Credit: (Lisa Kholer)

The Grammy Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer will premiere “Beauty of the Day” by Nico Muhly on April 13 at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center Cultural Campus.

The work was commissioned by the vocal ensemble and was written to be a collaborative piece for a large SATB choir and pipe organ. For this reason, at the premiere Chanticleer will be joined by the Philadelphia Chorale and renowned organist Allan Morrison. Later concerts will feature the Santa Fe Symphony Chorale and organist Maxine Thévenot, and finally California Polytechnic State University’s Chamber Choir and PolyPhonics with organist Paul Woodring.

Tim Keeler the ensembles Music Director says “Part of what makes choral music so special is its ability to create communities around shared visions and shared experiences. In 2020, we commissioned Nico Muhly to write a work for Chanticleer that would be a vehicle for this kind of sharing with outside ensembles as we travel around the country. “Beauty of the Day” is a setting of texts that capture the wonder and grandeur of the natural world, and we can’t imagine a more perfect topic to facilitate the shared experience of choral music than the shared experience of living on this planet.”

Following its “Beauty of the Day” concerts, the ensemble will be putting on workshops at Sonoma State University and performing at the Ravinia Festival.