TWELVE VOICES UNCONDUCTED: The a cappella group Chanticleer brings “A Chanticleer Christmas” to Princeton University Chapel on Saturday, December 7.

By Anne Levin

The last time Chanticleer came to Princeton, the Grammy Award-winning a cappella vocal ensemble performed at Richardson Auditorium. Leading them that day in October 2023 was Tim Keeler, a 2011 graduate of Princeton University, where he majored in music.

Keeler is Chanticleer’s music director. He is bringing the group back to Princeton, again under the auspices of Princeton University Concerts (PUC), on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. — this time in another campus venue. “A Chanticleer Christmas” will be held in Princeton University Chapel.

Keeler is familiar with the acoustics of both venues from his participation in the University’s glee club, chamber choir, and a cappella groups during his undergraduate years.

“They are both so special,” he said. “But getting to sing in the chapel is really cool. We are really looking forward to it.”

Founded in 1978 as an early music ensemble, Chanticleer (named for the “clear-singing rooster in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) expanded its repertoire over the years to include classical, gospel, jazz, and popular music. The Christmas concert is a program of a cappella choral music ranging from Renaissance-era pieces to spirituals, reflecting the group’s commitment to diversity.

“It’s really what makes the job fun for me,” Keller said. “We get to sing lots of different genres. And that brings in so many different kinds of people. It’s not just the early music nerds who come to our concerts. It’s people who embrace other styles, too. So we get to sing such a variety.”

The holiday concert will follow a “Do-Re-Meet LGBTQIA+ & Allies Mingle” at Maclean House on the campus, designed to introduce fellow music fans through ice-breaker games and an ugly sweater contest. The pre-concert gathering is part of PUC’s series of social events connected to performances.

Keeler is looking forward to returning to campus. “I loved my time at Princeton,” he said. “Gabriel Crouch [director of choral activities] is one of my closest friends and mentors. He really helps me on my path, so it’s always great to see him.”

Following graduation from Princeton, Keeler earned a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge in music and science, specifically in computer programming machine learning as it is applied to music analysis.

“I loved singing, but I never thought I’d pursue it as a career,” he said. “But it turns out I really missed the connections you make with people in choral music. Singing with people and making friends, creating things as a group — that’s what I missed.”

Keeler went on to earn a degree in choral conducting from the University of Michigan. Along the way, he realized that he had a falsetto, counter-tenor voice that he hadn’t used in the past. And that type of voice was in demand. For the next three years, he freelanced in New York as a counter-tenor.

“Then, I got a call from Chanticleer asking me to sing with them,” he said. “I did it for a year, touring around the world and having so much fun and doing beautiful music-making. Then, I went back to school to get my doctorate at the University of Maryland. Just as the pandemic was starting, Chanticleer asked me to audition for the role of music director.”

After a few rounds of auditions, Keeler got the job. While his job entails helping in rehearsals and choosing the repertoire, it does not include conducting. “It’s 12 people, unconducted,” he said.

The Chanticleer sound is unique. “A lot of what makes it so appealing is how physical singing is,” Keeler said. “Everybody in the audience has the same instrument. It’s not like an orchestra. You have a voice, you have the same apparatus. There is something really physical about that connection. It’s sympathetic. You can really feel it. Also, musically, there are things you can do with the voice that you can’t do with instruments. Every piece has an explicit story to tell. So as an audience member, it is so great to come along for the ride and be included in that experience.”

For more information on “A Chanticleer Christmas,” visit puc.princeton.edu or call (609) 258-9220.