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I am a huge fan of Chanticleer. They are the distinguished dozen; these fine singers are renowned for their "orchestra of voices," and they emote class from every pore. Seriously. I am most accustomed to Chanticleer's classical releases, although the group certainly does indulge in other fare. On Let It Snow, Chanticleer kicks aside the heavier classical stuff, embracing instead a broad range of well-familiar holiday carols, from ancient to contemporary.

Since I am a purist, I generally prefer groups like these flying naked (a cappella, in other words), and Chanticleer does most of its tracks on this album without instrumentation. These fellows are really quite amazing, hitting the soprano highs and plumbing the bass depths with equal facility. The harmonies are, not surprisingly, flawless. For me, the best moments occur on the deeply moving Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, which exudes a heartrending pathos, and the sophisticated simplicity of Silent Night, which gradually builds into a more lush vocal orchestration, then recedes to its more basic origins. I have to admit some small disappointment when I discovered that Ave Maria is an instrumental for more than three minutes; happily, the Chanticleer men join in unison for the lovely melody line in the latter half.

Perhaps because I have long loved the group's classical releases, I find myself naturally attracted to the more contemplative pieces. Even so, it's all cool. Even the cover art is great, evoking the feel of blowing snow. The substantial liner notes provide substantial information about the talented and creative arrangers of these holiday tunes.

Chanticleer's Let It Snow provides a fun change-of-pace for the Christmas season. If you usually savor the classical side, but yearn for a refreshing spritz of contemporary glam, let Chanticleer introduce you to the crossover land of classical/pop.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Chanticleer:
Eric S. Brenner, Dylan Hostetter, Michael McNeil, soprano
Alan Reinhardt, William Sauerland, Adam Ward, alto
Brian Hinman, Matthew D. Oltman, Todd Wedge: tenor
Eric Alatorre, Gabriel Lewis-O'Connor, Jace R. Wittig: baritone & bass

Joseph H. Jennings, music director

The Larry Dunlap Trio:
Larry Dunlap: piano
Seward McCain: bass
Jason Lewis: drums, percussion

Chanticleer Holiday Orchestra
Roy Malan: concertmaster




From the Website:

Called "the world's reigning male chorus," by the New Yorker magazine, Chanticleer will perform more than 100 concerts in 2007-08, the GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble's 30th Season. Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for their "tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity," Chanticleer will tour to 22 states across the United States this season, including appearances at Walt Disney Concert Hall under the auspices of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. In January 2008, the ensemble will perform at prestigious venues in major European cities: Paris, Luxembourg, Bruges, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Vilnius. In Fall 2007 Chanticleer's newest Christmas CD, Let It Snow, is released by Warner Classics and Jazz. Let It Snow features the ensemble with the Chanticleer Holiday Orchestra performing such favorites as "Feliz Navidad" and "The Christmas Song."

Chanticleer--based in San Francisco--has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. With its seamless blend of twelve male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, the ensemble has earned international renown as "an orchestra of voices."

Chanticleer

Let It Snow

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Track List