A selection of standards arranged by Deke Sharon and Anne Raugh from the popular CASA songbook series. Women's arrangements - especially interesting ones - are in very short supply. That's why we're very pleased to offer this songbook. Many old standards are here, plus there are a few more challenging contemporary pieces.

This highly-popular series has become a yearly event to satisfy the appetites of collegiate music lovers, and it's a great way to expose oneself to the up-and-coming talent proliferating at our nation's higher institutions. Whether the Stanford Counterpoints 'Don't Speak,' the Tufts Amalgamates 'I Don't Want to Wait' or 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' by UPenn Off The Beat, the selections offer a tuneful portion of what's hip now in current or retro pop, and the quality is entirely professional. Over half the tracks were CARA nominated, a surefire harbinger of success. Many members of professional and semi-professional contemporary vocal bands started out in these very ensembles, so heads up!

The series continues, with a variety of well-known college ensembles contributing tracks, such as U. of Penn Off The Beat, Tuft's Belezebubs, Duke Out Of The Blue, Notre Dame Undertones, Harvard Opportunes and the Brown Derbies. Per usual, nearly all the tunes are skimmed from chart topping artists such as Sheryl Crow, Tori Amos and Elton John, but there are some unexpected covers too - from the soundtrack of the film 'Roja' and our favorite, 'Snow On The Sahara', originally performed by Anggun, sung here by the Stanford Harmonics. It's also clear how prominent the female voice has become in today's marketplace, and that's reflected here in the percentage of mixed or exclusively female groups. The skill level of these ensembles ranges from solid to professional quality, with everybody hitting their marks on cue.

We have to say two things about the BOCA series­one, the studio production on the tracks keeps getting more professional, and two, so do the groups! Michigan (my alma mater) Amazin' Blues' 'Millennium,' for instance, will get you up and boogying, and Iowa State U's Shaggy Boys (see above cd review) 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' is unbelievable. UPenn Off the Beat, represented on 7 BOCAs, ride with 'Wild Horses,' and York University's Wibijazz'n grooves on Steely Dan's 'Peg.' All 17 tunes are good, but some notables: Stanford's Mixed Company, 'Someday;' USC's Sirens, 'Ray of Light' and SoCal VoCals, 'Total Eclipse of the Heart;' Illinois Extension Chords, 'Inside Out' and Northwestern Purple Haze, 'Cornflake Girl.' Smooth, energetic and entertaining.

Perhaps rather grandiosley named this recording nevertheless does indeed feature some of the most accomplised men's a cappella groups perforining on campuses today. Two tracks apiece from Duke's Pitchforks, Tufts Beelzebubs, Notre Dame's Undertones, Univ. of Illinois's The Other Guys, Indiana Univ. Straight No Chaser and UC Berkeley's Men's Octet.. As one might expect the testosorone level is way up yet there are several ballads that are sweet and tender.

A new reissue combining the BOCA '97 and '98 CDs in their entirety.

This is a 2-CD set, the Best of Collegiate A Cappella Volumes I and II. There are 19 songs on Vol. I, and 15 on Vol. II, each by a different school's chorus or choir. It's very hard to pick some favorites here, so we'll just toss out a few: 'Everything She Wants' by the Wesleyan Spirits, 'This Woman's Work by the Tufts Jackson Jills, 'In Your Eyes' by the Brown Derbies, 'The Weakness in Me' by Colgate Swingin' Gates, and Sting's 'Englishman in New York' by Michigan Amazin' Blue, but they're all great. Enjoy!

Another BOCA collection of the best of the collegiate vocal groups never fails to impress us with the humor, arrangements and sheer talent of these young voices. 19 tracks, from UCLA Awaken's 'Walk Like An Egyptian,' and Indiana Straight No Chaser's 'I Belong to You,' to Duke Out of the Blue's 'Eve' and Tufts Beelzebubs' 'The Trial.' As admirers of Michigan Amazin' Blue, who give us 'She,' we were pleased to note that two other Ann Arbor groups made the cut, Michigan Compulsive Lyres singing 'Limp' and Michigan Dicks & Janes, with 'Everything You Want.' Other good stuff: U-Madison-Wisconsin's Tangled Up In Blue's 'Breathless,' Stanford Everyday People's 'Billie Jean/No Diggity' and USC Sirens' 'Beautiful.' But it's all good, really­BOCA 2002 is a treat!

This year BOCA had the most submissions ever from collegiate groups to choose from, over 2,000 songs, and each collection, beginning in 1995, is more successful than the last! When these collections come out about this time every year, it's always a joy to see the enthusiasm and love for a cappella in these excellent college groups. 18 songs, from the Upenn Off the Beat's 'Crawling In The Dark,' Dartmouth College Aires' 'Workin' for the Weekend,' and the U of Michigan Dicks & Janes' 'Tonight and the Rest of My Life,' to York U.'s Wibijazzn's 'Rosanna,' Tufts Univ. Amalgamates' 'Killing Me Softly' and Stanford University Harmonics' 'Lady Marmalade,' this CD is a revelation. Many excellent collegiate groups sent songs, few were chosen, and the quality of those is very fine indeed!

The 2004 Best of Collegiate A Cappella recording boasts an impressive assortment of cover songs performed by our nation's premiere, young vocal groups. From the USC Sirens to the The Bostonians of Boston College, the groups performing on this CD are the best in their class, ousting hundreds of collegiate vocal groups that sought the BOCA title. Fans of collegiate a cappella, old and new, will enjoy the University of Virginia Academical Village People's rendition of Ben Folds' 'Kate,' or the University of Oregon on the Rocks' cover of Coldplay's hauntingly beautiful love ballad, 'Yellow.'

We always enjoy listening to the BOCA collection that arrives this time of year, because (a) it's exciting, spirited stuff from a cappella groups across the country we don't usually get to hear, and (b) it reminds us how alive and juicy the a cappella scene is on the country's campuses! Picking favorites from CASA's picks for the 20 best collegiate a cappella tunes, we have: Stanford U. Everyday People's 'Whatever You Want,' the Dartmouth Aires' rendition of Caedmon's Call's 'Somewhere North,' MIT Logarhythms' vocal percussion gem 'The Kids Aren't Alright,' U of North Carolina Clef Hangers' rap-flavored version of Outkast's 'The Way You Move,' UCLA Random Voices' lovely cover of Tori Amos' 'A Sorta Fairytale,' the Claremont Shades' cover of Garbage's nasty 'Push It,' Stanford Mixed Company's cover of Collective Soul's 'Run,' Clemson U TIGEROAR's cover of Matchbox 20's 'Unwell,' Duke Out of the Blue's cover of Maroon Five's 'She Will Be Loved,' Stanford Mendicants' cover of Wham!'s 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,' the Michigan Amazin' Blue's cover of Sarah McLachlan's 'Angel' and the U of Virginia Hullabahoos' raucous cover of Outkast's 'Hey Ya.' Some incredible voices, cutting-edge arrangements, hot vocal percussion and wonderful song selection‹BOCA 2005 is another stone winner!

'Voices' is a generous, 2-CD set of the best of the collegiate a cappella groups, a total of 30 songs. We're particularly pleased to see and hear groups we've never heard of before, such as 'What It Feels Like For A Girl,' by Boston Aural Fixation, 'Into the Dark' by VT Juxtaposition, 'The Late Great Planet Earth' by UT Ransom Notes, 'Feel Good Time' by MIT Muses, 'Missing' by UPenn Penny Loafers, 'Collective Soul' by Colorado In The Buff, 'Only In Dreams' by Wash U in St. Louis Mosaic Whispers, 'Earth Song' by UCSB Naked Voices, and 'Beauty of Grey' by St. Louis Bare Naked Statues. There are familiar and welcome names from the BOCA yearly compilations, such as 'All Original' by the Stanford Fleet Street Singers, 'Ask the Lonely' by the Dartmouth Aires, 'When I Think About Angels' by the UVA Sil'hooettes, 'Never There by the Clemson TIGEROAR, 'Destiny/In The Waiting Line' by the USC Sirens, and 'Nothing' by Northwestern Purple Haze. The brazen, refreshing ensemble names, like the Duke Pitchforks, Cornell Class Notes, Oregon Divisi and Elon Twisted Measure go well with their music, which features innovative arrangements, rich harmonies, genuinely funny material and always interesting entertainment. Want to hear what's up in collegiate a cappella? Settle back, put the 2 CDs of 'Voices Only 2005' and enjoy!

The professionalism of the competing groups becomes more impressive with each passing year! Each and every ensemble that graces the stage with their talent has something special, and each group is distinct in its own way. Of course the contemporary and jazz groups are always popular - and in fact, Toxic Audio, the contemporary/jazz quintet from Florida, took first place, and another mixed jazz quintet, Bay Area favorites +4 db, were third - but, in addition, we feature the Perfect Gentlemen, a barbershop group from Los Angeles (2nd place), and the Total Experience Gospel Choir. Of course, 1999 champs, and your hosts, the contemporary Christian septet, Seven, perform two songs, and their virtuosity is undeniable. Audience favorites the Exboyfriends (who have won this category in previous New York regionals, flexing their performance muscles), swagger with Led Zeppelin's 'Ramble On,' while the reconstituted All Star Vocal Band (formerly the 17th Ave. All Stars) cover Journey and Stevie Wonder. Live Wire and Chapter Six represent the hot retro swing craze. It's a panoply of sound!

If you were there in San Rafael on May 5th, 2001, you know what an incredible show this was. Eight of the best groups in the world, Sixth Wave, Voice Trek, Freestyle, Vox Bop, So Rare, T Minus 5, 4:2:5 and Eclipse, on stage for 12 incredible minutes each, the show hilariously hosted by last year's winner, Toxic Audio. The sellout (always) audience was blown away by one amazing performance after another, ranging from the ridiculous, T Minus 5's side-splitting 'Red Neck Avenger' and Freestyle's very funny 'Paper Doll,' to the unbelievable, Vox Bop's genre-hopping commentary on all things a cappella, 'Slinky Variations,' and Voice Trek's tour-de-force 'William Tell Overture;' to the sublime, So Rare's 'Ain't Misbehavin' and 4:2:5's 'Still The One.' In the end, the judges had a difficult choice, and went with Los Angeles' Sixth Wave, whose 'Grazin' in the Grass' and 'Mambo' are representative of their wonderful vocal jazz set. Add two songs by Toxic Audio, which makes 18, and you have a barn-burner CD of one of the best a cappella shows of all time. Wow!

The sellout crowd at Marin Veterans Aud. in San Rafael, CA once again saw a dazzling Harmony Sweepstakes Final - Eight Regional winners from all over the country, giving their all in the 'most exciting twelve minutes in a cappella.' In this wonderfully recorded CD we hear Denver winner Eclipse's 'Danny Boy' and 'Look My Way,' Bay Area Winner III of a Kind's incredible cover of 'Man in the Mirror' and the Asian hit tune 'Anak;' returning winner (Pacific NW) The Standards' 'Ain't Got Nothing But Love' and heartfelt 'Prayer of the Children;' Boston Winner Groove's great covers of 'Anna Begins' and James Brown's classic 'I Feel Good,' and New York winner, the Russian group Autri, sings 'Keimanchuli' and a stunning original by one of its members, 'Tale of War.' Los Angeles' Perfect Gentlemen's cutting edge barbershop harmony soars into 'Blue Skies' and 'Patty Cake.' Washington, DC's Tone Rangers score with their offbeat covers of 'I Need You' and Simon & Garfunkel's 'Keep The Customer Satisfied.' Finally, Chicago winner Chapter 6 nails Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and finishes with a hilarious 'Wizard Of Oz Medley.' In the end the judges chose The Perfect Gentlemen as National Champion, (also chosen Audience Favorite) and we walked into the night, smiling and raving about one of the best a cappella shows of all time!

We're of the almost certainly biased opinion that the Harmony Sweeps Finals are the best a cappella shows in the world. Imagine 8 groups, who have come in first in Regional competition with 10 other groups in places like New York, Boston, the Bay Area, Chicago and LA, performing before a packed auditorium in San Rafael, CA for 12 minutes each, for the coveted National Championship. Each year outdoes the last, and 'electric' doesn't do justice to the 2003 Finals. There are 18 songs on the CD, two from each group and two from '02 Champs, and very funny hosts, LA's Perfect Gentlemen, 'Gimme Some Skin' and the guitar accompanied (!) 'Meanest Thing You Ever Did Was Kiss Me.' The Bay Area's hilarious Moosebutter brings us 'Psycho, The Musical,' winner of 'Best Original Song' (lyrics), and their trademark parody, 'Star Wars,' part of a set that won them 2nd place honors. The Pacific NW's Second Chance contribute a funky 'Go Tell It On The Mountain' and the very funny beach song parody 'Sand Down My Pants.' LA's Undivided Musical Group sing 'Amarte Mas' and nail Ward Swingle's arrangement of 'Mission Impossible Theme.' Boston's All About Buford do wonderful covers of the Gershwins' 'Summertime' and Rodgers & Hart's 'My Funny Valentine.' Chicago's Nightwatch sing two songs from their infamous 'Diner Set' (complete with ballistic donut), 'Truck Drivin' Man' and 'Yes Sir, That's My Baby,' and New York's very smooth Cadence covers 'Straighten Up and Fly Right' and 'Tempted' beautifully. Denver's Groove Society gets the crowd up and rocking with 'You're No Good' and the classic 'Listen to the Music.' Unbelievably, as good as all these groups were, the best was saved for last, Mid-Atlantic winner Idea of North from Australia, who shine on 'Mas Que Nada' (which won the David Lichtman Award for Best Arrangement) and Randy Newman's heart-tugging 'When She Loved Me.' Idea of North got the nod from the judges, and won Audience Favorite, while Moosebutter and Cadence placed 2nd and 3rd. A chorus of 'Goodnight Sweetheart' later we were all walking out of beautiful Marin Veterans Auditorium, not believing how good a show we had just seen and heard!

This year's Harmony Sweepstakes reminded all who participated, how magical making music can be. Now, we all can share that magic by listening to this excellent live recording. With 20 years gone by, this national competition is still going strong and bringing out the very best in a cappella singing.  This year's show had an excellent assortment of various styles, including jazz, pop, contemporary, latin and much more. There were lots of humorous moments, including the national champions, Chapter Six's original song, 7th Wheel, as well as somber/uplifting moments including the beautiful performance of Kiss From A Rose by Impulse. Of course no one could forget Clockwork's performance of Inna-Godda-Da-Vida or Vox Bop's Commercial medley . With continuous stellar performances from all eight groups, this 19 track CD is sure to keep you entertained.

Listen to Walk The Straighter Road in RealAudio.

It always seems to us as the Harmony Sweeps celebrates another year of its existence (its 21st, in this case), that 'last year's Finals were so sublime, how could this year's possiblyŠetc., etc.'‹but then we're in the sold-out, excited audience for this year's, and the first group is about to come onŠ what we're trying to say is somehow each Sweeps Final is better than the last. And what we love about the CDs is that they're live, 9 of the best a cappella groups in the world on one stage, singing their hearts out for 13 short minutes, for the National Championship. Last May, Mid-Atlantic's Cartoon Johnny, Boston's Firedrill, Chicago's Fiveplay, NYC's Traces, Denver's Face, Pacific NW's Groove for Thought, LA's Undivided and SF's own Moodswing were those groups. 19 songs, including 'Joy to the World' and Best Original Song, 'Walk the Straighter Road' by Kevin Kunz of National Champions Groove For Thought, David Lichtman Best Original Arrangement winner 'Paper Moon' by Greg Murai of Moodswing, ('Moanin'' by Moodswing is also happily included), 3rd Place finishers Fiveplay sing Stevie Wonder's 'Superstitious/IWish' and 'I Never Knew,' and runner-up and Audience Favorite Face have 3 winners, 'Pink Panther Theme,' 'Harder To Breathe' and 'Safety Dance.' But let us not forget hosts Chapter 6, whose 'Ode to Krispy Kreme' and 'Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing' drew standing O's, Firedrill's Motown classic 'Chain of Fools,' Traces' 'Mary Don't You Weep,' Undivided's 'What's Goin' On' and Cartoon Johnny's 'Crazy Love.' A savory sampler from a magic night in May in San Rafael, CA!

Listen to Isn't She Lovely in RealAudio.

It's the first weekend in May, and the sold-out audience at Marin Veterans Auditorium in San Rafael, CA is buzzing with anticipation of seeing the Harmony Sweepstakes Finals, possibly the best live show in a cappella! 8 Regional-winning groups are backstage, having beat out as many as 8 other groups for the privilege of singing their hearts out for the National Championship. 'Finals' has 16 of the best tunes from that memorable night, including Bay Area winner Clockwork's jazzy 'My Baby Just Cares For Me,' and wonderful cover of Radiohead's 'Creep,' part of an excellent set that won them 3rd place, and the award for 'Best Original Arrangement.' We hear Mid-Atlantic-winning Regency's 'Only You' and high-energy 'Jump, Jive and Wail,' part of a great set that won them 2nd place. LA barbershop quartet Hi Fidelity, in 'Addams Family' costume, bring us the 'Addams Family' theme and a key-bending, hilarious 'Blackbird,' they won both Audience Favorite and the National Championship. New York Quartet 'Round Midnight's 'Take the A-Train' and 'Tin Roof Blues,' Chicago's Elmo Thumm's 'Last Train to Clarksville' and 'Shooting Star,' Denver's Curious Gage's 'Long Train Runnin'' and 'Windmills' show us how good Hi-Fidelity had to be to win. Boston's Traces sing 'As' and 'Wonderful World,' which won Best Original Song,' and the Pacific NW's Tongue Tied A Cappella give us a dynamic cover of the Starship's 'We Built This City.' Exciting cuts from a magic May evening in San Rafael!

Listen to Blackbird in RealAudio.

On a perfect May Saturday night in San Rafael, CA, the sold-out audience witnessed another unbelievable evening of unaccompanied vocal harmony singing. Eight Regional winners were up on stage, singing their hearts out for the fans and the judges, with the National Championship on the line. The best 18 songs of the night, including from local favorites the folk/world female ensemble Solstice with 'Wade in the Water' and the dynamic 'Kappee.' A pair of songs from Audience Favorites Denver's 'Face,' includes the gritty, powerful rocker 'Home,' that won them 2nd Place. Three tracks from the evening's winners National Champs from Los Angeles, Moira Smiley & VOCO with the folk tune 'Bring Me Little Water, Silvie,' 'Szerelem' and the lovely, moving 'Stand in that River.' Other favorites are New York's The Fault Line's 'Some Kind of Wonderful;' the Pacific NW's V-Chords' 'Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing', Boston's Men in Black's 'Run Around' and Chicago's Nightwatch's very funny 'Defying Gravity.' And let us not forget host group 2006 Champions Hi-Fidelity (hey, that's 2 in a row for L.A.!), whose 'Enterprise/Sulu Medley' reminds us how brilliant and funny they can be.

Listen to Home in RealAudio.

The unique six-voice a cappella orchestration of 'Toccata and Fugue in D Minor' is used in order to fully capture the thick chord voicings of this piece. The swing section contains original melodies based on the already established Toccata theme and crescendos into a tenor and bass (vocal-drum) solo. The work concludes with the original finale of the classical fugue. Matt Falker's arrangement of 'A Time For Love' (originally written by Johnny Mandel)' is a beautiful a cappella ballad. The chart is written for SSATBB voices and features a male/female duet in the latter part of the piece. Issa Sorensen's arrangement of Bobby McFerrins 'Good Lovin' will bring the house down with its awesome groove. Not to be confused with the sensational A Cappella band with the same name, 'Rockapella' is an original a cappella piece with a slow, almost Baroque opening that builds into a high-intensity groove. Features soloist and doo-wop bass line for added energy. A lot of fun for audience and performers!

One of the greatest songs of all time, Jerome Kern's classic romantic ballad 'The Way You Look Tonight' shimmers in a rich a cappella setting highlighted by lush harmonies and gently arched phrasing in a superb arrangement by Kirby Shaw. 'Smile' - This exquisitely lush a cappella setting of the familiar lyric, 'smile though your heart is breaking', shares a wonderful message of hope and perseverance. An ideal closing selection. The beautifully lyrical Gershwin ballad 'Love Walked In' has never before had such a well-crafted, fully textured setting! This gorgeous a cappella treatment is well suited to traditional concert and pop programs! Phil Mattson does a wonderful jazz arrangement of ' I'll Be Seeing You' while 'How Deep Is the Ocean' has varied choral textures and luscious harmonies that makes Irving Berlin standard an ideal selection for a cappella vocal groups. Ultimately romantic!

The classic Beatles song 'Yesterday', as recorded by the popular group Boyz II Men, is given a wonderful treatment here by Mac Huff, guaranteed to spellbind your audience. 'You Raise Me up' is now available in this a cappella concert arrangement, and the moving lyrics and soaring vocals of this Josh Groban classic will inspire all who hear it. Masterful! Here is a soulful a cappella rendition of '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay', the #1 pop hit by Otis Redding, that's great for contemporary groups. 'From a Distance' is a stunning new a cappella setting of the #1 pop hit by Bette Midler. These powerful lyrics and a timeless melody will create an unforgettable concert moment. Magical!

There's nothing more fun to sing than a great show tune! An inspired a cappella treatment of the 'Fats' Waller classic 'Ain't Misbehavin''. Many fun options in the center section ­ 'Rudy Vallee' solo, tap solo, etc. Totally unique! A classic Kirby Shaw setting of a Gershwin ballad ' Love Is Here To Stay' is a delight. Here's a stunningly beautiful arrangement of the classic Broadway ballad 'On A Clear Day'. Steve Zegree's a cappella jazz voicings are breathtaking! Recorded by many artists including Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darrin, 'Once Upon A Time' was featured in the Broadway production of All American. Beautiful harmonies and a lyrical melody combine to make this special.

Add a breath of salty sea air to your repertoire with one of these traditional sea chanties. Lots of fun to sing and with performance notes. Originally from England, where 'All for Me Grog' was heard in music halls as well as on ships, the shanty was sung while working the capstan and the halyard. Swedish composer and conductor, Robert Sund wrote this playful arrangement of 'What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?' leaving ample room for both women and men to excel in this well-known sea chantey. The tongue-twisting text brings this arrangement to an impressive ending!

Selected for the Ron Kean Multicultural Series, 'African Processional' utilizes sounds from African folk songs and a joyful chorus emerges with an occasional solo interjection. 'Ning Wendete' is a traditional folk song from Kenya and is a conversation between a man and a woman. 'I love you, but you do not love me. How is that? If you do not love me, you had better tell me so.' Dynamic contrast, percussion and a wide range of layered vocal textures make this an appealing concert choice. 'The Coca Cola Song' is a playful contemporary African folksong and is a lot of fun to perform with layered vocal parts, African percussion, and humorous references to the choir members singing. Celebrative and highly rhythmic, 'African Noel' shines with energy and excitment. Contrasting dynamics and optional percussion make this one a real creative and refreshing Christmas selection. Beautiful in its simplicity, your choir will have fun with this one!

'Big Bunch a Little Bunch' is a traditional Bahamian song about the many beloved recipients of a woman's roses. This lively, rhythmic arrangement for mixed choir is ideal for a world music concert or other festival performances. 'Ripe Tomata Green Peas' is a traditional market song by Bahamian composer/conductor Cleophas Adderley offers a light-hearted treatment that is sometimes solemn, sometimes frenzied. With optional hand percussion, this a cappella setting will bring your concert to a spirited conclusion! 'Jamaican Noel ' is a bright and cheerful original that will surely be heard resounding throughout the halls of your school ­ it's that irresistible! The delightful settings of 'Three Bahamian Folk Songs' are by the founder and director of the Bahamas National Youth Choir and will add a little caribbean calypso to you program. What fun!

Memphis has long been illustrious for its blues, jazz and soul roots. The essence of Memphis musical heritage is showcased in this collection of Gospel Quartets featuring: The Gospel Writers, Holy Ghost Spirituals, The Harmonizers, The Harps of Melody, The Pattersonaires, and the Spirit of Memphis Quartet. Reflecting on styles from the 30's through 80's, you will be taken on a historical and musical journey throughout the neighborhoods of Memphis.

Bluegrass, a brand of music appreciated for its intricate musicianship and instrumental virtuosity, has always maintained a fresh appeal while staying true to the gospel roots inherent to the genre. Sacred Voices is a gathering of Bluegrass big shots who have put down their instruments and opened their voices, sounding out an integrated variety of Gospel songs and continuing a tradition that started with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver sing 'Climbing Up The Mountain' and 'That New Jerusalem'. Peter Rowan & The Rowan Brothers sing a haunting 'Lone Pilgrim' while also making an appearance with the Nashville Bluegrass Band on 'Jesus Made the Wine'. 'Father I Stretch My Hand To Thee' and 'Roll Jordan Roll' also feature the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Tim & Mollie O'Brien contribute 'Shut De Do' and Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice 'Talk about Suffering'. New Grass Revival adds a touch of live performance to the mix with 'Walk In Jerusalem' while Robin & Linda Williams & Friends keep the faith with 'He's Coming Again So Soon' and 'Don't You Want To Go To Heaven'. Also featured are 'Vision Of A Golden Crown' by Don Rigsby and a whole cast of vocals, 'My Heavenly Home' by Front Range, and 'Feel Like My Time Ain't Long' by The Country Gentlemen. First published in 1855 is the oldest and most recognizable song 'What A Friend We Have In Jesus', a riveting solo performance given by Doc Watson. Bluegrass and Gospel music are both inspiring and timeless; strip down to the naked voice and the result is something sacred.

'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows' is a whimsical gem for female voices and will captivate your audiences. Kirby's exquisite arrangement of this classic song lets each section blossom with a turn at the melody. Mac Huff's arrangement of Bette Midler's #1 pop hit 'From A Distance' has powerful lyrics and a timeless melody that will create an unforgettable concert moment. Magical! Michele Weir's arrangements of 'Rock-A-Bye Baby' is a smooth jazz delight and the vocal jazz standard 'Java Jive'gets a great a cappella treatment with the Kirby Shaw touch! Still swings!

Produced by CASA, these compilation CDs are a great introduction to different genres of a cappella, and are particularly recommended to the novice listener. Including groups such as Penn off the Beat ('Fall from Grace') Heebee-jeebees ('Angels We Have Heard on High') Da Vinci's Notebook ('Liposuction') and the King's Singers ('Abendlied'), the proceeds benefit CASA and allow the organization to continue in its efforts to promote a cappella singing. Other groups featured are The Fairfield Four, Vox One and Rockapella.