The Grammy award-winning classical vocal ensemble Chanticleer performed at Eastern Illinois University’s Doudna Fine Arts Center Saturday night in Charleston. 

Director of Programming, Publicity and Promotion Dennis Malak made the announcement that Chanticleer’s performance would be the final performance of Doudna’s Classical Music Artists Series this year and that there could not have been a better group to close out the series with. 

Doudna’s Classical Music Artists Series is an endowment by Eastern Illinois that allows groups outside of campus to perform at Doudna. 

The concert consisted of seven acts and 21 songs, the first of which was “Lost in the Stars” that was written by Maxwell Anderson and composed by Kurt Weill. 

The concert was a memorable night for couple Jamie Childers, 35, and Kory Stone, 38, of Charleston as Malak called Childers up to the stage for a reward before Malak dismissed the audience for intermission after the conclusion of act three. 

After Childers walked onto the stage, Stone came through the stage side door and told her that he had a surprise, getting onto one knee and proposing to Childers who said yes. 

“When [Malak] said reward, I had never heard my name echo the way it did and when he said it. I had to pick up my heart off the ground,” said Childers. “I was just taken aback, it’s the sweetest thing [Stone] has ever done, so I am extremely happy.” 

Stone said there was a long process to getting the right ring for Childers and that he had just gotten a call from Times Square Jewelers yesterday. 

“This was the perfect opportunity to call Doudna and see if they would let me do this during the intermission, because it would be very romantic, beautiful music, we’re all dressed up and this would be a night that she wouldn’t forget,” said Stone. 

Following the intermission, EIU’s chorus joined Chanticleer for the playing of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers,” which Chanticleer music director Tim Keeler told the audience he likes because of the lyrics and message of the song that you belong somewhere free. 

“Wildflowers” was scheduled to be the last song of the night, but before the audience left, countertenor Logan Shields asked the audience if they wanted to hear one more song. The crowd happily accepted, and the final song of the night was Chanticleer’s own song of “Straight Street.” 

Caden VanSwol, a junior audio recording and technology major, was another audience member who enjoyed the concert, because it brought back memories of when he performed acapella in high school, and his familiarity with Petty’s songs. 

“I am a big fan of Tom Petty and especially his song ‘Wildflowers,’ so I really loved the condition of the Acapella performance,” said VanSwol. 

Chanticleer members Andy Berry, 34, and Tavian Cox, 25, felt the positive impact of the audience which they described as lovely and energetic. 

“The highlight for me was that marriage proposal, for two people to be so in love was really lovely,” said Berry. “It’s such a gorgeous hall, [and] a receptive audience was a treat.” 

“I love the choral concerts where people are surprised at the selection of music that they are about to hear,” said Cox. “There’s so many amazing choral staples and standards, but I just really love the fact that the audience was with us through all of the different genres of music.” 

After the concert concluded, Malak invited the audience to come back to Doudna on Sunday at 4 p.m. to watch the EIU choir perform “Jesu, meine Freude” with works by artists Bruno Mars, Eric Whitacre, David L. Brunner and Annea Lockwood. 

Drew Farrell can be reached at 581-2812 or at atfarrell@eiu.edu.