Chapel
A cappella music, for which I have a passion, is singing without instrumental accompaniment. I think almost any song or musical work can be improved by being sung a cappella. The best source I can think of would have to be Primarily A Cappella. They have plenty of recordings of all my favourite groups. And now there's a source on the east coast as well, Mainely A Cappella.
There are several a cappella groups that I listen to, but only a few that I have actually seen in person. To hear me wax fanatical about these few, click on the group's name below.
Here are the rest of my a cappella favourites:
Anonymous 4:
(Yes, I'm going alphabetically; I know I'm anal.)
This is an all lady quartet that sings mostly chant and polyphany, which my opinionated brother bluntly describes as "boring". I have to admit that there is such a thing as too much polyphany and/or chant. Which is not to say that these ladies don't sound great, but personally, if I had to sit through a full concert of polyphany and chant, I would probably fall asleep. However, if you want something soothing to listen to while you do your homework, balance your checkbook, do your taxes, or whatever,this would be a good choice; it's classier than the seaside and rainforest tapes anyway. Finally, to all the Anonymous 4 fanatics that I may have offended, I'm not saying they're bad, they're just not for everybody.
Chordiac Arrest:
This is a clever little group that sings silly doctor songs. While I'm not wild about barbershop, I love medical humour (of course) and these guys keep the nurse jokes at a minimum. But you don't have to be in the medical profession to appreciate this group; they sing silly songs on other professions, too, like plumbers, pilots, and (of course) barbershop quartets.
I first tried this group because I knew Jeff Thacher, the vocal percussionist for Rockapella, had been one of its founders. They're really pretty good. In fact I would say that they are definitely second best to Rockapella. (Nobody's better than Rockapella!) They have had quite a few member changes since their inception (reminds me of the King's Singers), but generally the group has just gotten better and better.
Gas House Gang:
Another barbershop quartet. I got one of their CDs because they had a spoof of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. I still don't really like barbershop in general, but these guys are good! The guy singing lead on their arrangement of Music of the Night sounded very much like Michael Crawford. And what a flawless falsetto on the Mozart spoof! They can join Chordiac Arrest on the (short) list of barbershop groups I make exceptions for.
Glad:
Ah, contemporary Christian. An area of music that I just can't get into. But didn't I say that any song can be improved by being sung a cappella? It applies to this particular genre, too, as Glad has proved. I especially like their jazzy renditions of old hymns, some of which really needed jazzing up. Sing a New Song springs to mind.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo:
I first heard this group on the Spike Lee Do it A Cappella tape. I loved the way they performed The Lion Sleeps Tonight, and I wanted to try some of their recordings so I got a Best of CD. They are good to listen to to, but more entertaining to watch, I have found. I like their covers, but I think their African chants and folk songs tend to sound alike. *ducks in case people start throwing things*
I can't remember what made me try these guys; I think I just liked the way they looked. They are a jazz group from Sweden and whatever my original motivation for listening to them, I now like them because they sound like the Swingle Singers, only smoother. And speaking of the Swingle Singers...
Swingle Singers:
I first heard this group on our local public radio station in Richmond. They played a selection of songs from their Folk Songs CD. My favourite was the Sakijarven (sp?) Polka, a Finnish drinking song, need I say more? Then my Mom's sister brought us a video of them at Harewood House and I got to see their performance of the 1812 Overture. If you are an a cappella fan, you must hear them sing it. It's wonderful! The Swingles are a whimsical, entertaining group.
Throat Culture:
These guys are kind of Bobs lite. Even PAC describes them saying they're for the Bobs fan who can't get enough. They have their own distinct style, of course. They do some really beautiful harmonies and they have very talented songwriters. I love the songs Chameleon, One, and Lunatic. And for sheer silliness, you can't beat Fonemate or Easter Island Head, the latter of which they performed on Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company.
Trinovox:
This is kind of alternative a cappella. It's an Italian trio of men who obviously think they're hot stuff, judging from their pictures on the CD jacket. They are cute, though. As for their music, it's kind of weird and very modern, and I didn't get into it at first. But as my opinionated brother (same one) puts it, "They grow on you in time, esp if you don't use the right antibiotics." Hmmm, he's kind of weird, too!