COMMITTED TO EDUCATION

In 1986, Chanticleer began a formal education program (called Singing in the Schools). Today, Chanticleer's 12 singers and special guest artists bring the beauty, joy, and discipline of choral music to students of grades 5-12, as well as adults of college age and beyond across the country.

Chanticleer takes a multi-tiered approach to education outreach, serving as a means of discovery for students new to singing (or to formal music instruction in general) and as a valuable source of expert training for more advanced singers, both youth and adult. Across all levels of musical familiarity and expertise, participants in our programs also gain formative insight into the nature of a career in the arts through their close interaction with professional musicians.

With the help of individual contributions, government, foundation and corporate support, Chanticleer’s education programs engage over 5,000 young people annually. The Louis A. Botto (LAB) Choir—an after-school honors program for high school and college students—is now in its sixth year, adding to the ongoing program of in-school clinics and workshops; Youth Choral Festivals™ in the Bay Area and around the country; Skills/LAB–an intensive summer workshop for 100 high school students; master classes for university students nationwide; and the Chanticleer in Sonoma summer workshop for adult choral singers in June 2016. The Singing Life—a documentary about Chanticleer’s work with young people—was released in 2008. Chanticleer’s education program was recognized with the 2010 Chorus America Education Outreach Award.

Masterclass (60-90 Minutes)

Chanticleer masterclasses are interactive opportunities that provide insightful singing and performance knowledge to all types of vocal ensembles. Their purpose is to provide real-time feedback on a participating ensemble’s performance by sharing and exploring key vocal, physical, musical, and emotional concepts. 

A typical masterclass structure includes:

• A performance by Chanticleer of a piece from our current repertoire, followed by singer introductions

• The participating choir’s performance of selected piece(s)

• Real-time feedback from Chanticleer members on vocal technique, intonation, diction, interpretation, presentation, etc.

• Q/A session for participating singers and teachers

Logistical limitations may prevent the whole ensemble from attending a masterclass. In these cases, a delegation of select members – usually Chanticleer’s three-member Education Team or the Music Director – may serve as clinicians. 

For more information or to book a masterclass, please contact chancock@chanticleer.org

Interactive CONCERTS (45-60 Minutes)

An interactive concert is an adventurous and informative mini-concert that provides an opportunity for Chanticleer members to engage in a more casual environment. Designed for elementary through high school audiences, the members of Chanticleer explain key concepts in ensemble singing throughout the performance. We also provide insight into the historical and cultural significance, performance practice considerations, and other salient features embedded in the selected repertoire that can be easily understood. One of the most memorable highlights of an interactive concert is the voice demonstration segment: a few Chanticleer members explain the role and function of the different voice types (countertenor, tenor, bass) in the ensemble and sing a solo as a special treat!

These concerts can be accessible to young beginning singers and are interactive in nature, often asking for frequent audience participation. After the concert, Chanticleer hosts a Q/A session to allow students to ask all types of questions.

For more information or to book an interactive concert, please contact chancock@chanticleer.org

Virtual Workshops

Chanticleer offers virtual workshops all year round. Chanticleer keeps participants engaged by rotating speakers regularly, checking for understanding, requesting participation in modeling key concepts/vocal exercises, and providing ample opportunities for participants to ask questions. Virtual workshops typically include 2-3 presented topics showcasing four Chanticleer personalities. Chanticleer remains accessible and flexible in how teachers can tailor this experience to suit their ensemble’s needs.

Popular topics and segments have included:

Vocal tips/tricks/vocal health considerations from individual Chanticleer singers
Exploring a piece of music in your rep list (requires a PDF to be sent to us in advance)
How to prepare a score for rehearsal
Exploring ensemble singing in various styles of music
Masterclass a recording or past concert video
Masterclass a live rehearsal (if rehearsing)
Career opportunities in music
How the skills you learn in choir can be applied to other areas of your life
Open-ended Q/A sessions

For more information or to book a virtual workshop, please contact chancock@chanticleer.org 

In August 2005, Chanticleer teamed with the Sonoma County Choral Society — now Sonoma Bach — at Sonoma State University to offer the first Chanticleer in Sonoma Choral Workshop. After eight highly successful summers, the ninth workshop is planned for June 2022.  It is aimed at adult amateur choral singers who love ensemble singing and want to improve their skills. The 12 members of Chanticleer participate in coaching sessions, workshops, and demonstrations of rehearsal techniques, as well as more informal interactions with workshop participants.

Education does not end with school, and choral singing is extremely popular among adults across the nation. According to a national study by Chorus America, nearly 28.5 million adults and children regularly perform in choral groups in the U. S., more than any other art form. One or more adults in 15.6 percent of households in America performed in at least one chorus, and of those, almost 45 percent performed with more than one chorus. The study also estimates the number of choruses in the U.S. to be 250,000.

The Chanticleer in Sonoma Workshop closes with a concert for family and friends featuring workshop participants singing with the members of Chanticleer.

The dates for the next workshop are June 15-19, 2022. Full details on the workshop may be found by clicking here: Chanticleer in Sonoma 2022.

E-mail chanticleerinsonoma@gmail.com for more information. 

Begun in 2000, this annual event is a day-long gathering of approximately 200 of the students taking part in our Bay Area Music Education program during the school year. During this unique non-competitive festival, students work closely with the Chanticleer singers, taking part in small-group vocal workshops (with two Chanticleer singers assigned per group) and a full-scale evening concert featuring performances by youth groups and the full Chanticleer Ensemble. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Youth Choral Festival, Chanticleer “upgraded” the 2010 Bay Area Festival to a National Festival called ”The Singing Life.” Twelve schools (over 400 students!) from across the United States were invited to attend this four-day event in San Francisco that culminated in a concert at Davies Symphony Hall on Monday, March 29, 2010.  Over the past four years, the Chanticleer Youth Choral Festival appeared in Fresno, CA, Akron, OH, Spivey Hall in Morrow, GA, Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, Ogu Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, Hibbing, MN, and New Canaan, CT. Choral directors at the high school level who would be interested in hosting a Youth Choral Festival should contact us at education@chanticleer.org. Put your location and “YCF” in the subject line.

Chanticleer, the internationally acclaimed, 12-man vocal ensemble, announced the winners of the fifth Student Composer Competition.  The competition is designed to encourage current composition students to write quality works for high school level choirs.  

The winners of Chanticleer’s fifth Student Composer Competition were San Francisco School of the Arts high schooler Elio Bucky for “Shalom!” and Estonian Academy of Music and Theater student Karin Kuulpak for “Journey.” The competition is designed to encourage current composition students to write quality works for high school-level choirs.   The winning compositions were premiered at Chanticleer’s second National Youth Choral Festival on March 30, 2015 at Davies Symphony Hall by more than 300 high schoolers from across the United States.   

The last competition winner, “Chou Nu Er” by Yi-Wen Chang, won a featured spot on our National Youth Choral Festival in 2010 where it was sung by 416 high school students and Chanticleer. Eric Barnum’s 2004 entry “She Walks in Beauty” was so successful that Chanticleer incorporated it into its touring program in the following year.

The quality of entries for 2006 was so high that seven winners were announced: Vicente Chavarria, Miami, FL; Erica Glenn, Tempe, AZ; Blake R. Henson, Princeton, NJ; Matthew Peterson, Northfield, MN; Philip Rice,Coldwater, MI; Jorge Sosa, New York, NY; and Dale Trumbore, Chatham, NJ. Honorable mentions went to Mark Fromm, Pittsburgh, PA and Samuel Hunter, Fairview, NC. 

Kieun Steve Kim’s 2008 winning composition, “Sanctus”, fuses older music forms and texts with a contemporary voice. The native Korean composer is a two-time Grand Prize recipient of the Christian Times’ Gospel Music Competition.  He was the finalist in the 17th Christian Broadcasting Station’s New Gospel Songs Competition and has since produced his debut CD, My God, sponsored by Joon Records.  

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CHANTICLEER STUDENT COMPOSER COMPETITION

DETAILS:

1. The length of the work must be between three and five minutes.

2. Compositions must be for a cappella, SATB High School level choir. (Level of difficulty between 3 and 4)

3. Limit of one work per composer may be submitted.

4. Composer must be enrolled as a student at time of submission.

5. There are no age restrictions for the composer.

6. The submitted work must have not had prior public performances or recordings.

7. Texts must either be original or in the public domain. If texts are copyrighted, proof of permission of use must be provided.

8. Submissions representing cultural heritage are encouraged.

At this time we are not holding a Student Composer Competition. Please check back again for updated information.