Arrived in Miami last night, and what can I say? - it's a beautiful city. After buying some new headphones at the airport on the way, I can now enjoy the splendour of my classical music collection in all its glory on Miami beach. So, as I'm in the US, I thought it would be the perfect time to write a post about one of the best a capella groups in the world, Voces8. I thought it would be appropriate to post about them as they are currently touring around the states performing and teaching in concert halls and schools, and making daily videos about everything they get up to.
Voces8
The international award-winning octet has established itself at the front of British a capella. Consisting of six men: Rob, Barney, Chris, Charles, Paul and the infamous Dingle, and two girls: Emily and Andrea.
The reason Voces8 are so close to my heart, is because my schools is one of the lucky few that gets to work with them. For the last couple of years, they have come to our school to work with my Close Harmony group: Vocalicity! We have even been on weekends away with them, and after getting to know them quite well over the last couple of years, I've come to find them to be not only incredibly talented singers and all-round musicians, but really funny and lovely people who work so well with both teenagers and children. They've taught us some of their famous arrangements, worked on our vocal skills with us and most importantly, taught us that the most important thing in our group (more than tuning!) is that we are all working hard to achieve something together; similarly to achieving good intonation in the harmony of singing, creating social and emotional harmony is also key. Here is a picture of us performing in the same venue as Voces8 at a charity evening in Fortnum & Masons:
Emanuel Close Harmony Group - Vocalicity!
Here is one of my favourite of their pieces, (something my group has learnt) called 'Steal Away'. Composed originally as a negro-spiritual, this arrangement brings new levels of harmonic interest and detail, and is beautifully sung (as always!) by the group.
Why not take a look at their site: http://www.voces8.com/web/, where you can find out much more information about the group and upcoming concerts, CDs etc, and, for a bit of a laugh, their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/VOCES8 where they have daily uploads of their adventures in the USA. Here is my favorite:
Very beautiful singing yesterday in Slovenia (Radovljica - in the church of St. Peter). You and also the School Chapel Choir was amazing. I have been singing till I remembered and I can tell you, specially Voces8, was really glorius. Thank you. Best wishes to you and yours choir. May the almigthy God give you his blessing. With regards. Martin Zlobko, chaplain in St. Stanislav Institution
Very beautiful singing yesterday in Slovenia (Radovljica - in the church of St. Peter). You and also the School Chapel Choir was amazing. I have been singing till I remembered and I can tell you, specially Voces8, was really glorius. Thank you. Best wishes to you and yours choir. May the almigthy God give you his blessing. With regards. Martin Zlobko, chaplain in St. Stanislav Institution
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