A self-described 'Chanticleer portrait,' containing a variety of different styles (a cappella), all performed with the flawless technique for which the group is admired. 'O Clap Your Hands' employs eight parts in a broad polyphonic convergence. Gabrieli's 'Magnificat,' from the sixteenth century, divides twelve voices into three four-part choirs. 'Charm Me Asleep' is a recent work, written for the group; despite it's title, it is as disquieting as soothing. Three 'tone poems' (an example of program music, where the music seeks to represent a specific text) by Richard Strauss follow, then Berlin's 'Blue Skies'; the latter a swinging version adapted from the Dorsey arrangement that demands attention with dramatic fortissimo ending, and a middle break that detours into a brief classical medley, very reminiscent of the Swingle Singers! Chanticleer also gets down on 'Straight Street' with an authentic gospel testimonial.