Description and review of a Chanticleer concert held at Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Midtown Sacramento.
A good-sized group of Renaissance Society members, after enjoying an early dinner at Aioli Bodega Espanola, recently attended a Chanticleer concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church. This was an evening of firsts for me – the first time I had been inside St. John’s and the first time I attended a Chanticleer concert!
See related blog post: Aioli Bodega Espanola
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St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. John’s Lutheran Church is located at 1701 L Street (corner of 17th & L Streets). The architecture style of the imposing building is Gothic. The interior of the church is beautiful, featuring large stained-glass windows, a large pipe organ, and detailed woodwork.
While most of the attendees settled themselves on the main floor, I joined several others upstairs overlooking the scene.
Chanticleer
Chanticleer, founded in 1978 in San Francisco, is a GRAMMY winning all-male vocal ensemble known globally as “an orchestra of voices”. Its repertoire has expanded from music of the Renaissance period to include a wide range of classical, gospel, hymns, spirituals, jazz and popular music. Chanticleer is also committed to the creation of new choral works, commissioning and premiering works from contemporary composers.
The vocal ranges of the current group: baritone (1); bass (1); bass-countertenor (1); countertenor (6); and tenor (3).
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
The theme of the concert that day was a celebration of San Francisco and the musical love letters that have been composed in its honor. It featured music by some of the most celebrated San Francisco composers and performers, past and present.
The program included the text of the varied works in the order of which they were performed, which I much appreciated.
Choral arrangements performed ranged from the 23rd Psalm to poems written by Lord Alfred Tennyson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Walt Whitman, among others. Also performed were new choral arrangements of more modern music including, among others: Attics of My Life (Jerry Garcia); The Chain (Fleetwood Mac); (Sittin’on) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding); and I Left My Heart in San Francisco (George Cory).
The concert itself was an uplifting experience. The twelve powerful voices of Chanticleer blended seamlessly in harmony, captivating the audience. It is no wonder that this popular group is in demand and has become one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world.
To Sum Up
To sum up, I really enjoyed the performance of Chanticleer. St. John’s was the perfect venue for the performance.
I consider myself lucky that San Francisco remains the hometown of this polished, professional ensemble. I look forward to attending a future performance of the group.
Comments on Chanticleer?
What has been your experience at a Chanticleer performance? Where and when did you see the group?
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