"Everybody has a voice," Chanticleer Music Director Tim Keeler says. "It's this common ground that you can share with anybody, no matter their instrument or no matter their musical background, whether they're just starting out or they're professionals." 

It seems like an obvious statement, but it's a resonant one, particularly because, at SFCM, every student—regardless of their area of study—sings in the Conservatory's choir. "Through choral singing, students develop a command of musicianship and intonation, sharpen their intuition for phrasing, heighten their sensitivity in ensemble performance, and expand their ability to internalize multiple contrapuntal lines," SFCM Chorus Director Eric Choate (right) says.

The GRAMMY-winning Chanticleer is returning to SFCM for a side-by-side concert with the Conservatory Chorus on Nov. 14. "We rehearse on Page Street, just a couple blocks away from the Conservatory," Keeler adds. "We're touring about six months out of the year, so it makes sense that when we're in San Francisco we should keep cultivating this relationship." Regarding the Conservatory's policy of non-singers in Chorus, Wheeler adds, "I'm a big believer in this approach. Embodying that musicianship with your voice reinforces so many neural pathways related to music and audiation and so I'm just thrilled that that's the way the Conservatory is run."

Chanticleer, who are represented by Opus 3 Artists, part of SFCM's family of industry partners, will open the Nov. 14 performance before the Conservatory chorus joins them, and the program will encompass pieces that Wheeler says are excellent examples of the art of choral writing.

Chanticleer Music Director Tim Keeler works with the SFCM Chorus.

"Brahms' 'O Schöne Nacht' and Mendelssohn's Elijah are two pieces of standard choral repertoire," Keeler says. "As part of the rehearsal, we gave a masterclass with the Chorus where we worked on those two pieces and gave our perspective as singers and musicians, so we hope to imbue them with a little bit more meaning."

Wheeler says that aside from the experience of engaging with professional singers, he's hoping SFCM students learn new ways of hearing from working with Chanticleer. "Many classical musicians, myself included, don't learn much by ear," he explains. "We develop pretty good ears, but coming from the classical world, it certainly wasn't my primary mode of learning."

The evening's closing performance, "Calling My Children Home," features both ensembles, and, to illustrate Wheeler's point, was taught to the SFCM Chorus by ear. "It opens up your ear and your awareness of the world around you. And that approach also makes you realize how much you can't put down on the page. There's so much you can't write down, and the only way that comes through is by hearing someone else do it."

Reserve your ticket to the SFCM Chorus with Chanticleer here, and learn more about the Conservatory Chorus here.