The Performing Arts Center will present the acclaimed vocal ensemble Chanticleer on April 18 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Hailed as “an orchestra of voices” and “the world’s reigning male chorus” by New Yorker magazine, Chanticleer will perform a program entitled “My Spirit Sang All Day,” showcasing the group’s signature renditions of classical, folk, jazz and gospel music.
Tickets are $28, $23 and half-priced for UGA students.
Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by tenor Louis Botto. During the 2007-2008 season, Chanticleer will tour 22 states, performing more than 100 concerts in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
In addition, the group is touring Europe, appearing in major cities including Paris, Luxembourg, Bruges, Vienna, Prague and Budapest. The editors of the Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts have named Chanticleer the 2008 “Ensemble of the Year,” the first time a vocal ensemble has been so recognized.
Since 1994, Chanticleer has recorded exclusively for Warner Classics. The group’s 2000 recording, Colors of Love, won the Grammy Award for best small ensemble performance and the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for best classical album. The world-premiere recording of Sir John Tavener’s “Lamentations and Praises,” released in 2002, garnered two Grammy Awards for best small ensemble performance and best classical contemporary composition.
A pre-concert lecture will be given by Mitos Andaya, a music professor at UGA. The lecture, which begins at 7:15 p.m., is free and open to the public.