Royal Conservatory of Music: Chanticleer. Trevor Watson’s Happy Shore; African-American spirituals; Brend Michael Davids’ The Un-Covered Wagon; Randall Thompson’s Alleluia; Chen Yi’s I Hear the Sirens Call,; Toby Twining’s Hee-oo-oom-ha; Indian carnatic music. March 1, 2026, Koerner Hall.
Since 1978, the male vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been fostering new repertoire, appreciating the old classics, and celebrating the most intimate musical expressions available for us — of the voice and its embodiment.
This sunny Sunday afternoon, Chanticleer returned to Koerner with a lovely mixed program of old classics, a bit of Americana, and everything in between, resonating in the hall and in the hearts of the audience with impeccably blended vocal splendour.
First Half
The ten men walked on to the stage, with genial smiles, and the first half of the program began with an exploration of Latin-texted polyphony, moving onto traditional Americana choral works, including Trevor Watson’s Happy Shore — a new 2025 commission for Chanticleer — two traditional African American Spiritual works, closing with Brend Michael Davids’ The Un-Covered Wagon.
Though most of us have voices to speak, we seldom sing. Somehow, we’ve lost the joy of spontaneous singing in our daily lives. Rather than making music, we often consume music. Thanks to plentiful and wonderful recordings, many have stopped contemplating making music as the first step of musical enjoyment.
As we become dependent on the mechanical reproduction of music through various streaming services and recorded media, sadly, many of us are losing the true sense of what it is to experience sound in real time, in real space, with others. The immediacy of sounds and accompanying body language is so expressive — within a few seconds, we are able to discern the tone and mood of a conversation; yet, with music becoming a non-real-time medium, these facets of humanity within music are minimized.
So, to hear well-calibrated groups such as Chanticleer, without the extra costumes, accompaniments, or visual distractions, in real space — especially in the intimate, and acoustically excellent Koerner Hall — reminds us of the expansive and varied beauty of singing.
Just the voice, and the body.
As these bodies sync with others and pulse together to create music with great finesse in intonation, diction and musical expression, incredibly beautiful things happen. It is incredible to join in such riches — whether we also sing, or simply soak into the sonic world they create.
Varying from great unison singing to beautiful harmonic progressions, Chanticleer demonstrated their love for the craft. Their intonation was precise, making beautiful dissonances and their resolutions so much richer to the ears, beyond just mere decibel readings. The endings of phrases were especially beautiful, sometimes dissolving into niente, well after the last note had ended as it travelled through the hall, and sometimes in a joyous snap — a firework explosion.
The way that various members took the time to introduce the audience from one section to another was a lovely human touch. Their speeches felt genuine, and in each section, the doors were opened gently, with little clues given, to be on the lookout for the multitude of ways we can relate to the songs; as artistic songs, or shared parallels of personal journeys, or a particular stylistic highlight that differentiates one story from another.
It’s lovely to trust and be guided by gentle minds, regardless of one’s own understanding; at this juncture, it’s not just about the knowledge, but of the connection with others, to share — non-transactual, but of enthusiasm and care.
Second Half
The second half brought a wider variety, and particularly beautiful were: Randall Thompson’s Alleluia, Chen Yi’s I Hear the Sirens Call, and Toby Twining’s Hee-oo-oom-ha, and a take on Indian carnatic music, brought into the group by a Chanticleer member, blossoming into a colourful full-length work.
The ensemble’s vocal flexibility in Yi, in layers of old, recalled worksong, was a brilliant contrast in colour and texture. Twining’s work combines elements of rock, folk, and traditional choral music, with a cherry on the top — a yodelling tenor, demonstrating the group’s sensibility and quicksilver changes, creating a whimsical, playful journey.
The Carnatic music, though the exact title was not revealed to us, was full of genuine Indian melody, and the added body percussion and harmonization skills of the group, honed over years of multistylistic exploration, showing us what it is really about: we sing together, because we live together. We evolve together. We give one another the space to exist and prosper, and we enrich ourselves with such rich, vulnerable sharing.
Encore
When this afternoon came to an end with a beloved encore, Shenandoah, the audience — who’d been busy cheering, clapping, and hooting after each number — synced with the Chanticleers’ impeccably blended voices for the last time. Shenandoah is one of the most beloved American folksongs; its origins differ depending on who you ask, and there are many speculations about the heart of the song.
However, when Chanticleer delivered that particular sentiment with sensitive phrasing and lovely vocal blending, each individual audience listened in rapture — regardless of age or personal background — as we experienced recalls and memories, projections of the future, and yet-to-be-explored nostalgia; in that sense, we were all together, in a common experience.
It’s rare to be intimate in public. It’s even rarer to be intimate with the public. Chanticleer managed that magic this afternoon, delivering a kaleidoscope of emotions through the songs we all love and are familiar with, and with new works that we will carry within our hearts.
Bravo.
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