Upcoming Events

Hi all,

Thank you for all your support for our 3rd International A Cappella Festival!!

Start from 25 Oct all the way to the month's end, the international lineup resumes, and it was a blast!

The Esplanade Recital Studio was graced by Klangbezirk, who released their all-mandarin album, and so did Fool Moon with their album celebrating 10 years of singing together.

Following up, we returned to The Arts House Chamber, where we hosted Niniwe and Vocaldente, the final few German groups, all very fine artisans in vocal art.

We had Key Elements for two nights, and in between, Hong Kong's Orange sang to a high-energy crowd with their brand of mando and canto-pop.

Now that the Festival is over, to those who missed it, do not fret, as next year's festival is being planned, with even more varied acts and more vast lineup even!

Till then, this is what TAS has planned so far!

Our annual Christmas Vocal Jam, featuring the TAS Pop Choir and Juz B, along with other guest performances!

And shortly after that, we have our second A CAPPELLA 101 with Angie at the Esplanade Rehearsal Studio, click here for more information.

Till then, we'll catch you again here!

What You've Missed

What have you missed so far at the International A Cappella Festival?

A LOT.

(That is if you've not even left your seat to catch these talents which we have hosted at The Arts House, by the way..)

Suade and A-five have had a great time with the audience, who have showed enthusiasm in supporting their concert, and of course, their fair share of post-concert paparazzi syndrome - fans waiting outside the Chamber after the concert, hoping to catch a picture with the groups!

And local teams have begun to grace The Arts House Chamber already, with SMU Voix, ITE A Cappella, TAS Youth Voices and TAG already finished their turn with wonderful pieces on 15-16 Oct!

Not hooked enough? Read on and look ahead:

1. 22nd Oct: Acappuccino, Republic Rhapsody & The Dotz
   
   Three groups, each with their own distinct styles and personalities will take the stage on 22nd Oct.
   
   Acappuccino will bring together their close-harmony and acoustic senses to the Chamber, while Rhapsody will fire up the stage with the latest hits, and newcomer The Dotz will show that even newcomers can have fun with the other teams.
   
   
2. 23rd Oct: Coffee on Sunday & Notella
   
   Coffee on Sunday has performed widely in schools and will be sharing their blend of with (a touch of) Notella on 23rd Oct!
   
   It's irresistible, thinking about two groups with food-related names! Try-tone and Corrinne May covers ensue above songs that represent each group's versatility.
   
   Java Jive anybody?
   
   
3. 24th Oct: TAS Voices & Juz B
   
   The TAS Voices is an a cappella programme for people within the working ages who wants to perform in an a cappella ensemble.
   
   Performing on 24th Oct will be the men's team who will bring to you highlights of their time singing together!
   
   After which, Juz B will charm audiences will their smooth harmonies, excellent showmanship and of course, their style!
   

And that concludes the local acts for the festival!

Following up next week, 2 shows at the Esplanade Recital Studios and definitely more towards the concluding act for the festival!

International A Cappella Festival News

Greetings to all from The A Cappella Society,

We're in the final lap towards the opening of our highly anticipated International A Cappella Festival, which opens this Saturday! Just to highlight a few interesting programmes in the festival:

1. Festival Opening : Comedy Pop A Cappella with SUADE

SUADE (Australia) opens the festival this Saturday, 9 Oct, with their boyish charms and reputation as vocal shenanigans in a comedic-infused a cappella showcase. Starting from Singapore, the festival marks their first stop on their Asia Tour and they will be travelling to Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan and Korea after their award-winning performance!

2. Celebrate Korea's Independence Day with A-FIVE

Let Korean pop a cappella group A-FIVE rock you off your seat with their repertoire of Korean classics to current hot favourites like SNSD's Gee. With such a repertoire to heat up The Arts House Chamber on Thursday, 14 Oct; Korean's Independence Day is definitely celebrated early in Singapore with A-Five.

3. All-Range performance with ORANGE

Hong Kong's ORANGE fires up the night with mando- and canto-pop hits like 情非得以, and a mandarin-infused Lady Gaga medley! A team made out of all music graduates from various conservatories in Hong Kong and overseas, let Orange bring you a myriad of styles with their performances and charisma on Saturday, 30 Oct!

All shows commences at 8PM at The Arts House Chamber.

Tickets at $35 are still available but selling fast, so book yours today to avoid disappointment from missing out these premiere international groups!

Yours in harmony,

--
The A Cappella Society
www.a-cappella.org.sg
contact@a-cappella.org.sg

A Cappella Tuesdays!

Hi all!

Was really busy at the office recently and finally have time to post videos for our weekly series!

This week's theme is ASIAN A CAPPELLA!

What do you think? We have 3 asian groups in this year's line up! Singapore's best - Key Elements, Hong Kong's Orange and Korea's A-five!

Let's start with A-five, the most talked-about group so far!

Ain't that awesome?! Remember to check them out on 14th October, k?

Hong Kong's Orange has a mission, to perform an "all-range" performance... And we'll let you decide if they have:

And what about Key Element's offerings? This is from their last concert:

Enjoy!

A Cappella Sundays!

Hi all, it's me again!

I hereby declare Sundays as A Cappella Sundays, because we all...

1. need a good dose of harmony and ensemble singing in our lives,
2. should hear more out there, and
3. understand more to really enjoy ourselves when we attend one of the festival concerts!

But of course, at any time of the week, the blog will be updated and so will our festival playlist on our YouTube channel!

Let's begin from SUADE who will be the opening act for the festival!

My favourite song ever from Billy Joel! Always a favourite Sunday chill out tune. Arrangement by The King's Singers.

(Can anyone tell if the lady at 1:55-1:58 was crying? Haha!)

All male harmonies have taken a cappella music by storm since the early days of music, contemporary groups like Suade, and others like Rockapella, The Nylons are no exceptions to such brilliant blends.

On the topic of all-male groups, let's have an all-female team from the festival - Niniwe, as part of our playlist for the festival, presenting "Your Eyes".

Niniwe has a haunting sound that is so alluring - something which is so endearing to me, because it sounds so seamless!

Now while I go swoon into my couch again, I'll return to blog the next time I have an update or A Cappella Sundays again!

Adios!

International A Cappella Festival!

Hi all!

Derrick here, and I'm reporting from the home of a cappella music here in Singapore, THE A CAPPELLA SOCIETY.

Have you found our beautiful flyers all around, be it online or just around recently? YES, IT'S THE INTERNATIONAL A CAPPELLA FESTIVAL and it's the 3rd year already!

Check out the e-flyer for the international and local lineup!

This year's international line up is wild with personalities and styles. From comedic bantering-infused a cappella, we have SUADE from Australia and VOCALDENTE (Germany) returns to The Arts House this year, and leading the a-Kappella wave, we have A-FIVE from Korean also!

Local teams and those fresh from August's A Cappella Championships are set to take the stage once again for a few nights of music making!

Watch out this space for more updates from me and catch more from our live feed on twitter!

REPORT FOR A CAPPELLA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010

The A Cappella Championships ‘10 were held on 21-22 August at The Arts House Chamber and 23 August at Esplanade Recital Studio.

The first day at The Arts House hosted the Pop Choir category where the Filipino Voice Symphony, Singapore’s all-Filipino choral ensemble was crowned Champion of the category. This year marked the entry of full chorales like the Singapore Men’s Chorus into the competition.

As the event proceeded into the evening hours, we recorded a full house which saw fine performances throughout from all the groups in the College category. Soul 9 from Republic Polytechnic won the title as Champions. The prevalent opinion from the international judges and audience members was that the standard of A Cappella groups in Singapore has increased drastically and is very high as witnessed in the competition.

On 22 August was the High School and Open categories where we saw a wide range in the age of participating groups and still a rather low number of participants in the Open category as there has been a decline in interests for ensemble singing, much less for a cappella after most people leave their collegiate groups. The mixed-school team The V.O.calists and Malay-based Juz-B took the titles as High School and Open category winners respectively.

On 23 August was the International Category and Beatbox Battle at Esplanade Recital Studio, a first for us as we host 4 foreign teams from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia for the International Category. Taiwan’s jazz ensemble Green Onion proved winner with their all jazz repertoire and evening-wear costumes to match.

The first Beatbox Battle held by us was a success, having 5 very competent beatboxers who battled it out in a 2-stage, knockout round; followed by a Finals, where the remaining 4 contestants fight it out with another finalist to determine the title-winner. Kai (Hwang Kai Wen) emerged as 1st Runner Up, as Zack Arif was crowned Champion after a highly intensed 1-v-1 match before our esteemed judges.

Furthermore, the quality of singing over the period of the competition was high in general which strengthens our hope that the past work is bearing fruit and can be sustained in the future.

Happy National Day everyone!

This year at the prestigious annual A Cappella Championships, we will see 6 international teams, who will travel from within Asia, competing for the top award in our international ensemble category.
This is the first time we have an entire evening dedicated to international teams due to the ever increasing number of teams.

From as many countries as they come from, they will bring their pop and folk musical arrangements, ensuring that the repertoire for the evening will be not only entertaining but also educational and surely inspiring.
Furthermore, we are privileged to host a guest group on that evening all the way from Sri Lanka. The Revelations are currently ranked #4th in the world among male voice choirs, highlighting a truly international evening of world class vocal music.
Please support all the groups by bringing along your friends, colleagues, students and fellow singers to extend a warm Singaporean welcome to our international friends.

June newsletter

Happy belated Vesak Day everyone!

We've just had a great performance from the Yale Spizzwinks, all of you who couldn't join us for the night, you missed something! But don't worry too much, you'll have another chance very soon, in less than 2 weeks the group's all-female counterpart, the Yale Whim 'n Rhythm, will make their stop in Singapore (diverted from Bangkok).

After a short summer break everything is set for the Championships and our Festival. The first registrations from international groups have already come in promising another exciting Champs.

Your team at The A Cappella Society

www.a-cappella.org.sg

Youth Voices – Songs From Grease Concert Report

The 2010 concert was a step-up technically as we insisted on mic-ing up every voice. It did affect the overall balance of the show due to the inadequate manner in which voices were split in the songs and from the unwillingness of better singers to take on an alternative voice part for the sake of balance. The youth were fairly prepared for the use of microphones but in terms of vocal development and musicality, some singers lacked the required level of polished skills.

The programme for the concert was a balanced one with modern pop hits to retro selections for the parents and family. There was a mix of pop choir and small ensemble performances throughout the show. One area of improvement for the next concert is that soloists should be allowed to step up front during their songs which would provide a better image for the audience to grasp. More seasoned choreography work should also be included.

The reviews for the concert were mixed with non-supporters from guest singers being more negative and with family and friends having enjoyed the show.

Our internal review has thrown up several areas of needed improvement including commitment to rehearse prior to each rehearsal, more detailed choreography for songs, more balance of voices, and a better development plan for individual members in terms of personal targets.

The content of the show included songs from Grease, Cold Play, Space Jam, Lady Gaga and many more artistes. We had no Mandarin song this year and no original compositions.

We look forward to a different concert for 2011 where we will attempt to challenge conventional a cappella concert set ups.

Tufts Beelzebubs feat. SMU Voix

we're happy to announce the PAssion card promotion for our upcoming concert with The Tufts Beelzebubs. PAssion card members will get $5 off the ticket price, which makes it $30 for the 17 January concert at The Arts House Chamber, tickets at the arts house box office.

Christmas caroling

our xmas caroling season has officially begun today. it will again be a very busy period for our singers caroling all over the country. if you hear them at one of the HDB shopping centers or any of the other venues, make sure to give them a good cheer!

December newsletter

December is here again and as every year it's time for Christmas caroling. All our singers will be kept very busy during this period singing all over the country. There's a good chance that you may encounter them somewhere, so make sure you'll give them a good cheer if you do!

Looking ahead to 2010, we've already programmed our events. We'll start off the year with the Tufts Beelzebubs concert in January! In April, our Vocal Mania will take on a new shape and a new dimension, being transformed into a full day vocal music event. If you or your group want to be a part of this exciting event, just let us know and contact us as soon as possible.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Read the full December newsletter on our website if you don't receive it in your inbox!

The Yale Spizzwinks (?)

we're happy to announce the Singapore concert of the Yale Spizzwinks (?), 31 May 2010 at The Arts House Chamber, make sure to put the date in your calendar!

Christmas Is Coming

A Post-Concert Report for

Christmas Jam with NANU, 21 November 2009

A brief review:

With a fun and interactive programme, the Christmas Jam featured local band, NANU and special guests. The music consists of a cappella renditions of Christmas music and included new arrangements from the NANU repertoire. There were some jazz harmonies along with the pop hits. The performances were of high standard, and the atmosphere was very relaxed and intimate, which was warm and inviting for the audiences to participate in the show. The audiences not only sang along, they were also very responsive to the performers and the host. The event which was separated into two shows (afternoon and evening), allowed The A cappella Society and performers to better tailor for the needs and interest of the different target audiences for each show.

The afternoon show was a children’s matinee, and had special guest performances from Swiss School’s students and the TAS children’s choir. Catered specifically for children, the performers and host had interacted with them by teaching them a couple of vocal techniques, which included beat boxing. The audiences were asked to practice and even come on stage to show off what they had just learned!

The evening show targeted the youths and young at heart. It also featured Beatz, a group that offers beat box and rap, which is the genre well liked by contemporary youths. Their performance offered an alternative rendition of Christmas tunes. Again, the show was interactive and the atmosphere was every energetic.

The event was successful in bringing the audiences an enjoyable time.

Ticket Sales

The capacity of the location was 245 seats for each show. The ticket sales were excellent, with over half the tickets being sold for the afternoon show and an almost sold out for the evening show.

Audiences

The majority of the audiences were from the schools, which consisted of primary students (afternoon show), secondary students and youths (evening show) and their teachers. Some of these schools had attended shows organized by The A Cappella Society in the past while some had not. There were also parents and friends of the performers. Other audiences included a small group from a girl’s home charity organisation, and the general public who had bought tickets from Keppel nights.

THE PROGRAM

Date: 21 November 09

Times: 3pm-4pm Children's matinee

7.30pm-8:45pm Evening show

Location: Esplanade Recital Studio

TICKETS

$20-$25

Beatz at RGS, 30 October 2009

We performed with Triple B, students from Raffles Girls’ Secondary School for their school event, called Talent Vogue. It is a talent show competition and Halloween concert merged into one. It was held in their school hall.
We did a remixed version of Onegai DJ (Miss You) by M Flo, Bongo Bong by Manu Chao, Disturbia by Rihanna and our hit song, Move It. Christopher and Samuel were the beatboxers, Arif rapped and Kathy sang, a bit under-prepared though as Kathy joined the group only a week prior to the event.
The sound system was really bad. We not only did not manage to get a final sound check despite asking for it, the sound crew also lost one microphone, so Christopher had to be left off stage for our first song. In the end, they took out the clip on microphone for Arif, and they did not adjust the sound system for us at all, so we sounded pretty bad.
The crowd however was brilliant and enthusiastic. They seemed to be enjoying the songs tremendously. They went wild when Sam, Chris and Arif did a special with Triple B- dancing to Beyonce’s Single Ladies.
We mostly loved Move It and the dance segment, because we managed to hype up the crowd and even get them to sing and dance along.

International A Cappella Festival

The International A Cappella Festival expanded to 5 nights featuring 4 international A Cappella groups. Permanent Fish (Japan) on 14th October, Rock4 (The Netherlands) on 15th and 16th October with two different programmes, all at Esplanade Recital Studio, and MayTree (Korea) on the 17th and Tux (The Philippines) on the 18th at The Arts House Chamber. All concerts were opened by a local group, TAS Youth Voices, Beatz, NANU and Key Elements. The programming provided a well balanced and varied selection of fine a cappella groups which did not overlap in style, approach and song selections and provided a good mixture for presentation, flavour, style and genres.

Each night, the audience members came out of the concerts asking for CDs from all the teams as well as many well-wishes for the festival. They enjoyed the performances and excellent singing of all the groups.

Ticket sales for the first two nights were very bad though and only picked up for the weekend shows but still remained below expectation. Marketing was limited due to the small budget of the event, which was part of Encore! The European Season in Singapore and the Keppel Nights ticket subsidy scheme. There were also promotional performances by Permanent Fish at NTU as part of NIE's concert series and at ITE College East, which were very well received and led some members of the audience to buy tickets for the Esplanade concert. Rock4 was also interviewed on Channel News Asia's Primetime Morning show.

The audience feedback was very positive and thus we will keep developing this festival for vocal music into one that is of international quality and one with a wide variety of acts.

We will also continue to look for ways to include local groups in the festival to continue in their development in an international context and to provide an opportunity for them to exchange ideas and learn from the international groups.

TAS newsletter

our November newsletter is out, read it online on our website if you don't receive it in your inbox.

Christmas Is Coming

Christmas Is Coming soon, but before that comes our A Cappella Jam to ring in the season. The Keppel Nights tickets for the evening show are already sold out and the rest of the tickets are selling fast. Hurry to get one of the seats for the afternoon if you have a young child or the evening show, discounted tickets are available for PAssion Card members and students.

International A Cappella Festival - Rock4

Rock4 has put some of the photos they took during their stay in Singapore on their Facebook-page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rock4/153010847113?v=photos&ref=ts#/album.php?aid=116693&id=153010847113