BY WENDY ZHANG
VOCES8
Sydney Opera House, 16 June
My idea about a cappella music came from pop culture productions like Pitch Perfect and Glee, and to witness the VOCES8’s performance at the Sydney Opera House was a first real experience. (It was pretty awesome.) The group showcased a wide range of a cappella singing, from the High Renaissance all the way to 20th-Century jazz. It was interesting that the group mentioned the average age of its Facebook followers was 65 (and over), but the audience for Glee and Pitch Perfect was predominantly made up of teens and young adults. It shows there is definitely a market for a cappella music amongst younger people, but it perhaps requires a different strategy for groups like VOCES8 to be marketing directly and making their music more accessible to this group.
As I stepped into the Utzon Room for the first time, I felt it was an ideal venue for VOCES8 – large enough to fit 200 people, yet small and intimate enough that their voices were not lost amongst the crowd, not to mention the stunning window view overlooking the Sydney Harbour. The only downside was that there was no raised stage in the room, so people at the back rows would have a partially blocked view of the performers, which might have impacted their experience.
The audience waited a while until the eight-member group walked into the room. Looking confident and stylish, and all appearing to be in their 20s and 30s, there were three ladies (sopranos Andrea Haines and Eleonore Cockerham, and alto Katie Jeffires-Harris) and five gents (countertenor Barnaby Smith, tenors Blake Morgan and Sam Dressel, baritone Christopher Moore, and bass Johnny Pacey). They started the concert with a song from the English Renaissance period – Sing Joyfully by William Byrd. It was a short-and-sweet opening that set the scene. I particularly enjoyed the treble section, with the girls singing one after the other and imitating each other’s phrases beautifully.
In stark contrast to the High Renaissance music, the group sang jazz standard Straight Up and Fly Right by Nat King Cole. Blake first introduced the group members individually, and then each of them started humming the tunes of the song one by one after their introductions. They were casual, fun, and relaxed, yet the timing of their introductions and singing were almost perfect. It was incredible to watch and hear Johnny singing the sound of the bass instrument with his deep voice, as he pretended to be playing a bass. The group sang this piece with a swing feel and jazzy beat, accompanied by each other (Johnny as bass, and Blake as percussion), which was pleasant and nice but I immediately heard alarm bells ringing – if there are more versatile singers like these who can imitate the sound of the instruments and sing, then are we instrumental players obsolete?
The group sang an unusual rendition of the classic hit The Sound of Silence. The male voices started singing the main melody in bass part, as the female voices provided the accompaniment in the treble section. The bass melody was remarkably unique and charming, with the boys’ deep and pure voices, which was balanced and accentuated by the treble accompaniment. This was followed by the baritones and then sopranos singing the main melody, adding a very rich harmonic texture and interesting arrangement to the classic hit.
Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia was my personal favourite of the concert. This song, as introduced by the group, was the unofficial anthem of Scotland, and a local pub karaoke favourite. However, the version the group sang was a bit more classy and elegant, evoking a strong sense of attachment and patriotism (the same kind of feelings we Aussies would have had when we listen to I Still Call Australia Home). All eight members sang the melody very slowly with strong emotions; followed by Simon’s take and then the female singers. There were ascending scales in repetition. At the end, everyone sang the melody together – soft, tender, and full of emotions, ending the song on a patriotic note.
The group ended the concert with Duke Ellington’s jazz classic It Don’t Mean a Thing. I’ve heard this song many times, but usually it was with one singer backed up by a four-piece band (piano, drums, saxophone, and bass). I was curious to hear how the group delivered this song, and they did not disappoint. The fast section was impressive – lively, upbeat, and full of energy, with some members singing the instrumental parts. They ended the song powerfully on a very high note, and the group sang it effortlessly, almost like the sound of a saxophone.
The audience loved their performance and called them back to perform an encore piece, which was a Samba with very complex rhythmic and harmonic arrangements. There was so much going on – dancing and singing in Spanish; sounds of mouth clicking, drum beats, bass, and other instruments. I closed my eyes and heard a full band playing. Except, when I opened eyes, there were just eight versatile singers with no instruments, and voices only.
Images supplied. Credit: Andy Staples.
