Chanticleer, photo by Stephen K. Mack

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer will be performing at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 7:00pm. The concert is being presented by Music in the Somerset Hills (MISH), a nonprofit dedicated to bringing quality musical programs to the area.

Founded in San Francisco in 1978, and named after the clear-singing rooster in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer consists of twelve male voices ranging from countertenor to bass.

They are internationally renowned for the seamless blend of their signature sound, which often includes a barbershop quartet-like texture.

Hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker, Chanticleer’s wide-ranging repertoire encompasses everything from Renaissance masterworks to distinctive arrangements of jazz, spirituals, and gospel.

Their mission as an ensemble is to “promote the power of music to inspire and unify,” demonstrated by their commitment to the regular commissioning of new works by living composers.

Their latest program of songs that they’re bringing to St. Mary’s Abbey, titled Labyrinths, explores the journey through life's labyrinth and the storms that arise on the way.

Chanticleer Music Director, Tim Keeler, explains: "Labyrinths is about the twists and turns we take in our lives – some expected, some unexpected. Everybody's labyrinth is different, and this program offers us a chance to explore those unique trajectories across cultures and time.”

The music to be performed will touch on the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, Icarus's ill-fated flight to the sun, the unforeseeable twists and turns of ordinary life, and the final return home.

Past Chanticleer commissions by Stephen Paulus and Zhou Tian will be featured along with an eclectic selection of music from Josquin des Prez, Joni Mitchell, Caroline Shaw, George Walker, Trevor Weston, and more.

General admission, VIP, and FREE student tickets (up to college senior) are available online and at the door. For more information and to reserve tickets in advance, visit MusicSH.org/events.

Music in the Somerset Hills (MISH) is a musical community whose mission is to create musical experiences of the highest quality for those who live and work in the Somerset Hills and the surrounding area – north to Morristown, south to Somerville, east to Madison and west to Clinton – providing performances and educational opportunities that will enhance the lives of people of all ages and all levels of ability.

MISH was founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Stephen Sands, an experienced choir director, educator, and acclaimed tenor with the Grammy-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street.