Becoming Choral Rock Stars with Chanticleer
If you ever dreamed of singing with a famous choir touring the world like a rock star, sit back and enjoy this episode of ChoirSuccess. We talk with Kory Reid and Andy Van Allsburg, two professional singers with Chanticleer, one of the most successful vocal ensembles around. The drama! The divas! The triumphant standing ovations. It’s all here.
In this episode of ChoirSuccess we talk with Kory Reid and Andy Van Allsburg, two professional singers with Chanticleer, one of the most successful vocal ensembles in the world.
In this interview, Kory and Andy talk about their musical journeys. How stints on cruise ships and barbershop gave them the stamina and stagecraft to secure a place with Chanticleer. We get a glimpse into their hectic life on the road bringing their repertoire of renaissance, classical, gospel and jazz to enthusiastic audiences in concert venues around the world.
They also reveal what it's like to be away from home six months out of the year and the toll it takes. We learn how they adapt to suit the unique acoustics of each venue and how they recover when things go wrong on stage. We get insight into the organization of Chanticleer and stories of the group going back to the days fifteen singers squeezed into a camper van to tour the country. They share stories of famous collaborations and give us a peak behind the curtain into the drama, the divas and the triumphant standing ovations.
“Even if we know a piece cover to cover, it’s still different in each venue that we sing in. So take a Motet, a song from 15th or 16th century Western Europe, very standard choral rep. And we’ll get in a nice basilica like the Saint Louis Cathedral. And there’s like a 10-second reverb and you’re like “Whoa, okay, we’re going to take this a lot slower.
So it becomes a different beast. So not only is this the hive mind of Chanticleer always contributing ideas to make the music better every day but we get in different venues and we have these spiritual experiences ourselves. It’s quite remarkable. ”
About Chanticleer
The GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker, and is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.
Chanticleer’s repertoire is rooted in the renaissance and has continued to expand to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, popular music, and a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements.
About Kory Reid - Countertenor and Education Coordinator
Kory has sung for Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale, Los Robles Master Chorale, Catgut Trio, USC Chamber Singers, Pepperdine University Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum, and for many diverse choral recitals and church music programs across the country. This is his 11th year with Chanticleer.
About Andy Van Allsburg - Tenor
Andy has performed, music directed, and/or arranged music globally for various cruise lines, production companies, contemporary a cappella groups, and musicals. This is his 7th year with Chanticleer.
The opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests and contributors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ChoirGenius Inc.