Chanticleer to delight us with its vim, variety

"Sing Joyfully," a number from Renaissance England, will open Chanticleer's concert Monday at the Belk Theater. The title sums up what the 12-man vocal group has been doing for 30 years. Individual singers may come and go, but Chanticleer remains one of the liveliest and most versatile groups around.

I first heard it in a 2,500-seat hall akin to Ovens Auditorium. Despite dry acoustics and a sprawling layout that put many listeners far from the stage, the singers put over the beauty, spirit and fun of music spanning hundreds of years. In more congenial locales, such as the Belk in 2003, the appeal has been even more infectious.

The group can make medieval music speak to 21st-century audiences. It can turn English madrigals into a mini-Renaissance fair. It can reveal as much poetry in a folk song as in the most refined classical works. It brings jazz and gospel music a zest that eludes most groups rooted in the classics.

Monday's program will range from medieval love songs to lullabies from Brazil, Poland and Tobago to a final helping of jazz and such. And as usual for Chanticleer, there's something just plain tantalizing: an otherworldly song by Gustav Mahler, originally for voice and orchestra, arranged so the singers take over for the orchestra.

It's the season finale for the Carolinas Concert Association.

Coming next season:

Jose Porcel Ballet Flamenco: Nov. 3.

Marvin Hamlisch: Jan. 11.

Dublin Philharmonic: Feb. 2.

Eroica Trio: March 1.

Russian National Ballet: March 30.

That's a wider array of dance and music than CCA typically embraces. Will the variety work as well there as it does for Chanticleer?