Some readers may recall that, about a year ago, I experienced A Chanticleer Christmas for the first time. My impressions of the experience were mixed. However, what mattered most was the final sentence of my article:
At a time when the commercialization of Christmas is rearing its head again in a post-pandemic world, an evening of music with no market-based agenda was just what any attentively serious listener needed.
Last night my wife and I returned to Saint Ignatius Church for a second round of Chanticleer’s seasonal programming. Unfortunately, this year’s experience was far more disappointing. I realized that, at last year’s performance, we were seated close enough to the altar to experience the clarity of the ensemble’s one-to-a-part polyphony.
This year we were seated a few rows back, and the increased distance was practically painful. All the intricate polyphony we had encountered last year came across this year as little more than mush. Nevertheless, every seat was occupied in the vast space, including the balcony. Apparently, there is an avid audience for which “the Chanticleer experience” has little, if anything, to do with the clarity of the acoustics.
Under those circumstances, it would be unfair to give an account of a performance that was washed into an auditory muddle by the physical setting. It is clear that, for many, the ritual of the occasion matters more than appreciation of the music being performed. I simply have to accept the fact that, where this annual event is concerned, one cannot argue with the revenue stream.
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