Vocal Blog | The Vocal, A Cappella & Choral Music Online-Mag

by Peder Karlsson (The Real Academy), Tobias Hug (The Swingle Singers), Jim Daus Hjernoe (The New Vox North), Volker Bauer (A Cappella Online), Peter Martin Jacob (magenta concerts), Tilo Beckmann (leading voices) and Florian Städtler (Vocal Blog)

The EVA core team, Ludwigshafen/GER 2010

These are exciting times for contemporary vocal music in Europe. The pioneers and legends of the vocal and a cappella scene are passing on the baton to an ever-growing number of amateur and pro vocal groups, festivals, schools. Slowly but surely vocal music is becoming more audible and visible in mainstream media. Global companies are using singers, beatboxers and vocal groups for their marketing, e.g. T-Mobile (“Welcome Back” London Vocal Flash Mob).

With all these things happening, a core group of a cappella activists started to work on a European vision of contemporary vocal, a cappella and choral music. Exactly one year ago we started a journey and today we want to make you, people who proved that they get things done musically and business-wise, passengers on this journey.

After one year of preparation, discussion and mutual inspiration, Peder Karlsson (The Real Academy), Tobias Hug (The Swingle Singers), Jim Daus Hjernøe (Aalborg Conservatory, The New Vox North), Peter Martin Jacob (magenta concerts), Tilo Beckmann (leading voices), Volker Bauer (A Cappella Online) and Florian Städtler (Vocal Blog) are excited to present you with a new organisation working for all people dedicated to our art form, vocal music: The European Voices Association (EVA)

As a very first step, we wrote the European Voices Manifesto, which lays down the principles that EVA stands for.

We are now asking all those of you who are responsible for the incredible development of European vocal music to sign the Manifesto to show your support.  If you haven’t done so yet, send a digital scan of your signature to staedtler@spielplanvier.com.

If that’s a technical problem, just send your signature on a piece of paper to the EVA contact adress. More information about the plans for the European Voices Association, the Manifesto and the EVA core team members can be found at www.europeanvoices.net, our first humble online proof of existence. And here are the names of those who already joined the movement and showed their support for the Manifesto (in alphabetical order:)

Lucy Bailey (The Swingle Singers/UK), Daniel Barke (Tonalrausch/GER), Volker Bauer (A Cappella Online/GER), Marco A. Billep/GER), Sara Brimer (The Swingle Singers/UK), Fausto Caravati (Solevoci/ITA), Emily Dickens (VOCES8/UK), Jean Digby (Singacappella/UK), Deniz Dönmez (SpielPlanVier/GER), Anders Edenroth (The Real Group/SWE), Joanna Eteson-Goldsmith (The Swingle Singers/UK), Jürgen Faßbender (GER), Fabian Fehrenbach (SpielPlanVier/GER), Kevin Fox (The Swingle Singers/UK), Christopher Gabbitas (The King’s Singers/UK), Alexandra Godfree (Voice Festival/UK), Colin T. Graham (UK), Havard Gravdal (Pust/NOR), Oliver Griffiths (The Swingle Singers/UK), Line Groth Riis (Postyr/DK), Andrea Haines (VOCES8/UK), Lydia Haschke (medlz/GER), Maria Heinig (medlz/GER), Jim Daus Hjernoe (The New Vox North/DK), Jesper Holm (Touché/DK), Jonathan Howard (The King’s Singers/UK), Tobias Hug (The Swingle Singers/UK), David Hurley (The King’s Singers/UK), Sandra Hylla (mad4music/GER), Christopher Jay (The Swingle Singers/UK), Peder Karlsson (The Real Academy/SWE), Sabine Kaufmann (medlz/GER), Morten Kjaer (DK), John Kjoller (Basix/DK), Andrea Kühn (SpielPlanVier/GER), Thierry Lalo (The Voice Messengers/FRA), Philip Lawson (The King’s Singers/UK), Claire Long (Music Prod./UK), Charles Alexander MacDougall (VOCES8/UK), Michele Manzotti (ITA), Silvana Mehnert (medlz/GER), Miklos “Mickey” Nemeth (Fool Moon/HUN), Lars Orhoj (DK), Nelly Palmowske (medlz/GER), Staffan Paulson (Vocal Six), Costa Peristianis (Ikon Arts/UK), Ane Carmen Roggen (Pitsj/NOR), Nina Ruckhaber (Jazzchor Freiburg/GER), Romy Schmidt (Spectaculum Mundi/GER), Till Schumann (Unduzo/GER), Kristian Skarhoj (Songs of the Moment/DK), Joakim Skog (SWE), Barney Smith (VOCES8/UK), Paul Smith (VOCES8/UK), Robert Robbie Smith (VOCES8/UK), Florian Städtler (SpielPlanVier, Vocal Blog/GER), Indra Tedjasukmana (Sonic Suite/GER), Kristoffer Fynbo Thorning (Postyr/DK), Idun Thorvaldsen (NOR), Elin Valvatne (Apes & Babes/NOR), Marty van der Staak (NED), Saso Vrabic (Perpetuum Jazzile/SLO), Chris Wardle (VOCES8/UK), Cleveland Watkiss (UK), Timothy Wayne-Wright (The King’s Singers/UK), Sebastian Weingarten (Renitenztheater/GER), Clare Wheeler (The Swingle Singers/UK), Eric Whitacre (UK), Holger Wittgen (Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz/GER), Dingle Yandell (VOCES8/UK).

Isn’t that amazing!?!

See you in Aarhus!! From left to right: Peter, Jim, Peder, Tobi, Volker, Tilo, Florian

We would love if you added your signature to the Manifesto and want ot meet as many of you as possible at the EVA kick-off meeting. This meeting will mark the foundation of The European Voices Association and will give the opportunity to meet the complete core team and many more movers and shakers of European vocal music. It will take place on the final day of Aarhus Vocal Festival, May 9th 2011, 9:00 am at Aarhus, Musikhuset (Kammermusiksalen). The festival, featuring concerts with Bobby McFerrin, Vocal Line, Pust, Basix, Postyr as well as a fantastic workshop and coaching programme, will go ahead from the 6th to the 9th of May – exactly four weeks from today!

Thank you very much for supporting EVA and for marking Aarhus in your calendars. If you have questions concerning the Manifesto, the kick-off meeting or EVA in general,  feel free to get in touch with Florian Städtler (staedtler@spielplanvier; +49 761 38 94 74) anytime.

Looking forward to getting your feedback and your signatures and meeting all of you in person in Denmark!

Best wishes

Peder, Jim, Volker, Tobi, Peter, Tilo & Florian

www.europeanvoices.net

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Want to contribute to the development of European vocal, a cappella and choral music? Why not write a blog post on your activities, ideas and visions here at Vocal Blog? Or just post your comments and tell the acaworld what you want EVA to achieve for the community!

by Florian Städtler

>> including an interview with artistic director Shai Fishman (www.fish-i.com) <<

Some say the art of the flash mob (people gathering “spontaneously” in public places and suddenly doing something more or less spectacular) is dead, as marketing specialists of global companies have started to use this kind of event for their marketing. Others say flash mobs are the natural consequence of trends like advertising reactance, the power of YouTube and general mobility. Speaking of mobility, it might not be pure coincidence, that T-Mobile, who already successfully used a flash mob performed by hundreds of dancers at London Liverpool Street station, chose Terminal 5 of London Heathrow airport to stage for their brandnew “Welcome Home” advert.

The reason why I’m writing about it on Vocal Blog is simple: This time, the responsible advertising agency decided to start the 3-minute commercial with a sentence that sounds quite familiar to a cappella fans:  “No instruments were used in this film.” So this time the marketers had the idea of using only human voices to express the slogan of the telecommunication giant’s campaign, “Life’s For Sharing”.

Logistics were impressive, considering the fact that this shooting took place in a high security environment of an international airport. 18 hidden cameras had to be installed and a system of communication connecting the director, the film team, the singers and actors set up. After three weeks of arranging, casting and rehearsing at David Beckham’s football school, the London Soccerdome, the production included almost 300 singers and extras performing at the arrival section of Heathrow’s Terminal 5.  The shootings lasted from 6am to 9pm with one hour break for the team and included the repeated performance of the following songs:

1. Etta James – At Last

2. Mel Tormé – Comin’ Home Baby
3. Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
4. Iggy Pop – The Passenger
5. Thin Lizzy – Boys are Back In Town
6. Kaiser Chiefs – Oh My_ God
7. George Michael & Aretha Franklin – I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)
8. Peters And Lee – Welcome Home

Jo Eteson playing the vocal violin

The ad was launched on Friday, October 29th 2010, only few days after the 15-hours shooting.  And as I’m writing this, it has been online for only 3 days…and already more than 800.000 views on YouTube.

The idea for an a cappella flash mob was created by T-Mobile and their advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Shai Fishman, L.A.-based Israeli studio wizard and creator of the a cappella extravaganza The Voca People, was hired by the production company (Smuggler) and developed the idea to find as many singers as possible who can either contribute instrumental sounds or who perfectly fit one of the lead vocals parts of the songs mentioned above. He finally found himself with the cream of the crop of English contemporary vocal music, from professional session singers to members of the best UK a cappella groups and beatboxing virtuosos.

To give you an idea, there are some of the artists who were involved: Florence Andrews,  Sophia Behn, Katie Birtill, Noa Bodner, Billy Boothroyd, Beverly Brown, Rachel Cameron, Bryan Chambers, Alyusha Chagrin,  Fraser Collins (The Magnets), Dean Collinson, David Combes, Belle “Bellatrix” Ehresmann (The Boxettes), Matt Elson, Kineret Erez, Jo Eteson (The  Swingle Singers),  Willy Eteson (Ex-Swingle Singers), Tanya Fear, Joanna Forbes-L’Estrange (Ex-Swingle Singers), Kevin Fox (Swingle Singers, Ex-Cadence), Andy Frost (The Magnets), Jo Gibb,  Jonathan Glew, Shimi Goodman, Simon Grant, Helen Hobson, Rachel Mary Holbrook, Timothy Howar, Tobias Hug (Swingle Singers), George Ikediashi, Lydia Jenkins, Alison Jiear, Neo Jessica Joshua (The Boxettes), Paul Kissaun, Alexander L’Estrange, Shona Lindsay, Iain Mackenzie, Yoga Manickam, Callum McIntosh, Emer McParland, Anouska Mond, Jake Moulton (The Housejacks), Christopher Jay (Swingle Singers), Philip Nicholl, Gemma O’Duffy, Andrew Playfoot, Lucy Bailey (Swingle Singers), Janet Ramus, Errol Reid, Yvette Riby-Williams (The Boxettes), Johanna Marshall (Ex-Swingle Singers), Jo Servi, Olive Simpson, Patrick Smyth, Laura Tebbutt, Charlie Tighe, Nebulus Tommatron, Steve Trowell (The Magnets), Clare Wheeler (Swingle Singers), Hannah Wilding Whittingham, Mark Wilshire….looking forward to your comments as this is probably only the tip of the vocal iceberg.

Jake Moulton playing the vocal jazz flute

I had the pleasure to do an interview with the mastermind behind the creation and production of this extraordinary a cappella event, Shai Fishman.

Shai Fishman

This production is part of a corporate marketing campaing. Has it been an issue to be part of a corporate marketing campaign for some of the singers?

Initially they were all made aware of the outlets for this campaign and since we have half the swingle singers, half the magnets and most of the boxettes, I’m sure they all did their homework and discussed this with their management prior to agreeing.  Plus, on a personal note, I think that what we did here definitely helps all the people involved, and promotes the groups they belong to, as well as them personally, as this was done with the at most regard to the art of A Cappella, which we all love so much.

Tobias Hug & Fraser Collins blowing their horns

What was the most thrilling moment of the production?
For me it was the first rehearsal.  I knew I had unbelievable amounts of talent to work with, but only had a chance to see a few at a time, while auditioning them and later, during my group workshops. As soon as I handed them the original arrangement and actually heard it performed by my  initial group of 25 core singers, it was clear to me that something incredible is happening here.  From that point it just got better with each rehearsal.  A few other moments come to mind: First rehearsal with the second, larger group of 75 people (which brought the amount of singers to 100) and then incorporating the 3rd group, adding 125 people, which was a huge thrill for me, conducting 225 people singing my arrangement.  Seeing it all take place in T5 and watching the people react to all this being performed live, was also a very memorable moment.  This production did bring a lot of excitement to everyone.  I’m sure a few records have been broken, doing this.

Anything more you would like the Vocal Blog readers to know about the happening?
I would like to thank my team from Fish-i (http://www.fish-i.com): Yossi Joseph Cohen and Kostya Vasilkov and all the people who continue to support the A Cappella community and the genre of Vocal music and thus, my work.  I think that this event shows that this genre if far from being predictable or old fashioned. I promise that, in my work, I’ll continue to surprise and create new sounds and new concepts in vocal music and continue to bring the most unexpected arrangements and song choices, performed by A Cappella artists from all over the world. I hope more companies, clients and audiences will continue to vote by clicking, coming to see shows and spreading the word about Vocal and A Cappella music.

Thanks, Shai for having you on the blog.

Beatboxers Richard Lianhart, Andy Frost & Bellatrix

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This is a extraordinarily long blog post – but I think the event itself deserves this exception to the “1-page rule” of blogging. If you’ve been around at Heathrow as a singer, spectator or a (real) passenger, let us know about your personal experience. If you have an opionion on a cappella pr and marketing in general, let the Vocal Blog readers know about it. And please add links and photos if you’ve got interesting footage of the London vocal flash mob.

We’ll certainly add more links, pictures and interviews with The Magnets, The Swingle Singers and The Boxettes in the days to come.

By Florian Städtler, SpielPlanVier www.spielplanvier.com

Expectations were high: The first Vocal Jazz Summit in 2005 was a spectacular event and a pioneering work. This festival was one of the first of its kind and set an outstanding benchmark with a unique line-up: Take Six, The New York Voices and The Real Group.

Soon after that, the vocal festival virus spread around Europe. In addition to the longtime a cappella Meccas “Solevoci” (www.solevoci.it), Voice Mania (www.voicemania.at), Leipzig A Cappella (www.a-cappella-festival.de) and Vokal Total (www.spectaculum-mundi.de) some fantastic new events emerged. The Real Group invited 42 international groups to The Real Festival (www.therealfestival.com), Vocal Line’s Jens Johansen founded the Aarhus Vocal Festival (www.aavf.dk) and more a cappella festivals are being planned in Soesterberg/NL, London/UK, Trondheim/NO and elsewhere.

Holger Wittgen, festival organizer for the German “Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz”, nevertheless worked hard to make a second edition of THE Summit possible. And he and his team succeeded. They put together a festival that no one, who took part will easily forget: A three-days beatbox masterclass with mouth percussion genius Roxorloops, coachings by Steve Zegree and members of the headlining ensembles, half a dozen highly talented young groups (Pust, Vocado, Touché, Vocaloca, Witloof Bay, Vocal Journey) and – of course – the stars: The Manhattan Transfer, The Swingle Singers and The Real Group.

If you thought this line-up with two living legends would be less hip and energetic than that of four years ago, the singers easily proved you wrong: ManTran presented a show that made clear that they are still the kings (and queens) of the Vocalese, four-part harmony jungle. The Swingles surprised many a listener with a singer-songwriter repertoire mixed very cleverly with only a few of the all-time classics (you know those      “Swingles ringtones” like Bach’s “Badinerie”). The Real Group, well, they are no less than a perfect work of art. Not even the fact, that one of their members had serious problems with her vocal chords which allowed them to do a 45 minute set only, could lessen the sheer joy you feel when listening to them.

The concerts were amazing, the audience – including lots of singers and hardcore a cappella fans – was enthusiastic. But even more impressive was the general mood during the whole festival. In workshops, coachings, masterclasses, at the cafeteria, the canteen or at the first-time ever Vocal Blog Market Place (the place where online contacts become offline friends) and in two public panels, the a cappella family met, talked, networked and learnt from each other.

To sum it up: These were days of pure inspiration, exhausting but wonderful. Let’s hope that we will all meet again soon, work on common ideas, give common concerts and create great music and better opportunities for all who love vocal music.

To stay in touch, I’m going to invite all the performing ensembles, the coaches and the organizers of the Vocal Jazz Summit 2009 to guest-blog a few lines on what they loved most at this very special festival. Of course it would also be interesting to learn more about their vision of a vocal and a cappella music in general and what they want to achieve with their groups. I’m really looking forward to the input of those who made the Summit an unforgettable event and the international a cappella scene so incredibly colourful, alive and kicking.

Freiburg, October 06, 2009

Florian Städtler

P.S. Vocal Blog plans to be present with its Live Market Place at the European top a cappella events of the future. If you have any suggestions in addition to those named above, feel free to get in touch with us or post them right here.