Thursday, October 05, 2006

Wilmington, NC - Praised by The New York Times for its "precise, pure, and deeply felt singing," a capella vocal ensemble Chanticleer has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. Chanticleer performs Love's Messengers at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 in Kenan Auditorium on the campus of UNCW. The concert marks the second event in the UNCW Presents Arts in Action Performance Series and is co-presented by the Office of Cultural Arts.

Chanticleer's program focuses on love in its broadest sense, as expressed in music and song by the greatest poets of all time. The immortal words of Shakespeare, Goethe, Byron, Yeats, Robert Burns, and others combine with the music of Messiaen, Guerrero, Gesualdo, Orlando di Lasso, and Poulenc, along with folk songs and familiar gems, to transport the listener to a world where the universal language of music expresses the most sublime of emotions. Hailed by The New Yorker as "America's favorite choral ensemble," this Grammy Award-winning group with its seamless blend of 12 male voices, ranging from countertenor to bass, has earned international renown as "an orchestra of voices."

In 2006-07 Chanticleer performs tours to 22 states as well as to France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In April 2007, Chanticleer features the world premiere of And on Earth, Peace: A Chanticleer Mass at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The five movements of the Mass are composed by five dynamic contemporary composers from distinctive cultural and musical backgrounds including Israeli-born Shulamit Ran, Canadian film composer Mychael Danna, Turkish-American Kamran Ince, Ivan Moody, and Irish folk and medieval-influenced composer Michael McGlynn.

The ensemble's catalog includes Sound in Spirit, a mosaic of sacred chant from across time and cultures, released in 2005. The world-premiere recording of Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises was released in January 2002 to high praise, and garnered two 2003 Grammy Awards for Classical Best Small Ensemble Performance and for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. The ensemble's 2000 release, Magnificat, a disc of early music devoted to the Virgin Mary, climbed to number 5 on Billboard's Classical Chart.

Named for the "clear-singing" rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by tenor Louis Botto, who sang with the group until 1989 and served as Artistic Director until his death in 1997. In 1999, Christine Bullin joined Chanticleer as President & General Director. Music Director Joseph Jennings joined the ensemble as a countertenor in 1983, and shortly thereafter assumed his current title. A prolific composer and arranger, Mr. Jennings has provided the group with some of its most popular repertoire, most notably spirituals, gospel music, and jazz standards.

Director Joseph Jennings will lead a choral master class for UNCW students and middle/high school choirs (by invitation) on Fri., Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the UNCW Music Recital Hall. Observers are welcome but registration is required. Call UNCW Presents at 910.962.7971 or e-mail artsinaction@uncw.edu.

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $8 for university and area students, $16 for UNCW faculty/staff and senior citizens, and $20 for all others. Call Kenan Box Office at 910.962.3500 or 800.732.3643 outside the Wilmington area or visit www.uncw.edu/presents. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

ABOUT UNCW PRESENTS
UNCW Presents annually brings to the southeastern NC region a full season of performing arts, visual arts and lectures by world-famous artists and speakers as well as astounding newcomers through its three dynamic programs: Leadership Lecture Series, Arts in Action Performance Series and the University Union Exhibit Series. The Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and entertain both students and the general public through the presentation of diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists. For more information, please visit the UNCW Presents web site at www.uncw.edu/presents

UNCW Presents is a member of the NC Presenters Consortium and the US National Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The 150 member venues of the NC Presenters Consortium may be visited at www.ncpresenters.org.

Attention: Editors for Arts, Entertainment, Features, Travel & Tourism, Event Calendars Color photography of artists may be downloaded at www.uncw.edu/stuaff/activities/UNCWPresents/about-presskit.htm

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