A Chanticleer Christmas always begins with a chant procession by candlelight. Singing these centuries-old tunes immediately conjures a world of medieval cathedrals and ancient mystery. This year’s chant selection, “Hodie Christus Natus Est,” is an antiphon traditionally sung at evening masses on Christmas Day. According to legend, Gregorian chants are attributed to Pope Gregory I (590–604), who is said to have received the melodies from divine inspiration.

“Rorate Caeli” is the 104th and final work – and the only motet – in Michael Praetorius’s 1611 printed collection of Latin mass movements, Missodia Sionia. Its singular nature and primacy of place surely mark it as important in the composer’s eyes. Praetorius sets the Advent text with quick contrapuntal shifts and Italian concertato style moments featuring fewer voices and a thinner texture. These techniques are reminiscent of other late-Renaissance composers like Heinrich Schütz or Claudio Monteverdi. As a German Lutheran, Praetorius devoted the largest part of his enormous compositional output to settings of Protestant hymns (including the famous “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming”). His works for the Latin liturgy, however, are just as compelling.

Guillaume de Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame can be considered the first large-scale musical work in the Western canon and is often one of the first pieces mentioned in a music history course. His “Gloria” showcases medieval compositional techniques, including double leading tone cadences and a brilliant hocket during the “Amen” in which the melody is passed back and forth from one voice to another. We perform this movement with our best guess at medieval French Latin and some improvisational moments inspired by medieval ornamentation. Be on the lookout for our complete recording of Machaut’s Messe, along with some of his secular chansons, to be released in 2026.

2025 marks the 500th anniversary of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s birth. We are excited to mark this occasion with his setting of “O Magnum Mysterium,” which was first published in his Liber Primus Motettorum in 1569. This motet features full harmonies, frequent imitation, scalar melodic motion, and a conservative awareness of the text that highlights the inherent drama without relying on sharp changes to the overall texture. These features make Palestrina’s music easily understood and immediately pleasing to the ear, perhaps proving why he remains one of the most recognizable and celebrated names in early music 500 years after his birth.

“Ríu, ríu, chíu” is a Spanish villancico by the Catalan composer Mateo Flecha el Viejo. Villancicos are often spirited and dance-like, featuring frequent rhythmic interplay between duple and triple meter. They consist of a series of verses (coplas) sandwiched between a recurring refrain (estribillo). “Ríu, ríu, chíu” is likely the only villancico that has maintained its widespread popularity from the 1500s – even the Monkees recorded a version of it for television back in 1967. In Spanish, “ríu” is a nonsense syllable. In Catalan, “ríu” means river.

Two Christmases ago, we performed “In Winter’s House” by contemporary British composer Joanna Marsh. It immediately became an ensemble favorite. Marsh’s cinematic harmonies bring the secular poetry of Jane Draycott to life in a very visceral way. The music and poetry capture a feeling of childlike wonder and excitement for the season. Although originally written for the British choral ensemble Tenebrae, the piece fits Chanticleer’s ranges beautifully, capturing both the depth of our basses and the strength of our countertenors. Based on the success of this work, we, along with the Stockholm-based choir Zero8, commissioned Joanna Marsh to compose two companion pieces, “Hands and the Hour” and “Arrival at the Lantern Festival,” for our 2025 Christmas season. Marsh commissioned Jane Draycott to write two new poems for these works. Together, the three pieces comprise a new winter choral song cycle titled Winter’s Garland. We are excited to bring these two brand-new works to life for you today.

We conclude the first half of our program with Adam Brett Ward’s arrangement of “Joy to the World.” The 2025-2026 season is Adam’s 20th year as a countertenor in Chanticleer. He has marked his extraordinary tenure with extreme levels of musicianship, vocal beauty, and consistency. Anyone in his presence, or anyone hearing his stunning arrangement of “Joy to the World,” will feel his talent, passion, and joy for the work we do.

“This Endris Night” is a setting of a 15th-century English carol text by the contemporary Canadian composer Sarah Quartel. While written in 2019, Quartel’s melody feels timeless. It will surely be a Christmas favorite for years to come. A prolific and celebrated choral composer, Sarah Quartel has been commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association, the National Children's Chorus of the United States of America, and New Dublin Voices, among others. She has been exclusively published by Oxford University Press since 2018.

Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” has become synonymous with Chanticleer. Every Christmas season, we look forward to sharing this gem with our audiences around the country. Biebl’s setting is actually a version of the “Angelus,” a Catholic devotional prayer, which tells the story of the annunciation and incarnation. The TTBB arrangement we sing in these concerts, as well as two other editions for SATB chorus, are published by Hinshaw Music as part of the Chanticleer Choral Series. 

The remainder of our Christmas program features a collection of contemporary Christmas songs, some well-known and some brand new, and all of which have just been recorded on our new Christmas album, Joy to the World. Five of the pieces were arranged by current members of the ensemble: “Good King Wenceslas/Little Girl Blue” by bass-baritone Jared Graveley, “Ding Dong Merrily on High” by countertenor Adam Brett Ward, and “And the Trees Do Moan” and “I Wonder as I Wander” by Music Director Tim Keeler. Steven Sametz’s winning arrangement of “Angelus ad Virginem” in his “A Christmas Fanfare” fills the room with joy, while Amanda Taylor, of the jazz vocal group säje, turns “O Come, All Ye Faithful” into an intimate invitation.

Finally, A Chanticleer Christmas always concludes with a "Medley of Christmas Spirituals” arranged by our music director emeritus, Joseph H. Jennings. In 2014, Jennings was the first recipient of Chorus America’s Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award, acknowledging his contribution to the African American choral tradition. His 25-year tenure with Chanticleer as singer and music director transformed the group, and his gospel and spiritual arrangements became part of Chanticleer’s identity. We are honored to maintain and continue that legacy today.

Program notes by Tim Keeler

Tavian Cox ♪ , Luke Elmer*, Cortez Mitchell*, 
Bradley Sharpe, Logan Shields, Adam Brett Ward – countertenor
Vineel Garisa Mahal*, Matthew Mazzola, Andrew Van Allsburg – tenor
Andy Berry*, Jared Graveley, Matthew Knickman – baritone and bass

Philip Wilder, President & General Director 
Zachary Burgess, Director of Development 
Brian Hinman, Director of Operations and Touring 
Lisa Seischab, Development Advisor 

Colby Smith, Patron Services Manager / Development & Marketing Associate
Matthew Knickman, Road Manager / Social Media Manager 
Cortez Mitchell, Merchandise Manager 
Tim Keeler, Music Director 
Matthew Mazzola, Assistant Music Director

Artist Management: Opus 3 Artists, Ltd. 
Founder: Louis Botto (1951 – 1997)
Music Director Emeritus: Joseph H. Jennings 
www.chanticleer.org