The Swingle Singers (Image credit to http://www.jmeshel.com/)

Ever since my school music teacher took the Vocal Ensemble I was in to one of their concerts at Cadogan Hall, I have been utterly infatuated with the Swingle Singers.  This seven-strong A Cappella vocal group has recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, marking the occasion with an intimate concert in the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room.  The event (which I somehow managed to get tickets for!), was attended by around forty ex-Swingles, who all joined in with the final song, making for a rather spectacular (if a little intimidating) sound!

The current members of the group are Sara Brimer (soprano), Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson (soprano), Clare Wheeler (alto), Oliver Griffiths (tenor), Christopher Jay (tenor), Kevin Fox (baritone) and Edward Randell (bass).

Last night, the seven young singers performed at King's Place as part of the London A Cappella International Summer School 2014, in a concert they named 'The Swingle Singers: Originals'.   

Sitting in my seat on the fourth row before the gig got going, my expectations were pretty high.  Having seen them in concert several times before, as well as participating in one of their inspiring workshops, I knew that what was to come would blow my mind.  

I was right. 

A slight technical hitch before they'd even raised the microphones to their lips served only to increase the tangible excitement in the room, as everyone waited with baited breath for the first beautiful note to echo out around the acoustically flattering room.  

Their repertoire included a range of their own original work (hence the title 'Originals'), pieces from the Swingle Singers back-catalogue, as well as a number of covers.  As if this weren't enough, they also teased us with performances of several songs that will feature on their upcoming album.  One such piece was Swim, which was written by Edward Randell, the low bass with a scarily good range (he sang tenor in one of the songs last night!).  

The group aren't afraid to cover the big names, with their arrangements of Elbow's Weather to Fly and The Beatles' Ticket to Ride reinvigorating the old classics.  Their talent was truly highlighted during songs originally meant to be accompanied by drums, guitars and bass, as the Swingles created the sound of the instruments with only their voices and a few technical effects on the microphones.  Caught up in the moment, it was easy to forget that the entire concert was A Cappella, with live looping used in some songs for added texture.  

Not that their non-looped music was at all lacking in this area; each member sang their own line, with several of the parts involving only 'doo's or 'la's to resemble the bass or rhythm section.  The intricate and often discordant harmonies filled the room, sounding so powerful and moving that it was impossible to do anything but smile, or shake your head in amazement (something my mum did a number of times!). 

As well as sounding too good to put into words, the Swingle Singers also put on a great visual show.  After each piece they changed position, often simply but effectively acting out the song and making full use of the stage.  They also made a lot of eye-contact with each other as they sang, which not only made sure that they stayed impeccably in time, but also made for a very engaging performance.  

One very memorable piece that highlighted their ability to put on a real show, was their variation of Beyoncé's Single Ladies, renamed Swingle Ladies.  The three girls, Sara, Jo and Clare took centre stage with their sassy and confident performance.  But they were soon to be outshadowed by Oliver and Chistopher (the two tenors), who arguably managed to beat the girl's Beyoncé impersonation with their dance moves. 

Me outside King's Place before the concert

Although I enjoyed every song and would have happily watched the concert again and again, there were two pieces that really stood out for me.  Firstly, The Diva Aria, which closed the first half, was just as hilarious and incredible as the first time I saw it.  Sara Brimer, who also arranged it, took on the character of a busty and vivacious Italian opera singer.  As she batted her eyelids and wiggled her hips all over the stage, the audience laughed and cheered as they realised it was a spoof.  The first half of the operatic piece was quite traditional, yet still thoroughly entertaining, thanks to Sara's spectacular high notes.  However, things really got exciting when the boys came in with the beat, taking the performance to a whole new level.  

There's something ear-gasmic about what happens when a Swingle Singers piece reaches its climax point.  But as well as many of these unbelievable moments, we also experienced the passion and beauty of some of their more moving songs.  This brings me to my other favourite; After the Storm, which was originally written and performed by Mumford and Sons.  Oliver Griffiths sang the solo line, stunning the audience into silence with his pure voice and raw emotion.  The spine-tingling harmonies and melodies filled the entire space, earning the group a well-deserved applause and 'woop woop' from the awe-struck audience.    While this piece is going to be on the upcoming album, there is a video on Youtube, which I urge everyone to listen to and marvel at its beauty.

When I got home, I contacted the Swingle Singers and received a lovely reply from Jo, who gave me this amazing comment from the group about the concert:

"It's always amazing performing to a crowd who is on your side and rooting for you before you even sing a note. Of course that means the level of pressure we feel is that much higher! It definitely creates an incredible energy in the room, and last night was no exception. Performing to your family and friends is always much more nerve-wracking than to an audience of strangers. We really strive to provide something for everyone and hope that what people take away is an experience of the music and a greater understanding of what the human voice is capable of, even if the music itself may not be what they would choose to listen to. We always have so much fun in London. Last night was a concert filled with familiar repertoire that we know like the back of our hand, but it's so interesting how each piece can feel completely new depending on how an audience reacts to it."

This concert has made me extremely excited about their new album, the name of which has yet to be released.  If you'd like to listen to some of their work (which I'm absolutely positive you do), some can be found on Spotify and Youtube.  Their most recent album, Weather to Fly (2013) can be bought or downloaded here from Amazon. 

Harriet x