Chanticleer, the world-renowned 12-man a cappella group, is home for the holidays.

The San Francisco-based, Grammy-award winning vocal ensemble enchanted audiences at their latest concert, A Chanticleer Christmas, with two performances on Dec 14 and 15 at Stanford University’s Memorial Church.

The concert program opened with characteristically medieval and Renaissance-style music, and the selections included pieces from such musicians as John Francis Wade, Komitas Vartabed, Philippe de Monte and Franz Biebl.

The vocals were astounding. Each note was sung with such beautiful clarity and resonance. Their sounds were perfectly coordinated and the whole performance was seamless. The vocal selections from the beginning portion of the performance were not too distinguishable from one another though, and it seemed as if the vocalists had been performing one single piece all along.

Further into the program, traditional English Christmas carols were more prominent musical selections. During the holiday season, it can be common to hear the same Christmas songs over and over again, but these Chanticleer’s Christmas selections were unique and not overdone. However, it was the performance’s Christmas Medley finale that seemed to be the definite highlight of the evening, featuring a series of upbeat tunes and Christmas gospel.

Throughout the entire performance, the audience seemed spellbound by Chanticleer’s vocal repertoire. By the end of the concert, Chanticleer received such an overwhelming standing ovation that the ensemble came out to bow two extra times. Finally, they appeased the cheers of the audience with an encore vocal piece.

In addition to Chanticleer’s vocal mastery, the Memorial Church, located in the heart of the Stanford University campus, also provided an idyllic setting for the concert.

Matthew Oltman, Chanticleer’s Assistant Music Director and tenor vocalist, described the venue as “the most glorious of chapels.”

The beauty and intricacy of the chapel’s arches, pillars and stained glass windows perfectly reflected the beauty to be found from Chanticleer’s vocal dexterity. The ensemble members’ simple and elegant black attire also added to the peaceful ambiance, allowing for completely uninterrupted enjoyment of their angelic melodies. The concert was truly devoted to the magical quality the music exuded.

Chanticleer’s Christmas performance has been an annual tradition at Stanford for the past decade; each year, the December performance marks the start of the Christmas season for many Bay Area Chanticleer aficionados.

The Christmas performance brings with it a wish for “the healthiest and happiest of holiday seasons and best of things to come in the New Year,” Oltman said.

Similarly, the concert signifies the start of the holiday season for Chanticleer’s vocal ensemble members as well.

“Our Christmas season really begins here in the Bay Area,” Oltman said. “Here, we’re back home with our friends and family.”

In just the 2004-2005 season alone, Chanticleer has planned over 75 concerts across 28 states, including a series of 26 Bay Area performances. Upcoming Bay Area performances include venues in Davis on Dec 20 and Carmel on Dec 23. Also, their Christmas with Chanticleer performance will be aired locally at 8 p.m. on Dec 23 on KQED channel 9.

For those who missed the opportunity to see Chanticleer in concert at Stanford this Christmas season, the group will be back with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra on April 15 to perform recently uncovered orchestrated choral pieces by 18th century Spanish composer Jaime de Casellas. Next year’s concert will feature the music’s North American premiere as well as a free-to-the-public pre-performance discussion.

Besides touring and sharing their music with people around the world, Chanticleer also has an extensive discography and just celebrated the release of their 28th CD, How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals and Traditional Gospel Music, in September. Their other recordings span a range of music including contemporary classical, early music and gospel.

Chanticleer, named for the “clear-singing” rooster character of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, was founded in 1978 in San Francisco as a nonprofit organization striving to reach audiences around the globe with their innovative and diverse music.

For more information about Chanticleer performances, tours, discography or history, visit www.chanticleer.org.

For more information about upcoming vocal, dance and instrumental performances through Stanford Lively Arts, visit http://livelyarts.stanford.edu or call 650-725-ARTS (2787).