Voices Raised on High

Years ago The New Yorker crowned Chanticleer "the world-reigning [all-]male chorus," and after last Saturday night's stellar recital, that title still fits.

Celebrating its 38th season, the two-time Grammy award-winning Chanticleer is performing its annual Christmas concerts in the Bay Area, most recently at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland. Several audience members remarked to friends that it doesn't seem like Christmas until they hear Chanticleer singing, which reflects the great love audiences shower on this "orchestra of voices," especially during the holidays. This is the first season of newly appointed (fifth) music director William Fred Scott, who has handled the transition brilliantly.

Like many choirs, in the last few years Chanticleer has undergone personnel changes. Most of its singers were not even born when the group, named for the clear-singing rooster in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, was founded here in 1978. The current lineup is nothing less than exceptional, with basses, sopranos, altos, and tenors blending seamlessly into a unified sound notable for its crystal clarity and a purity of tone that could cut stained glass. One gets the sense from the playful camaraderie in the way they move and glance towards each other that these guys genuinely like one another, which only adds to the sweet, touching sound and exhilarating atmosphere that galvanizes the listener.

Most of the men appear to be gay, but, unlike the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, sexuality has never been their core identity as an ensemble. Their mission from the beginning has been to present choral music in all its forms at the highest level of excellence. Their dedication to their craft is apparent in every note, and their goal to encourage appreciation for the art of ensemble-singing is now at its peak.

Chanticleer's Christmas concerts haven't varied in their presentation format in years. Why tamper with perfection as they commingle the old with the new? The 12 tuxedo-clad men process into the church from the nave, each singer holding a lighted candle as he intones a medieval Gregorian chant. The program covers an extraordinary range of musical styles, from villancicos to Christmas anthems to stirring American spirituals elegantly arranged by the group's former music director, Joseph Jennings.

Renaissance polyphony (Handel, Gabrieli, and Victoria) is still their piece de resistance, for which they have no equal in the world, with the possible exception of the British choir the Tallis Scholars. Listeners can close their eyes and be transported magically to another time and world. Their phrasing, whether they sing in English, Latin, German, Spanish, or French, is crisp and flawless, while their harmonies can range from otherworldly to silken, even in the very high vocal range.

The intoxicating blend of voices rises to the rafters of the cathedral, echoing back their tonal richness. Chanticleer's rendition of Byrd's Advent verse anthem "Rorate caeli desuper" was exceptional, and their interpretation of Venezuela's contemporary Alberto Grau's "Nino lindo" was evocative and rousing. These were followed by the flamboyant Spanish carol "Fum, fum, fum," arranged by American composer Alice Parker, just celebrating her 90th birthday; and the bouncy Basque carol "Riu, rui, chiu," always a crowd-pleaser.

The second half featured a more relaxed setting, the men dressed informally in casual sweaters, and vocalizing mostly contemporary arrangements of standard Christmas carols. Germany's Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria" is their most requested song, sung every year. John Tavener's "Village Wedding" has the men promenading in a circle around the altar, summoning intense emotion after this year's momentous Supreme Court ruling. Even well-known Christmas chestnuts like "The Holly and the Ivy" and the "Wassail Song" are sung so exquisitely and uniquely arranged that it's like hearing and appreciating them for the first time. Because the choir performs like a finely tuned instrument with every part essential, it seems unfair to single out any one member, but bass-baritone Marques Jerrell Ruff was outstanding in several solo moments throughout the evening.

Ruff referenced this chaotic year, "where fear attempts to trample peace on a daily basis," and the choir finds strength when it focuses on the serenity of the Christmas story. As singer Alan Reinhardt announced to the audience, it is always revitalizing for Chanticleer, back from touring in China, to return home. San Francisco should be equally thrilled. You will be giving yourself a special holiday gift by hearing Chanticleer at its electrifying apogee in concert this weekend.

A Chanticleer Christmas plays St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets: (415) 252-8589 or chanticleer.org