Chanticleer

Musica Sierra presents Chanticleer in a program called Musica of a Silent World as part of their Musical Headwaters program.

A river gurgles. Wind rushes. Branches creak. Snowflakes faintly fall. Every piece of the world has a sound. But if you listen really closely, you might also find that each of these pieces has a song. In Music of a silent world, Chanticleer sings the songs of the natural world and gives a voice to the otherwise voiceless rocks and stones and trees and rivers that share our planet with us. The program centers around a new arrangement of Majel Connery’s The Rivers are our Brothers. "The goal,” she says, “is to give nature a voice. I wanted to allow these vibrant things to speak on their own behalf." While inhabiting those voices, the program also explores what the world might be like without them. Repertoire includes music by William Byrd, Heinrich Isaac, and Max Reger, new arrangements of “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty and “The Weather” by Lawrence, and a new commission from Chanticleers's composer in residence, Ayanna Woods.

Chanticleer and Musica Sierra are co-commissioning a choral arrangement of the song cycle The Rivers are our Brothers by Majel Connery. The original intent of the piece was to, in Majel’s words, “give nature a  voice” and to create an appreciation for that voice in our communities. The work was first performed in the Sierra Valley as part of Musica Sierra’s Musical Headwaters program in 2021, and Majel’s music and text are inexorably linked with that area. Each movement represents a different part of the Sierra Nevada’s natural beauty, from its mountains to its forests, rocks, rivers, and snow banks. It is our belief that appreciation of these natural phenomena leads to understanding and valuation, which in turn leads to caring and protection. 

During our 23/24 partnership Chanticleer will be presenting this piece as part of our national touring program in the  2023-2024 season (approximately 45 concerts); we will encourage as many people as possible to appreciate, value,  and protect this unique landscape. Chanticleer is based in San Francisco, so our 12 singers know first-hand the grandeur and majesty of the Sierras, and we also feel first-hand the effects of climate change on those mighty mountains. Forest fires and drought are always on our minds, and we need everyone around the country, not just those living in California, to understand how climate change affects our livelihood. We need to foster an appreciation for our landscape in people around the country who have never experienced it. 

Chanticleer is an internationally recognized, multiple Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble. They are presented by some of the largest musical organizations in the country, including the Chicago Symphony and the  LA Philharmonic, and we are incredibly honored to host them in our Musical Headwaters program. The most important part of their mission is to bring our music and our voices to communities that would not normally get to hear us. Even though they are based in San Francisco, Chanticleer has not yet performed in the Sierra Valley, and, given the connection that The Rivers are Our Brothers has to the area, it is imperative that we bring this incredible opportunity to have them perform this music in and around the people and the beauty that inspired it. We need the local population – our fellow Californians – to hear the message that we are sharing around the country. 

Crucially, this new choral arrangement of The Rivers are our Brothers was written with educational collaboration in mind. One movement is written to be performed by Chanticleer and a middle school or elementary school choir. Another is written to be performed by Chanticleer and a high school or collegiate ensemble. This will give these students a chance to learn from and perform side by side with world-class singers and enhance the connection to the natural world mentioned earlier: active participation in an artistic statement is the best way to internalize and understand that statement. We are incredibly excited to share our voices and this beautiful music with students in the Sierra Valley. 

During this residency, we will partner with four schools in a collaborative experience to amplify their voice through these new arrangments. University of Reno Nevada, CSU Stanislaus, Saint Paul's Choir School, and the schools in Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified will all be part of the pilot experience of these new arrangements.