Exploring the moon through songs

FOR most of us, group singing is limited to karaoke evenings or awkward renditions of Happy Birthday to family members or colleagues. Others, like vocal group Chanticleer, have honed their art over 38 years, won two Grammy awards, and sold over a million albums.

Recently appointed music director William Fred Scott says: "I think the bar has been set very high. It was initiated by our founder, Louis Botto, and the standard's been maintained by our long-time music director Joseph Jennings. I think the fact that the tradition has endured nationally and internationally for almost four decades means we've always tried to produce a classy product, and it seems to have paid off."

Chanticleer will perform here on Oct 4 with a brand new programme titled Over the Moon, designed to make us think about all the ways the moon works in our lives. It will feature a new set of songs based on the Pierrot Lunaire poems published in 1884 by Belgian Albert Giraud as well as popular American songs like Moon River and Fly Me to the Moon.