What is a "hard _ch_"? I don't regard it as ch as in chant--or tCharley, for that matter. I'd say a hard ch is one as in Christmas, Michael, charisma. A soft one, of course, is pronounced the same as sh, as in Michelle, Charlene, or chanty/chantey. _ch_ as in chant or chart or Charley is neither hard nor soft--I'd call it gelatinous.

Charles (gelatinous from the get-go)