With 12 unique voices, ranging from soprano to bass, for one night only, the vocal group, Chanticleer, took the stage in the Grand Hall at the Martin Center at the end of February.
“We are really excited to come sing and share what we do,” Tim Keeler, Chanticleer’s music director, said.
For this performance, they sang classic songs like “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell, “Strange how we can walk (in L.A.)” by Zhou Tian and more classic repertoire songs on their “Labyrinths” tour.
Chanticleer sings several genres of music and in different languages. They do not sing with instruments or microphones. However, they do imitate instruments vocally. They have a composer they commission every year for new music.
Before the show, the group did a vocal check to get a feel for the Grand Hall, which they do at every venue. Each singer must warm up on their own before the show starts.
“It’s built into our DNA,” said Keeler.
There were 400 presold tickets for the show online. The public could go on the ETSU website or Martin Center website to buy tickets or buy them at the box office.
The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble consists of 12 singers from around the country. The process to get into Chanticleer is a first round of online audition and an in-person callback, singing with the group.
Dr. Alan Stevens, the head of the music department at ETSU, said that ETSU has been planning to bring Chanticleer to ETSU for a year now. They said they finally agreed with Chanticleer’s agent about a budget. The ETSU Music Department picks one headliner each academic year.
Before the show, at 2:40 p.m., the Chanticleer hosted a masterclass for the ETSU Chorale. They sang one piece for Chanticleer to professionally critique them.
“So, they can work any aspect on things that they hear: tone, diction, balance, and any sort of thing,” said Stevens. “They really react to what they are hearing.”
Keeler said that the Chanticleer like to hear different choirs, including college choirs because they get to hear different experiences and voices.
“Every choir is different with different singers and different sounds,” said Keeler. “We learn from them as much as they learn from us.”
Stevens said that Chanticleer is what the faculty at the music department believes the students can do in the future. Stevens said this is an opportunity for the students, faculty and public to learn and enjoy choral music. Stevens said that this gives vocal students an opportunity to see professional singers as a career.
“It gives everyone a chance to hear really high-level choral music and what that sounds like live,” said Stevens.
Keeler said that they enjoy traveling all around the world including small towns like Johnson City. He said that he enjoys learning about the history and culture of the United States, especially through music.
“My favorite part is getting to bring all around,” said Keeler.
Keeler talked about the importance of Chanticleer’s ensemble singing. He said that Chanticleer emphasizes both individual sounds and cohesive ensemble.
The process of performing on the road is unique to every Chanticleer member. However, they do have some days off of tour to learn music, go on vocal rest and connect with family. Keeler said that even though they are professional singers; they still are similar to regular singers in how they get rest, learn music and live life.
