SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Divine Tapestry – Sacred Music for all time: Chanticleer Male Chorus, The Pro Cathedral, Dublin, Eire 5.7 2009 (SL)


Whether Dublin’s (in)famous Molly Malone ever heard – or cared – about Chaucer’s fabled cockerel is debatable, but after last Sunday’s concert by what the New Yorker magazine has called “the world’s reigning male chorus”, there is no doubt that the city’s choral and vocal devotees certainly have now.

A packed Pro Cathedral seating nearly 1000 souls was testament to the renown of this all-male a capella group from San Francisco, as they prepared for the second of only two concerts within the republic of Ireland. The first had been on the previous evening in Galway, and after leaving Dublin they were on their way to both Germany and France for a series of concerts there before returning to the USA. Their unique sound has been heard many times on BBC Radio in the UK (they contributed to the Christmas Day “round the world” concerts in December 2008) but Dublin was the only location that nearby UK residents had to hear them live on this tour.

Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by Louis Botto. They developed their world-class reputation under the artistic direction of Joseph Jennings until last year when he retired and tenor Matthew Oltman took over the role combining it with the duties of Musical Director. They are a twelve-man ensemble in the traditional SATB formation with three sopranos, three altos, three tenors and three baritones/basses. With baroque opera’s resurgence around the globe in the past twenty plus years the sound of the high male voice, either countertenor or male soprano, is now a matter of “normality” and hardly even remarked upon anymore, but one wonders what the audience in some of the smaller US venues in the 80’s and 90’s made of their sound? One gathers from brief conversations with the singers that there were some “interesting” reactions….. Today, and certainly in Europe, these voices are now not only accepted but judged on exactly the same standards as all others, which is exactly how it should be.

Chanticleer have a considerable discography built up over the years and a fine record in live recitals. They  draw on a wide repertoire ranging from medieval European plainsong to the contemporary work of composers like John Tavener and Native American Brent Michael Davids. This flexibility of musical expression means that they can take varying programmes on tour to suit different communities and it puts the spotlight on their remarkable self-sufficiency in music-making. With neither conductor nor instrumental support, this “orchestra of voices” has developed a finely-honed technique which holds pitch, tempo and rhythm in perfect harmony with apparent effortlessness. And, somehow they also seem to be genuinely having fun – usually a sign of performers at the top of their game. Eye contact is everything – that and tiny physical movements which denote cut-offs and entries – and the group usually stand in formations that allow cross-space visual connections. On Sunday night they were dressed formally in evening attire, but were far from rigid or formal in their communication with each other and their audience – often their bodies moved in rhythm with the more upbeat items and there were occasional smiles and small nods as their intricate musical lines coalesced and dispersed again.

The concert was titled “Divine Tapestry – Sacred Music for all time” and was a journey through time and place, commencing with works by Orlando di Lasso, Juan Gutierrez de Padilla and Juan de Lienas - both American/Spanish composers of the 17^th century -  Victoria and Josquin, whose two motets were preceded by plainsong on the two themes of Alma redemptoris mater and Ave maria. The resulting flowing textures and complex, sweet sonorities were produced by the ensemble with a shimmering wholeness of sound which worked with, rather than despite, their individual voices. Splitting into two choirs for the Victoria,  we had a real feel for the Spanish religious fervour and devotion that motivated his writing, yet which was contained as ever in precise and “hand-painted” polyphony.

After the short intermission, Chanticleer sang two remarkable performances of 20^th century works which brought the first involuntary cheers of the evening: John Taveners’s “Village Wedding” and “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” by Pavel Chesnokov. Tavener's piece, which is long, complex and evokes both the stern symmetries of the Orthodox wedding service and the noble simplicities of peasant culture, was cleverly choreographed with the singers standing in a large circle to sing and all moving round one full quarter turn with each verse. The winding, almost oriental, melismas took us to a sound world far from the Emerald Isle, and the choir was warmly applauded.

The second modern piece by Chesnokov, “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” is one of a cycle of church hymns, yet in this dramatic setting he writes a solo soprano part of great beauty (and difficulty) realised with spectacular facility by relative newcomer to the group Gregory Peebles. He brought almost operatic colour and volume to what indeed has been described as an “arioso with choir”. Several of the singers had opportunities to shine in solo parts and verses throughout the evening, and it is normally invidious to pick out individuals from such an ensemble, but safe to say that this performance almost raised the very high domed roof of the Pro Cathedral.

Moving from the Russian and Orthodox-inspired sound worlds, the concert concluded with some modern adaptations of old American hymns which segued elegantly one to another, and a final rocking set of traditional gospel songs that sent the audience away humming into the night.

I understand that Chanticleer have a new CD due out in September on Warner Classics, and if you want to catch them live in Europe or the States, details are on their Web Site.

Sue Loder