FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

A CHANTICLEER CHRISTMAS SIGNALS START OF THE HOLIDAYS

Sacred and Traditional Holiday Concert To Be Performed 10 Times Across the Bay Area

Tickets Now on Sale: Call 415/392-4400 or 800/407-1400; or Click www.chanticleer.org

San Francisco, November 1, 2005--Chanticleer, the internationally-acclaimed 12-man a cappella vocal ensemble, will perform its ever-popular holiday concert 10 times across the Bay Area, December 11–December 23. Concerts take place in Berkeley, Petaluma, Davis, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Carmel.

Chanticleer’s Christmas program is created by Music Director Joseph Jennings. Among the favorites to be performed are Gregorian chant; Renaissance sacred music; traditional carols; Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” (Chanticleer’s most-requested Christmas selection) and a medley of spirituals arranged by Mr. Jennings.  In addition to anonymous pieces and traditional carols, the program also embraces compositions by William Byrd, Tomás Luis de Victoria, Herbert Howells and Arvo Pärt. An audience favorite from last year’s program, César Cui’s rarely-performed Magnificat Op. 93, returns this season. The popularity of these holiday concerts has grown since the release of the ensemble’s Christmas public television special, which has aired across the country and two years ago was released on home DVD.

A Chanticleer Christmas will be performed ten times in the Bay Area: December 11 at 8:00pm and December 17 at 8:00pm at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco; December 12 at 8:00pm at First Congregational Church in Berkeley; December 16 at 6:00pm and 8:30pm at St. Vincent Church in Petaluma; December 18, 3:00pm (note matinee time) at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis; December 22 at 6:00pm and 8:30pm at Mission Santa Clara; and December 23 at 6:00pm and 8:30pm at Carmel Mission.

Tickets to A Chanticleer Christmas are $42 and $37 (reserved seating) and $25 (general admission, except at Davis), with a $3.00 discount for students and seniors.  Tickets can be charged by phone through City Box Office at 415-392-4400 or 800-407-1400 or online via www.chanticleer.org. Mondavi Center tickets may be purchased by calling 866-754-ARTS.   For group sales of ten or more, contact Linda Graham at 415-346-7805.

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Contact:   Nancy Roberts, 415-252-8589, ext.306, nroberts@chanticleer.org

Editors:   Complete calendar listing follows   NEW Black and white and color images and Christmas DVD available upon request.

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HOLIDAY CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENT

CHANTICLEER

A Chanticleer Christmas

Sacred and Traditional Holiday Music

Medieval and Renaissance and later sacred works, traditional carols, and African-American spirituals.   Composers include: William Byrd (c.1539-1623), Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), Arvo Pärt (b. 1935), Cesar Antonovich Cui (1835-1918), Franz Biebl (1906-2001) and others, along with anonymous works, spirituals and favorite carols.

San Francisco

St. Ignatius Church

650 Parker Avenue

Sunday, December 11, 2005 • 8pm

Saturday, December 17, 2005 • 8pm

Berkeley

First Congregational Church

2345 Channing Way

Monday, December 12, 2005 • 8pm

Petaluma

St. Vincent Church

35 Liberty Street

Friday, December 16, 2005 • 6 & 8:30pm

Davis   

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

One Shields Avenue, UC Davis campus

Sunday, December 18, 2005 • 3pm (note time)

Santa Clara

Mission Santa Clara

500 El Camino Real: SCU campus

Thursday, December 22, 2005 • 6 & 8:30pm

Carmel

Carmel Mission

Rio Road

Friday, December 23, 2005 • 6 & 8:30pm

TICKETS

For tickets call City Box Office at 415-392-4400 or 800-407-1400 or online at www.chanticleer.org.  Mondavi Center tickets may also be purchased by calling 866-754-ARTS.