Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending the barely one-year-old Cathedral of Christ the Light right on Lake Merritt in Oakland for an evening with the Bay Area’s own "orchestra of voices" Chanticleer. The twelve guys are back from touring the country and have already begun their annual Bay Area Christmas concerts.

The cathedral is the exact kind of cavernous space that a cappella choral music was created for, and the experience last night was nothing short of breathtaking. From the moment Chanticleer processed to the pulpit singing medieval plainchant, you could feel the audience in a state of awe, many of them looking upward to the high ceiling.

This year’s program includes a wide variety of music from the more familiar Josquin Desprez and Christmas carols to works that even choral music geeks like myself would find pleasantly surprising like composer Don Hernando Franco, and his piece “Sancta Maria Yn Ilhuicac” written in the Nahua language or “Aztec.”

This is the first time I’ve seen Chanticleer, and what I really love about them (other than their music) is the air of the fun they have. There are jokes in the program bios and smiles all around. I spotted the signature insanely awesome handlebar mustache of eldest member Eric Alatorre and the faux mohawk of soprano Michael McNeil. I see this kind of artistic seriousness coupled with gleeful enjoyment a signature Bay Area attitude and I am reminded how much I love living in this part of the country. I am also proud that these guys (most of them from middle America) represent my little slice of the world when they go out on the road.

In a recent monologue, Jay Leno mentioned Chanticleer and made fun of the sopranos in the group. Yeah, yeah, these guys sing really high, I get it. Chanticleer appreciates the mention and posted the below YouTube video in response.

Chanticleer is scheduled for Christmas shows for the next week and a half all over the Bay Area from Santa Clara to Petaluma.

Sunday, December 13, 8pm
St. Ignatius Church, 650 Parker Street, San Francisco

Tuesday, December 15, 6pm & 8:30pm
St. Vincent's Church, 35 Liberty Street, Petaluma

Wednesday, December 16, 8pm
First Congregational Church, 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley

Saturday, December 19, 8pm
St. Ignatius Church, 650 Parker Street, San Francisco

Sunday, December 20, 5pm
Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis
Note: $25 seats at Davis are assigned, not general admission

Monday, December 21, 6pm & 8:30 pm
Carmel Mission, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel

Tuesday, December 22, 6pm & 8:30 pm
Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara University. Santa Clara

Wednesday, December 23, 7:30 pm
Bankhead Theater, Livermore Performing Arts Center, Livermore

For more info and tickets: Visit chanticleer.org

For more info about music at Cathedral of Christ the Light