On February 26th, the prestigious group Chanticleer will be preforming at the Central Christian Center at 7:00 p.m. proceeded by a campus performance in Corley Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. the same day. 

Central Christian Center is located at 410 Virginia Ave. in Joplin.

The event is part of the Joplin Pro Musica upcoming events. Chanticleer’s appearance is sponsored by the Helen S. Boylan Foundation and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.  

The New Yorker magazine has dubbed the Chanticleer with the title of “the world’s reigning male chorus,” while the San Francisco based, Grammy award winning ensemble celebrated its 37th season in 2014-15.  

The group is known around the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden as “an orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its twelve male voices ranging from soprano to bass.  

They also do a spin on different interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz and popular genres, as well as several modern arrangements.  

Southern students participating in the event are also looking forward to it.

“The whole choir is ecstatic to work with Chanticleer,” said Forrest Bunter, junior vocal performance major. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only sing at a Chanticleer concert but also do a master class with them.

Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by tenor Louis A. Botto, who sang in the Ensemble until 1989 and served as artistic director until his death in 1997.  

William Fred Scott began his position as Chanticleer’s fifth musical director, in 2015.  

Starting at 6:30 p.m., the day of the event, there will be a pre-concert from the Missouri Southern Chambers Singers led by Dr. David Sharlow.  

The concert is free of charge and open to the public, however donations are appreciated.  

The Missouri Southern Chamber Singers are a select, mixed-ensemble of 31 singers comprised of mostly music majors and minors, although talented non-music majors have been invited to sing based upon their level of skill and ability.  

“Our group has been practicing the music for this event since the beginning of the semester and have had several extra rehearsals in preparation,” Sharlow said.     

In addition, Chanticleer always presents an educational outreach program at a local school or assisted living center between their performances.  

In addition to touring around the Joplin area, this group also represents Southern and the choral department in tours outside of Joplin and the state of Missouri.