“Folk Singer – Roxbury, 1987” photo by Keith Jenkins https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithwj/2259299/ (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
American A Cappella Vocal Ensemble • Founded 1978
Fast Facts
- Name is derived from the “clear singing rooster” in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales
- Chanticleer’s mission is to “present choral music at the highest level of excellence and to encourage worldwide appreciation for the art of ensemble singing”
- Consists of twelve singers, with voices that range from bass to countertenor
- The only independent full-time classical vocal ensemble in the US
- Rehearses five hours per day, five days a week; performs over 100 concerts per year
- Performs in many styles, including Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, Romantic art song, opera, jazz, gospel, and pop
- Collaborates with orchestras, dancers, jazz musicians, and regularly commissions (pay composers to write a new piece) new works
- Released more than 50 CD/song collections
- Has been awarded multiple Grammys and was the first vocal ensemble to be inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame
- Leads an annual music camp for singers aged 14-20
Musician of the Month Project 