Chanticleer, the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble, has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker and celebrated as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978, Chanticleer has rightfully assumed its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world.
In its first visit to Athens in more than eight years, the group appears March 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Hodgson Concert Hall. The singers will perform classical and contemporary works as well as a new arrangement of a song by ‘70s singer-songwriter Judee Sill. The program, “Labyrinths,” begins with Renaissance music and winds its way through pop standards like “Stormy Weather” and “Both Sides Now” before concluding with a set of spirituals.
“To walk a labyrinth is to admire the journey,” writes Chanticleer Music Director Tim Keeler. “Left and right, forward and backward, how did you end up here today? And what lies around the next corner? Life is one long labyrinth. Let’s explore it together.”
Chanticleer’s repertoire is rooted in the Renaissance and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, popular music and a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements. The ensemble has committed much of its vast recording catalog to these commissions, garnering Grammy Awards for its recording of Sir John Tavener’s “Lamentations & Praises” and the ambitious collection of commissioned works titled “Colors of Love.”
Chanticleer is the recipient of the Dale Warland/Chorus America Commissioning Award and the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming, and its Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African-American choral tradition during his tenure with Chanticleer.
Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program that recently reached more than 8,000 people, and an annual concert series that includes its legendary holiday tradition, “A Chanticleer Christmas.”
Free shuttle transportation to this performance is available for Clarke County seniors, thanks to a partnership between the Performing Arts Center and the Athens Community Council on Aging. For more information, call the box office at 706-542-4400.
This performance is supported by Dr. Maxine and John Rofrano.
Three ways to get tickets
- Purchase tickets online at pac.uga.edu.
- Call the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (five-minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
Ticket buyers can create a series of three performances for 20% off. Single tickets begin at $25, and UGA student tickets are just $10. Parking is free.
To learn more about all UGA Performing Arts Center events, visit pac.uga.edu.
