Chanticleer, the multiple Grammy Award-winning male vocal ensemble, brings its exuberant spirit and renowned musicianship to How Sweet the Sound, a glorious new recording embracing beloved spirituals and traditional gospel works, including "Amazing Grace," "My Soul is a Witness" and "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child." The all-new arrangements by Music Director Joseph Jennings, along with the extraordinary vocal power of guest artist Bishop Yvette A. Flunder and the ensemble's seamless blend of twelve voices, combine to create a passionate, joyous and profound musical journey."

Black sacred music is a fountain that never runs dry," comments Anthony Heilbut, author of the book The Gospel Sound, in the CD liner notes, "At once the most mournful and transcendent of musical forms, it is also the one from which Joseph Jennings, a child of the church, derives his greatest inspiration." Joseph Jennings, now in his 20th remarkable season as Music Director, originally joined Chanticleer as a countertenor in 1983. A prolific composer and arranger, Jennings has provided the group with some of its most popular repertoire.

Special guest artist Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, along with possessing a singing voice of exceptional power, is one of the Bay Area's most active ministers to the poor and needy. Born in San Francisco, Flunder began her community service at an early age. She became a foster parent in her early 20s, established a group home for high-risk teens, and in 1979 began developing a variety of social services for the elderly. Bishop Flunder is particularly recognized for her pioneering work in response to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Along with other members of Love Center Ministries, she established The Ark House, a communal living facility, and the City of Refuge Community Church in San Francisco, now numbering more than 600 members, in order to unite a gospel ministry with a social ministry. Bishop Flunder and her staff at the Ark of Refuge Inc., an HIV-specific non-profit agency, have also opened the Hazard-Ashley House in Oakland and Restoration House (a diagnosis-residential facility for African-American women and the first of its kind in San Francisco).

The bonds between Joseph Jennings and Bishop Flunder are musical as well as spiritual. Jennings first met Bishop Flunder when he joined her City of Refuge Church over a decade ago and she continues to be his pastor. The idea of making an album together grew from their work together at the church.

Bishop Flunder lends her unique and powerful voice to the lilting "Surely God Is Able"; a riveting rendition of "Amazing Grace" (where she is joined by the ensemble with ravishing vocal harmonies); the rhythmic "Didn't It Rain"; the inspiring "My Soul Is A Witness"; a slow and meditative "There Is A Balm In Gilead"; and the closing track, "Be Still and Know That I'm God," a new composition by Jennings. The ensemble's astonishing range of voices is also showcased in the rousing "Jesus Hits Like An Atom Bomb"; "Sit Down Servant/Plenty Good Room" and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow," which features a striking countertenor solo. They also perform two medleys, the first encompassing "Soon One Mornin", "What You Gon' Do When The World's on Fire", "You Can't Hide", and "Run On For A Long Time". The second medley starts slowly with the moving "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" and "Poor Pilgrim Of Sorrow," building to a stirring climax with "Walk In Jerusalem."

Chanticleer has developed a remarkable reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz and from gospel to adventurous new music. The ensemble has earned international renown as "an orchestra of voices."

Since 1994, Chanticleer has recorded exclusively for Teldec/Warner Classics International. The ensemble's catalogue includes Colors of Love (1999), which won the Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance, and the world-premiere recording of Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises (2002), which garnered two Grammy Awards. Other acclaimed and best-selling recordings include Our American Journey (2002), named an "Editor's Choice" by Gramophone magazine, prompting the reviewer to comment "This bold, eclectic, well-planned programme … is typical of the versatile American male choral group Chanticleer. Their commitment to their art is 100%." Chanticleer: A Portrait (2002), a wide-ranging collection drawn from the group's extensive discography, stayed in the Top 15 on Billboard's Classical chart for more than six months and was called "a landmark in great ensemble singing" by the Seattle Times. 2003 saw the release of Evening Prayer, the same year in which Chanticleer celebrated its 25th anniversary and was named one of the Top 10 best-selling classical ensembles of 2003 by Billboard magazine. The exploration of the sacred songs of Baroque master Henry Purcell caused BBC Music to exclaim: "Their astonishing purity of sound … is spine-tingling." In recognition of the creative excellence and outstanding achievement of these recordings, Chanticleer was honored with the 2004 Governors Award from the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy.

In the 2004/05 season Chanticleer performs more than 75 concerts in 28 states across the United States, including a 26-concert Bay Area season. Kicking off the season in style, Chanticleer headlines at the annual Macy's "Passport" fashion extravaganza, including appearances September 21, 22 and 23 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco and September 30 and October 1 at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. In its 21 years, the hugely anticipated annual event has raised nearly $18 million for AIDS prevention and care.

A list of Chanticleer's engagements during fall 2004 follows below.

For further information visit www.chanticleer.org

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CHANTICLEER FALL 2004 ENGAGEMENTS: