Chanticleer does Freddy Mercury...
by Dan on 4/8/24Stephens Auditorium - AmesThe theme of the concert was how nature speaks to us through music. Thus, the pieces involved concepts such as "I am a tree,""I am a cloud,"the air, a river, the rain, etc. The composers were mostly modern musicians, including Kurt Weill, Hoagy Carmichael, Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell, and, yes, Freddy Mercury. Only one composer was from the classical period, Heinrich Isaac, and one from the early 20th century, Max Reger. About 18 of the 25 works performed were contemporary. Most of the pieces sounded a bit like "crooning"- not very bouncy or interesting. The Chanticleer voices are, of course, extraordinary, whether they're singing old or new music, but it was only toward the end of the concert that they seemed to get excited and really get the audience actively involved.