Heart of a Soldier is a program about the art of soldiering, the pageant of war, the absurdity of battle, the loves left behind and the hope of peace. Great Tudor composers such as Byrd and Tomkins reflected on the repeated sacking of Jerusalem. The beautiful prayer set by Thomas Tomkins, “O pray for the peace of Jerusalem” is as important today as it ever was. The destruction of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, centuries later, provided musical inspiration for the great French Renaissance master Dufay. Closer to our own time, the words of Walt Whitman found a place under the pen of one of our frequent collaborator Mason Bates and those of Archibald MacLeish are set by John Musto. To explore the hearts of soldiers, Chanticleer traverses centuries of repertoire from the earlier music of Byrd, Janequin to 19th century Russian soldier songs. Two choruses from Pulitzer prizewinner Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain are included as are new arrangements by Brian Hinman, Vince Peterson, Evan Price and Adam Ward of songs from the home front.

Called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by the New Yorker, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as an “orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its 12 male voices, ranging from soprano to bass. Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, “Chanticleer fascinates and enthralls for much the same reason a fine chocolate or a Rolls Royce does: through luxurious perfection.” (Los Angeles Times)

The U-M Glee Club makes a special cameo appearance in this Veterans Day Weekend concert, which kicks off the Ambassadors of Song International Male Chorus Symposium on the University of Michigan campus.