Whatever the thematic material, Chanticleer's approach is the most erudite; indeed, their analysis of each song's history and composition meets the highest critical standard. It is this absolute musical integrity that then informs the quality of the performance. On "Wondrous Love," a cache of international folk songs, sung a cappella, is the basis for this meticulous study. Folk songs, by definition, are "for the people"; Chanticleer maintains this focus while also seizing the opportunity to enrich the original arrangements with new complexity and depth, as heard on "Arirang," a Korean song utilizing the pentatonic scale with elements of western harmony, or "La Petenera," which begins with a soloist and then gradually incorporates twelve voices into an ever-expanding confluence of countermelody. A Robert Shaw/Alice Parker arrangement graces the fifteenth-century French tune, "L'Amour De Moy." |
