Earlier this month we offered up free copies Let It Snow to the first five people who wrote in telling why they wanted the new Christmas recording. The response was overwhelming and we have our winners. Here's what they had to say:

"I was checking out the Chanticleer web site and saw your offer about the Christmas CD. Even though the prizes may have long-since been awarded, we nevertheless want to take the opportunity to tell you how much my wife and I enjoyed your recent concert in San Antonio (November 11). After blowing away stereo/electronics salesmen for years with Chanticleer’s tenth-anniversary CD, I’d promised myself not to miss a performance in our vicinity. Trust me when I say that we were not disappointed. Thanks again. Best wishes for another 30 years."

P.C. - Boerne, Texas


P.S. I also got a kick out of seeing your photos from a tour stop in Brazosport, Texas. That’s where I grew up!

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"Hey guys!

Why do I want the new Christmas recording? As much as I love the more traditional Christmas music from the renaissance, I love hearing how Chanticleer can cross over into many different genres. It would be great to hear how you do with a small orchestra as well. Furthermore, I really want to get this CD because I am currently in the process of building my Chanticleer CD collection...and getting one for free is great for a college student who is strapped for cash like myself ;) Cheers!"

P.Z. - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

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"I am writing with hopes to obtain a free copy of your new Christmas recording Let it Snow. As a chorister in an all-male ensemble (Victoria Scholars), I am always interested in hearing music from other all-male ensembles. Thanks."

S.N. - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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"Merch Team,
Surely I can’t be one of the first five who responds to this fabulous offer! Even if I don’t win a CD I want to let you know that I really enjoyed the “Merch Guys” article on the website today. We are really looking forward to seeing/hearing you all again this Friday in St. Louis at the St. Louis Cathedral—what an amazing venue for your ensemble!
All the best!"

M.F. - Carbondale, IL

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"I would like the new Chanticleer album, Let It Snow, because Chanticleer has been consistently entertaining, because there’s always something new and different in Chanticleer’s recordings, and because it’s fun to hear. My friends like to listen to Chanticleer too."

K.W. - Alameda, CA

When I joined Chanticleer I was unaware that the job requirements would include “tossing around 80-pound suitcases from hotel room to car to performance hall with ease and grace”, “being able to find a specific track among over 450 recorded songs on one of Chanticleer’s 30 CDs with lightning speed and unflappable accuracy”  and “having fun and extra time with Chanticleer audiences around the world who are interested in taking our sound home with them”.  Yet  this is all a “day in the life” of the Chanticleer merchandise team of Alan, Adam and myself, Gabe.  We “Men of Merchandise” sell Chanticleer’s CDs, DVDs and anthologies of printed music on tour at  almost every concert the group gives, and we’d like to offer you a  brief electronic glimpse into that “behind the scenes” reality.

Recently we were in Europe for almost a month, and we tested the cases’ portability on the beautiful cobblestoned streets of St. Florian, Austria.  The cases were fine but caused quite a racket, so on the return trip to our beautiful hotel at well after midnight we decided to carry the cases all the way home.

Here are Adam, our road manager Brian and I  carrying the CD cases up the stairs to the beautiful hall where we  sang in St. Florian.  We have a motto on the Merch team; “Don’t be a  hero”.  Because the cases are usually stuffed with Merchandise they  need two people to lift them, and whenever we find ourselves just  wanting to put a case in a car or carry them up stair by ourselves we need to remind each other ask for help.

Here at the onset of the second tour our newest CD, Let It Snow, has been very popular, and we’ve been selling so many of the CD’s that we’ve had to get special “emergency shipments” along the way, which is a wonderful problem to have.  This CD is a very different and fun recording for Chanticleer, with jazz band and orchestra accompanying us on many popular Christmas songs, so it makes a great Christmas party CD and gift!

Here we are in Brazosport, Texas.

We performed for a wonderful audience in the beautiful Clarion 

performance hall on the Brazosport College campus.  Some of us met  the architect of the building, who was as thrilled to have us there as we were to sing in this new hall. Let It Snow was again the star of the evening, making up almost half of our sales.  This bird's eye view give you an idea of our standard merchandise spread, which has six stacks of the new Christmas CD right in the middle! 

It takes us about two minutes to get from here to the lobby to open up the CD table...

We also had the pleasure of working with two choirs at a masterclass in the same building the next day, which was quite fun.  Eric and I even got to sing with the choir of young gentlemen, as three of their basses were missing.  We may have messed them up more than we helped them, but we had fun doing it...

Heading for the stage in Austin....

....and packing up for the night!

Our sales of Let It Snow exceeded our expectations, and many  people who had never heard us before were thrilled to see us.  So - we bid a fond farewell to the Lone Star state.  Eric invites you to come along on his 18th Christmas tour, starting soon.