August: a last song with Joe

A very nice, if foggy and cold, afternoon at the Presidio, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. (We know you all know that it's cold in San Francisco in the summertime...) We honored Joe Jenning's 26 year career with Chanticleer along with several hundred
friends, past and present board members, artistic collaborators, and supporters-lots of whom have been with Chanticleer since the beginning - before any of us. Joe is now Music Director Emeritus and - he informed everybody today - is going home next month to live in South Carolina near family and warmer weather. This was our chance to thank him formally for those years and the particular genius which he shared with us all.

Eric begins his 20th year. Bunny and Stan Stevens have been fans since before Eric!

Having sung in the ensemble for l0 years, Music Director Matt Oltman has lots of friends as well. Today Matt will enjoy ( we hope) that job unique to Chanticleer's Music Director - sitting in the audience and listening while we sing.

Lots of Chanticleer history here! Music Director Matt Oltman, former ensemble soprano Chris Fritzsche with Music Director Emeritus Joe Jennings.

History continues... our two new tenors Ben Jones (l) and Matt Curtis (r) make their Chanticleer debuts today. You'll meet them soon!

Joe talks about how he joined Chanticleer for one year in l983 -and then just 'did what Chanticleer wanted [him] to do' for another 25. Over 75 Chanticleer members during those years have been profoundly touched and changed by Joe's dedication to the heart and soul in the music, not to mention the thousands of students in our education programs, and the countless audience members for our concerts, recordings, and broadcasts.

Joe's arrangements being such an integral part of Chanticleer's repertoire and such a great legacy, it was right that our one last song with him was his arrangement of "Sit down Servant and Plenty Good Room" which we'll be singing on tour this year.