THE country’s first A Cappella Festival celebrating the unaccompanied human voice is to take place next month at the Kings Place arts centre in York Way, Kings Cross.
The four-day event has been put together by the Swingle Singers, the Paris vocal group that created a sensation with their recording of Bach’s greatest hits in the early l960s.
“Festivals of A Cappella singing take place all over Europe,” said Holly Skelton of the Swingle Singers, now based in Islington. In this country, there are lots of A Cappella concerts but there aren’t any festivals bringing together the different singing styles.
“We’re hoping the festival will help to place unaccompanied singing where it belongs, at the very centre of the great choral movement.”
Swingle Singers are opening the festival on Wednesday, January 13, performing music by some of the world’s greatest singer-songwriters from Joni Mitchell’s epic Both Sides Now to Bjork’s haunting Unravel.
Other ensembles singing at the festival include early music group Stile Antico, jazz singers Voces8 and the London Advendist Chorale – and there will be an afternoon workshop on Saturday, January 16, led by members of the Swingle Singers.
SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
• More information at www.kingsplace.co.uk