleer’s first National Youth Choral Festival (March 26 – 29), and is vivid evidence of the group’s ongoing and extensive commitment to inspiring and mentoring young singers, keeping the choral art alive in communities large and small across the country. The single evening concert, which takes place on March 29 at 7:30 pm at Davies Symphony Hall, features the twelve singers of Chanticleer together with twelve high school choirs (300 students in all!) from the Bay Area and across the country in an inspiring program celebrating the joy of singing.  Chanticleer’s mission and remarkable ability to inspire young singers from across America was documented last season in The Singing Life, which has aired extensively on public television stations and is now available on DVD.  The ensemble began its education program in 1986 (then called “Singing in the Schools), and with the help of individual contributions and foundation and corporate support the program has evolved and grown substantially. 

Chanticleer’s final program of the season is For Thy Soul's Salvation: Music for England's Monarchs. In the 16th and 17th centuries, England's Stuart and Tudor sovereigns sought God's favor through magnificent music composed for their Chapels Royal by a handful of prodigiously talented composers exemplified by those heard on this program:  William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Robert Parsons, Henry Purcell and others.  For pure sonic splendor and sheer beauty, the music of this era remains unequaled, and Chanticleer’s deep connection to these and other gems from the world of early music has been the cornerstone of its singular reputation over the past three decades.  (Four concerts, June 2 – 5).

At the end of the season Chanticleer will accompany the San Francisco delegation to Shanghai’s Expo 2010 at the invitation of the Shanghai-SF Sister City Committee (June 11 – 14).

A complete list of concert dates for Chanticleer’s 2009-2010 Bay Area season follows, with additional information also available at Chanticleer’s web site: www.chanticleer.org

 

In Time Of... Songs of Love & Loss, War & Peace

Tuesday, September 15, 8pm

Mission San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo

Wednesday, September 16, 8pm

Carmel Mission, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel

Thursday, September 17, 8pm

Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara

Saturday, September 19, 8pm

Napa Opera House. Napa

Tues day, September 22, 8pm

Lesher Center for the Arts, Hoffman Theatre, Walnut Creek

Sunday, September 27, 6pm

St. Francis Church, 1112 26th St. Sacramento

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 8pm

Sunday, March 21,  5pm

SF Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street, San Francisco 

 

A Chanticleer Christmas

Saturday, December 12, 8:15pm

The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland

Sunday, December 13, 8pm

Saturday, December 19, 8pm

St. Ignatius Church, 650 Parker Street, San Francisco

Tuesday, December 15, 6pm & 8:30pm

 St. Vincent's Church, 35 Liberty Street, Petaluma

Wednesday, December 16, 8pm

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley

Sunday, December 20, 5pm

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis

Note: $25 seats at Davis are assigned, not general admission

Monday, December 21, 6pm & 8:30 pm

Carmel Mission, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel

Tuesday, December 22, 6pm & 8:30 pm

 Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara University. Santa Clara

 

National Youth Choral Festival

Monday, March 29, 2010, 7:30pm

Davies Symphony Hall. San Francisco

 

For Thy Soul's Salvation: Music for England's Monarchs

Wednesday, June 2, 2010, 8pm

First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley

Thursday, June 3, 8pm

St. Francis Church, 1112 26th St ,Sacramento

Friday, June 4, 8pm

St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica, 80 South Market Street, San Jose

Saturday, June 5, 8pm

Mission Dolores, 3321 16th Street, San Francisco

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