The Swingle Singers
Ward Swingle now lives in semi-retirement near Paris, France. When he was a youngster in Alabama his father insisted that he learn all kinds of music, play all kinds of instruments and develop perfect pitch. It turned out to be the ideal background, many years later, when he founded the Swingle Singers, in Paris in the early sixties. The whole thing began as an exercise by eight free-lance singers. The group was bored by the simple fare available in the studios, for this was an era dominated by pop and early rock. One day he got out Bach's "Well Tempered Clavichord" and they tried them out, to find that singing them came naturally. In 1963 they released their first recording on Phillips. By word of mouth, DJ after DJ began playing it. After climbing the charts it hit the top ten and stayed in the top 100 for more than a year and a half! That one and their following two albums won Grammies for Best Performance By A Chorus, and Bach's Greatest Hits also won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
Moving from the recording studio to live performance wasn't that great a stretch as the group didn't overdub. Ward, who did the arrangements, stayed close to Bach's written score, just adding drums and bass to accentuate the rhythm. Thus he developed a style which used the voice as an instrument in a fusion of jazz and classical styles. Much of the next ten years was spent touring with Les Swingles as they had created an international audience in no small part because scat turned out to be and international language. As their music became internationally acclaimed composers began to invite the Swingle Singers to perform their works which specially fit the group. One example of that was Luciano Berio, the Italian avant-garde composer. In 1969 he invited them to perform "Sinfonia," written for eight mixed voices and orchestra. Since the recorded premiere with the New York Philharmonic, they have performed it over three hundred times.
When the French group disbanded in 1973, Ward went to England where he had an idea to form Swingles II with an expanded repertoire which would be more adequately supported by the large choral traditions of English music. He continued actively with the group until 1985 when he returned to the United States and spent ten years lecturing, doing seminars and guest conducting. The Swingle Singers have continued, with Ward as musical advisor, to this day. No, not merely continued, they have expanded their repertoire unceasingly. Their staging is fabulous, their performances sublime. Most of us have not had the opportunity to see the new Swingle Singers in concert for there is a new group of singers who have taken up the challenge of continuing one of the cleverest and most graceful singing traditions in the world. Before we mention the new singers, we must thank those whose names are synonymous in our minds with the Swingle Singers, for they are those on most of our recordings. Thanks to Helen Massey, Deryn Edwards, Joanna Forbes and Anne de Renais, sopranos; Linda Stevens, Heather Cairncross, Wendy Nieper and Sarah Simmonds, altos; Andrew Busher, Jonathan Rathbone, Andrew Grey and Michael Robinson, tenors; Ben Parry, David Porter Thomas and Patrick Ardagh-Walter, basses. These singers have lightened our lives immeasurably as they were all, at one time, previous members. Additionally, we have to thank Dr. John Milner, the sound engineer who previously toured and recorded with them for ten years.
Now we have a whole new group of singers who will no doubt build on the foundation created by all the prior Swingles and delight us to no end. It's their turn. They are;
Sopranos: Sara Brimer, Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson
Altos: Clare Wheeler, Lucy Bailey
Tenors: Christopher Jay, Richard Eleson
Basses: Tobias Hug, Kevin Fox
Sound Engineer: Hugh Walker
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Unravel |
The Swingles, the mixed-voice world-class, multiple Grammy-winning, legendary a cappella octet from London and one of our favorite Vocal Jazz groups of all time, originally broke into the Jazz scene of 1963 because of Ward Swingle's innovation. He handed his group of session singers charts for an instrumental, Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier," which led to their double Grammy hit album "Bach's Greatest Hits." There is this kind of innovation and artistry on "Ferris Wheels," which comes from the Joni Mitchell hit "Both Sides Now" ("Moons and Junes and Ferris Wheels, the dizzy, dancing way you feel"), the second of 12 wonderfully crafted songs on the album. The ethereal "Unravel," James Taylor's lazy-day, bluesy "On the 4th of July," the exquisite French adaption of the theme from "Summer of '42," "L'Ete 42," Nick Drake's stunning bluenote "River Man," Sting's powerful, waltzlike "Until," and a symphonic arrangement of Lennon/McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby" by group member Kevin Fox (who also sings lead on it). David Freeman and Joseph Hughs' "No More I Love Yous," Stevie Wonder's "Summer Soft," Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel" and Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows" are all beautifully arranged and performed. "Ferris Wheels" is a masterpiece by the Swingles that touches and satisfies on many levels. One of the best Jazz/Pop albums of the year and highly recommended!
Listen to "Flying High/ Wake Me Up When September Ends" in RealAudio.
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A Fifth of Beethoven |
After 44 years of performing in concert and recording, the 2007 version of the Swingles are often asked how the group has changed. The answer is, slowly and naturally they have begun to add vocal percussion, which has made an exciting and indispensable impact on their live shows - and now on "Beauty and the Beatbox," the first Swingles disc where every track contains vocal percussion or human beatboxing. Shlomo, awe-inspiring beatboxer and a great friend of the group who was invited to join the group for an appearance at the London Jazz Festival in 2006, has a major and exciting presence on the album. Included in these 11 tracks are longtime Swingles favorites like "A Fifth of Beethoven, which segues into disco samples (LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" and the BeeGees' "Stayin' Alive"), "Spain," "Adagio in G Minor," "Bolero," "Cielito Lindo," a hot cover of "Straighten Up and Fly Right" (which has some very fine faux horns), and "Piano Concerto No. 21, 2nd mvt." Besides adding a rich bass dimension to the sweet Swingles leads, Shlomo's beatboxing adds a fresh, irreverent, sassy note to this familiar material that we find very appealing—this is fun, sexy, jazzy, let-it-all-hang-out stuff. Listen to the Starsky & Hutch theme "Gotcha," Ward Swingle's arrangement of Lambert, Hendricks & Lewis's "It's Sand, Man!", and the final cut, the dynamic "Bachbeat," to get a taste of the funky, tasty new Swingles.
Listen to "A Fifth of Beethoven" in RealAudio.
| 7639 CD $17.95 |
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Ticket to Ride |
While the Swingles first won acclaim for their arrangements of Bach fugues, they have been performing Beatles songs as part of their live concerts for many years. Though Ward is no longer part of the eight-voice mixed ensemble, he acts as musical advisor, and the group continues on, revitalized by fresh new talent. A record of all-Beatles material is surely a natural! The aural landscape designed by the Beatles, with George Martin at the helm, is ably reproduced here, entirely a cappella, of course. Some adaptations swear almost complete allegiance to the originals, but others, such as "Norwegian Wood," embellish with subtle, yet distinct tonal flavors. The tempo of "Lady Madonna" is gently suppressed, with harmonic emphasis on the seventh. "All My Loving" is a sweetly earnest ballad. "Ticket To Ride" shows the Swingle Singers ready to meet the 21st century, with a winning mix of the old and the new. Songlist
Listen to "Yesterday" and "Ticket to Ride"
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Fugue in D Minor (from 'The Art of Fugue' BWV 1080 by J.S.
Bach) Air (from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major BWV 1068 by J.S. Bach) Largo (from Harpsichord Concerto in F minor BWV 1056 by J.S. Bach) Badinerie (from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor BWV 1067 by J.S. Bach) Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Op. K.525 by W.A. Mozart: -Allegro -Romanze -Menuetto -Rondo En Aranjuez con tu amor (based on mvt. 2 of 'Concierto de Aranjuez' by J. Rodrigo) Tango in D major (No. 2 from 'Espana' Op. 165 by I. Albeniz) Romanza Espanola Just One of Those Things (by C. Porter) Fascinatin' Rhythm (by G. Gershwin / B. Russo / J. Hendricks) Sinfonia (from Partita No. 2 in C minor BWV 826 by J.S. Bach) Solfeggietto (Wq. 117/2 by C.P.E. Bach) Dejeuner sur l'herbe (by Pascal Zavaro) |
This recording is a celebration of forty years of arguably the
world's most famous and longest-running a cappella group. The current mixed-voice
octet has gone back to its roots, teaming up with a world-class jazz rhythm
section for this live CD to recreate both the look and sound of the original
Swingles as it performs the greatest hits of the 60s and 70s, beginning and
ending, of course with the composer on whose music the group was founded, J.S.
Bach. The first part of the program includes 4 Bach gems, then 4 from Mozart's
"Ein Kleine Nachtmusik and 3 Spanish romantic pieces like J. Rodrigo's "En Aranjuez
con tu amor." Marvelous arrangements of Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things"
and Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm" delight us and the crowd. We get a glimpse
of the Swingle's future, "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" by Parisian composer Pascal
Zavaro, who is currently writing an opera with the group. As always, breathtaking,
brilliant stuff from the Swingles! Highly recommended.
| 4530 CD $15.98 |
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So What Surfboard Insensatez The Girl from Ipanema Milonga del Angel A Time For Love The Peacocks What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life? Have You Met Miss Jones? My Funny Valentine The Lady Is A Tramp Just One Of Those Things My Foolish Heart All The Things You Are It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Don't Got that Swing) Soul Bossa Nova |
The Swingles' discography boasts a stylistic diversity unmatched
by any other a cappella group--from Mozart to madrigals, Bach to the Beatles,
folk songs to fugues and film themes, but "Mood" focuses on their forte: jazz.
These eight gifted singers have a symbiotic relationship with some of the best
arrangers in the world, Ward Swingle, Bertrand Groeger, Alexander L'Estrange,
Jonathan Rathbone and others. "Mood" begins with Miles Davis's "So What," which
is followed by a brilliant selection of 1960s Latin jazz, "Surfboard," Jobim's
"Insensatez" and "The Girl From Ipanema" (The best version we've heard), and
"Milonga del Angel." Three moody jazz ballads, "A Time For Love," "The Peacocks"
and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" follow. Then three Richard Rodgers
classics, "Have You Met Miss Jones?," "My Funny Valentine" and "The Lady Is
A Tramp." Then come four classic 30s and 40s standards: "Just One of those Things,"
"My Foolish Heart," "All The Things You Are" and "It Don't Mean A Thing," finishing
with Quincy Jones' 1966 hit, "Soul Bossa Nova" (from Austin Powers). Our favorite
is the stunning 60s Latin Jazz section, which we hope they devote a whole CD
to, but every song is a finely-crafted jewel. "Mood Swings" swings us into a
jazz mood and never lets us go. Listen to the vocal trumpet solo on "The Lady
Is a Tramp"--it's almost unnecessary, because the soprano voices are already
doing soaring jazz trumpet riffs throughout the song. This is breathtaking proof
of our contention that the Swingles are the best at whatever style they choose
to sing«simply perfect! Highly recommended.
Listen to the following in Real Audio: Soul
Bossa Nova, It Don't Mean A Thing , The Girl from Ipanema, The Lady Is A Tramp
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September Song Alabama Song Mack The Knife Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat Largo Badinerie Air In The G String Ticket To Ride A Whiter Shade Of Pale Ave Maria The Fool On The Hill Bohemian Rhapsody Little Drummer Boy Away In A Manger Christmas Medley Amazing Grace White Christmas Introduction To 1812 Overture 1812 Overture Thank you Theme From Mission Impossible |
The Swingle Singers, Ann De Renais, soprano 1, Joanna Forbes, soprano 2, Sarah Simmonds, Alto 1, Wendy Nieper, alto 2, Andrew Gray, Tenor 1, Richard Eteson, Tenor 2, Jeremy Sadler, Bass 1 and Patrick Ardagh-Walter, Bass 2, and this is another of their very popular live albums. We can feel ourselves in the audience in December 2000, the elusive "tingle factor" in the air, as the group takes 21 classic tunes and proceeds to nail them, as only the Swingles can, one by one: "September Song," "Alabama Song," "Mack The Knife," "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat," "Largo," "Badinerie," "Air on the G String," "Ticket to Ride," Procul Harum's "Whiter Shade Of Pale," "Ave Maria," "The Fool on the Hill," Queen's amazing "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Little Drummer Boy," "Away in a Manger," "Christmas Medley," "Amazing Grace," "White Christmas," "Intro to 1812 Overture," "1812 Overture," "September Song," "Thank You" and "Theme from Mission Impossible." Great music, incomparable singing!
Listen to "Bohemian
Rhapsody" or "Mack
the Knife"
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Cachapaya Star of the County Down El paisanito Argentina De punta y taco Chile The Ash Grove Wales David of the White Rock Wales The Drunken Sailor England Ciao bella ciao Italy L'Amour de moi France Country Dances USA Waltzing Matilda Austrailia Danny boy Ireland Charlie is My Darling Scotland Loch Lomond Scotland The Salley Gardens England Joshua fought the battle of Jericho Spiritual Viel Freuden mit sich bringet Germany Bushes and Briers England Sakkijarven Polka Finland Vem kan segla Sweden |
Simply put, the early success of Ward Swingle's Singers in the world of jazz is a result of their applying scat singing (a vocal technique using nonsense syllables started by Louis Armstrong in 1926 when his songsheet with the words fell on the floor while recording) to incongruous well-known music, such as the orchestral and organ music of J.S. Bach. In "Around The World" the Swingles apply scat to folk songs from around the world with a result as fresh and surprising as their first hit, "Bach Hits Back." The instruments they scat in this generous, sumptious CD (over an hour, 20 songs) include flutes of the Andes on the lovely opening cut, "Cachapaya," the banjo in the American medley "Country Dances" and the didgeridoo in a lilting "Waltzing Matilda." The combination of words and vocal "instruments" create another winning, unique sound for the Swingles. Some other favorites: "Star of the County Down" from Ireland, Scotland's "Loch Lomond," "The Ash Grove" from Wales, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho," England's haunting "Bushes and Briars".
Listen to "Star
of the County Down" in Real Audio.
| 6208 CD $15.98 |
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Scherzo (Sonata for violin and piano op. 24 No. 5 in F Major
"Spring") (Ludwig van Beethoven) |
Ward Swingle's Grammy-winning, envelope-pushing mixed-voice octet is simply one of the best and most influential vocal groups of all time. "Romantic" is a digitally-remastered reissue of recordings made in 1967, and the fresh, effortless sound on these 11 songs delights and amazes us again. The prolific Swingles have performed and recorded in many styles, Bach to the Beatles, folk songs to film themes, but they hit the big time as a vocal jazz group and it remains in our minds their forte. There is occasional unobtrusive light percussion and double bass. Still performing, touring and recording extensively (most recently the excellent CDs "Ticket to Ride," "Keyboard Classics," "Live in Japan" and "Mood Swings" were released on our own PAC records), it is a real treat to hear some of the Swingles' work from 37 years ago, especially with the remastering. Perfect then, perfect now!
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Die Zauberflote Symphony No. 40 Molto Allegro Andante Minuetto: Allegretto Finale: Allegro Assai Ave Verum Corpus Finale From String Quartet In G Major Un Aura Amorosa From Cosi Fan Tutte Finale Rondo From Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Finale From Horn Concerto No. 4 Canzonetta From Don Giovanni Terzettino From Cosi Fan Tutte Gigue Andante From Piano Concerto No. 21 Hostias From Requiem Quam Olim Abrahae From Rrequiem Finale: Alla Turca From Piano Sonata In A Major Fantasia In F Minor And Major |
A compilation recording featuring the best of Swingles' past and present. The Swingles are a top attraction at concert halls throughout the world, and their purely vocal arrangements of famous works from composers such as J.S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi, Brahms, Beethoven and Satie are a Swingles trademark. They were a sensation when the group first popularized the concept in the 1960's. Half of the arrangements on this CD are by founder Ward Swingle, including "Fugue In D Minor" and "Clair De Lune," with the remainder balanced between Ben Parry, Jonathan Rathbone, Mark Williams, Andrew Gray and current musical director, Joanna Forbes. The four male and four female voices that animate these hallmarks of European classical tradition have a modern grace and elegance, and the sound is spacious, open and fluid. These are new a cappella recorded versions of the classic repertoire.
| 4315 CD $15.98 |
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Although Mozart only lived for 35 years his output was extraordinary, not only in quantity but in quality. To many his music is perfect – not a note out of place – nothing over- or understated. This is a collection of some of Mozart’s most cherished songs have been given the “Swingle Sound” treatment by arrangers Ben Parry and Jonathan Rathbone who were long-serving members of the group. Famous for their all-vocal interpretations of classical material this recording is itself a classic and is a recording you will play for many years to come.
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A hard-to-find classic and 1965 Grammy winner by the original Les Swingle Singers! Ward Swingle graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory, then studied the piano in France under Walter Gieseking from 1951-53. After working as an accompanist and conductor he became a member of the famed Double-Six. From there he became the founder, arranger and 1st tenor for the Swingle Singers, all the other singers being French. We have Jeanette Baucomont, soprano; Christiane LeGrand, soprano; Alice Herald, alto; Jean Cussac, bass; and three Germains, Anne, alto; her husband Claude, tenor; and his brother Josª, Bass. Included are: "Zwolf Variationen fur Klavier ¬Ah! Vous Dirais-Je Maman,†" "Fuga," "Sonate fur Klavier Nr. 15 C-Dur," three movements, "Serenade Nr. 13 G-Dur, ¬Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,†" four movements; and "Allegro." Lightly scatting over the familiar melodies (what we recognize as the kid'' song "A B C D E F G," for instance) then matching the snare drum beat for beat in a dancing multi-harmonic nonsense-syllable musical race, here was a unique sound, as fresh and original as Wolfgang himself. It was a breakthrough sound that led to the group being awarded a Grammy. Unobtrusively accompanied by Guy Pedersen on Double Bass and Daniel Humair on Drums, "Swinging" is astounding, a vocal jazz milestone! Listen to "Eine Klein Nachtmusik: Allegro" or "Piano Sonata #15 in C Major: Andate"
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This is an absolute classic Swingle Singers recording and a must for every collector. Ward and his singers collaborated with the The Modern Jazz Quartet on this fabulous recording and was a big hit when it was released in 1966.
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Ward Swingle's Swingle Singers were formed in 1962, and stepped into
the vocal jazz spotlight bigtime with the success of their first album,
which was based entirely on Ward's groundbreaking vocal scat interpretations
of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. On this their second album, seven
of the 12 tunes are again by Johann«but to the Swingles, their homage
could only be complete if they included by works of Johann's family and
friends, composers who viewed Bach as their Master. Thus we are treated
to the marvelous vocal gymnastics of the Swingles on pieces by Bach's
two sons, Carl and Wilhelm, Handel (spelled "Haendel" in the liner notes)
and Vivaldi. We are immediately drawn into the surprising power of Bach's
"Badinerie" where the voices, accompanied by light, driving jazz snare
drum, dance like frantic, harmonic dragonflies over the surface of a pond
for a minute and 19 seconds and then are gone. Also fun and fast-moving
are Bach's "Praeambulum," and "Solfegietto in C Minor," Handel's "Allegro"
and Vivaldi's "Fugue." Particularly sweet and melodic are Bach's "Largo,"
based on his harpsichord concerto, and Wilhelm F. Bach's "Der Fruehling."
It's easy to see why the Swingles created such a sensation with their
voices-as-orchestra, push-the-envelope style, which sounds as fresh and
revolutionary today. We would like to imagine Bach and friends in a heavenly
music room, putting on headphones and grooving on this hip homage to their
music! Songlist
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"Telemann" is a re-release of the Swingles' fifth album, and it features the original energetic collage album cover, the funky 1960's curlicue lettering, and a great picture of the eight 1966 Swingles, in formal dress, sharing 4 stand-up microphone in front of Guy Pedersen on double bass, Daniel Humair on drums and seven fake Classic stage columns. Having "swingled" Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart et al in their first four albums, the copy reads, next up is Georg Philipp Telemann, with single pieces by Francois Couperin, Georg Muffat, Louis-Claude Daquin, Benedetto Marcello and Johann Joachim Quantz. 15 pieces, our favorites are the 6 short movements of Telemann's "Concerto A Six," Muffat's "Fugue in D Minor," Telemann's lively "Presto," featuring lead soloist Christiane Legrand paired with Jeanette Baucomont. Daquin's bouncy "Le Coucou," Marcello's "Presto" and Quantz' "Sonata in C Minor." In 1966 "swingling" was a word spontaneously coined by music critics upon hearing the group's recordings and concerts. Its meaning: extremely musical, baroque, modern, joyous and lively. Telemann might have added "fun," but close enough!
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A most intriguing 1967 release of the Concerto D'Aranjuez with the Swingle Singers performing their interpretations of classical Spanish music. The result is delightful especially with singer Christine LeGrand and a couple of solos by Ward himself. Another collector's gem.
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It's 1995 and time for music from the New World of the Swingle
Singers. Let's begin with four pieces of wordless interpretations
of Dvorak's works including the Slow Movement of the "New World"
Symphony, hmm? And now perhaps a couple of traditional folk tunes
such as "The Miller Of Dee." OK a couple by Bizet and
then we'll segue right into a World War One Tribute trilogy. Time
to approach the modern, but let us ease into it. How about Mancini?
Good, good... and a little Rogers/Hart just before the Lennon/McCartney.
We'll leave them with a real rouser - back to the classics - "The
Ride of The Valkyries." So we are taken on an extensive tour
of a most diverse repertoire. Don't miss "Les Anes" which
turns from hysterically funny to beautiful and back again. Songlist
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In this reviewers opinion this is the recording which will leave anyone
begging for more of the Swingle Singers. If you haven't yet been introduced
to the new Swingles, but just have a vague memory of the early work (which
was revolutionary in its day, don't forget!) you're in for a treat. 1812
presents a wonderful variety of studio work with several of the live pieces
which are events. The "Overture to William Tell" and the fabulous
"1812 Overture" sandwich a song written by Henry VIII,complete
with vocal crumhorn recorder and drum, a couple by the Beatles, Debussy's
"Trois Chansons," Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn," a
Gershwin and a Sondheim. But 1812! The full orchestra, brass band, and
cannons, and church bells are all performed live by eight singers!!! Songlist
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This is it! The original Les Swingle Singers, arranged and conducted
by Ward Swingle. Half of this rerelease was from the l963 recording which
won a Grammy for "Best Performance by a Chorus." The first Jazz
Sebastian Bach was a 1968 album called Bach's Greatest Hits here in the
US where Les Swingles won a Grammy in the category "Best New Artist."
You'll find over sixty-five minutes of jazz/Bach sung with only the bass
and drum (mostly snare) to accentuate rhythm. They became world renown
because scat is an understandable language everywhere in it. None of Bach's
work has been changed, not a note added or taken away! This is not improvisation
(though two pieces were transposed to accommodate vocal range).Songlist
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This CD is a real treat for Swingles fans, as well as those just getting
turned on to them, the original French Swingle Singers, featuring Ward
himself doing all the arrangements and singing with the group! For those
who are new to the Swingles, these are classic Bach pieces performed incredibly,
unbelievably by voices only, singing in a seamless "scat-singing" style.
Since their first record these 8 singers became, if possible, even more
polished and refined«in the years that separated the two volumes the Swingles
were voted "Best Vocal Group in the World" several times. These are some
of their best-known works: from the Fugue in G Major for organ, to the
Concerto in D minor for 2 violins, the Choral from the Cantata BMV 147
to the Prelude in C major. Don†t be misled by the names, this is all a
cappella, with the exception of almost imperceptible drums. In the liner
notes we find fascinating little odds and ends about the 10 pieces and
such details as an "Ave Maria" being slipped into the score here or there.
But know that this is marvelously original and inventive music and that
the Swingles have remained true to the spirit that Bach instilled in his
works, a profoundly human fervor and a joyously optimistic faith. As we
know Johan Sebastian would, enjoy! Songlist
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This is the second CD which, along with Jazz Sebastian Bach, are the
rereleases of the early Les Swingle Singers who were a world renown phenomena.
Ward Swingle's original intent had been to sing exact vocal versions of
big band classics. All of the original octet had been classically trained
musicians, most with perfect pitch. They sang Bach merely for practice
to improve their sight reading and musicianship.The idea of 'swinging
it' (jazzing it up) came later after the bass and drums were added. This
fortuitous evolution leaves us with a wonderful compilation of "Swingleized"
works by Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi and Bach, mostly Mozart's and Bach's
work. Songlist
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Maybe Notability would be as good a beginning for a Swingle introductee as 1812. This is the heyday of the group produced by Jonathan Rathbone, Mark Williams, and John Milner (their sound engineer). We begin with the "Star Trek" theme which is like a modern fanfare. The "Overture to 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia" is a bouncy wordless piece of vocal music. Then we touch bases with all types of compositions by Irving Berlin, Schubert, Schumann, Stephen Foster, Rossini, Rogers/Hart, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini and more! Twenty tunes in all are presented for your listening pleasure by one of the best groups in the world. Songlist
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This is a remastered reissue of the 1972 release of Les 4 Seasons "Le Printemps" and is classic Swingle Singers.
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Pretty Ring Time is a repertoire chosen from many of the songs that
the Swingle Singers knew and loved growing up. All the composers are
English from the early 20th century with the exception of one song,
"Sally In Our Alley," written by the group's director and
second tenor, Jonathan Rathbone. Most of this music was meant to be
performed by piano and voice but lends itself wonderfully well to the
group's capacities. The composers are Peter Warlock, Ivor Gurney, George
Butterworth, Gerald Finzi, Frank Bridge and John Ireland. The lyrics
are from Shakespeare, Tennyson, Shelley, Masefield, A.E. Houseman, Thomas
Hardy and other notables of English letters whom the composers had set
to music. Songlist
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Eclectic, surprising composer Luciano Berio, born in 1925, wrote “Sinfonia,” for eight voices and orchestra as a surreal, often dissonant interplay between voices and instruments in six parts, “I-“, “II-O King,” “III”-In ruhig fliessender Bewegung,” “IV-“, “V-“ (Regis Pasquier, violin solo, New Swingle Singers, conducted by Ward Swingle, and “Eindrucke.” A strange and powerful collection by the eclectic Berio, beautifully performed by the interaction of choral and instrumental giants.
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Primarily A Cappella is proud to be re-releasing the ever-popular Swingle Singers recording of "The Story Of Christmas". Formerly out of print, the continued demand for this recording is extraordinary, and a tribute to thjis English group about which the Los Angeles Times extolled "Everything about the Swingles is flawless". They take a collection of traditional carols and hymns ("The Boar's Head Carol, And Is It True?") and mix it with some modern songs (Jester Hairston's "Mary's Boy Child") to tell the story of Christmas. This is a well thought out arrangement of songs to tell the tale that we know so well with interesting and varied songss work. .Songlist Listen to "Carol
Medley" and "I Believe in Father Christmas" in Real Audio.
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Well, isn't this a treat! From the beginning of "the French Swingles" 10 years was spent touring. Between tours they recorded 12 albums, moving chronologically from Bach and Handel to Telemann, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and some early 20th Century Spanish composers. In between, there was a Christmas album and one with the Modern Jazz Quartet. They were all done in that traditional jazz-classic mode: scatting to a light rhythmic background. What we have in our hands is a CD release of that Christmas album, "Noels Sans Passeport" which was released in America as "Christmastime" in 1968. This is an international work par excellence which features songs from America, France, Germany, Norway, Holland, Spain, Russia, Italy, and Denmark. As all of the Swingle's work in those early days, the tunes were scatted so no language lessons are required. There isn†t much that hasn't been written already about the group, but if you are a Swingle's fan this is a must and if you've never been introduced, now is the time for they were, and are, one of the most important groups in the world of a cappella music. Joyeux Noël! Songlist
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The Swingle Singers are comfortable in many musical genres, particularly jazz and salsa, and "Unwrapped," their second holiday album, showcases this versatility. The free-flowing, almost scattish jazz interpretation of classical music that first made them famous is evident on Corelliss "Christmas Concerto," while Darke's "In the Bleak Midwinter" is more traditional a cappella. Different, but equally powerful interpretations are given to classic Christmas songs and carols: a sexy "Santa Baby," "Let it Snow," a slow, jazzy "Away In A Manger" and John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)." Other beloved tunes, "Christmas Song," "River," "Walking in the Air," "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" "O Tannenbaum," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Carol of the Drum," "Amazing Grace," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Last Christmas," and "Hotaru no Hikari" are like reaching into our stocking and finding more and more cool presents. A gift to yourself or loved ones should be "Unwrapped!" Listen to "Christmas Song " in RealAudio.
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Penny Lane Revolution Day Tripper Norwegian Wood Birthday Lady Madona Yesterday Strawberry Fields Forever Drive My Car Blackbird / I Will When I'm 64 The Fool On The Hill All My Loving Goodnight Here, There and Everywhere |
Since the release of the Ticket to Ride recordings, the Swingle Singers have received many requests from choirs and a cappella groups for their Beatles' arrangements. Finally, they have published a companion songbook to the popular album. The book contains the seventeen songs from the CD arranged for four to eight voices and features a bonus arrangement of "Here, There and Everywhere" for AATTBB. These wonderful arrangements include the original scat syllables used on the recording as well as alternated endings for the songs that fade out. Another great addition to the Swingle publications, this book will have your group creating a new wave of Beatle mania at your next concert. SATB - Divs
| 6017 SONGBOOK $19.95 |
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Overature to Marriage of Figaro SSAATTBB |
It was an interesting challenge to arrange "Overture to the Marriage of Figaro" for eight voices. The Swingle Singers group has often used it to open a concert. Of course it is very difficult but quite a few choirs have managed to master it. I think it works equally well on or off mikes, as long as a proper balance is maintained among the voices. This is the first of the four movements of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nacthmusik," all four of which Ward Swingle has arranged for voices with the hopes that groups will perform "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" in its entirety. For the Swingle Singers this offered a change from the succession of 2- or 3-minutes pieces typical of many of our programs.
| 9014 SHEET MUSIC $9.95 |
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All The Things You Are SSAATTBB |
This wonderful Neal Hefti composition, "Li'l Darlin," was written for the Count Basie band. Master word-spinner Jon Hendricks has added some lovely, romantic lyrics. This a cappella treatment of "I Get A Kick Out You" is one of Cole Porter's best loved songs. Some of the scat is in hommage to the Double Six of Paris. "Love Walks In" lies in the great pantheon of Gershwin songs. Ward Swingle made a rather easy SATB arrangement dedicated to Cole Tyrell and his fine South Haven (Michigan) High School Choir. This is an 8-voice a cappella version of the well-known Cole Porter standard. In this version of "It's Just One Of Those Things" the scat can be sung as written, or improvised upon. Since it goes along at quite a clip, it can stand a few rehearsals. This arrangement of "All The Things You Are," the wonderful Jerome Kern song, is separated into three sections: the beginning is in a free, traditional choral style, then there is some typical "Swingle" scatting, followed by a big-band section. It was recently voted "Favorite Vocal Jazz Chart" by a group of choral directors who specialize in jazz repertoire.
| 6289 SHEET MUSIC $9.95 |
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Pastime with Good Company SSAATTBB |
'Pastime With Good Company' is an evocation of Renaissance vocal and instrumental styles in which some of the singers are asked to imitate recorders, tabors and shaums. 'The Agincourt Song' recounts the victory of Henry V over the French at Agincourt. As in 'Pastime with Good Company,' the singers must imitate the sounds of Renaissance instruments. 'Country Dances' is a fast-moving potpourri of traditional country tunes. One theme that recurs is that of the Arkansas Traveler. The accompanying sounds evoke various country-music instruments: fiddles, banjos, jugs, etc. 'Music History 101 is a trip through Music History to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," treated as a Gregorian Chant, a Medieval Round, a Madrigal, a Bach Chorale, a Schubert Lied and many other styles including jazz and rap. El paisanito features an alto duet with an accompaniment that imitates strumming Spanish guitars. In the men's version, the duet is sung by two male altos. 'L'amour de moi' features a soprano solo with a string-like accompaniment along with vocalized bass and drums. The three melodies in 'Tour garcon qui sert bien son maitre' come from the province of Quebec. These arrangements were commissioned by the McGill Univeristy Chamber Choir in Montreal.
| 6287 SHEET MUSIC $13.95 |
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Bouree SSAATTBB |
"Gigue (Suite in C Major)" is a movement from one of Bach's unaccompanied Cello sonatas, arranged here for tenor and bass. It has a fast 3/4 jazz feeling, with some tricky dove-tailing between the voices, the object being to make it sound like on instrument. The Swingle Singers have often used this "Organ Fugue BMV 578" as a concert opener. The challenge in singing without a rhythm section is to make the piece swing without the help of the instruments.The "Bourree" has probably been the most widely performed of all Ward Swingle arrangements. This is an a cappella version using three different styles: child-like "la-la-la's," gently swinging"oo" sounds and rather brassy "ah" sounds.
| 9047 SHEET MUSIC $5.00 |
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Chattanooga Choo Choo SSAATTBB |
Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" is an ironic tale of betrayal, revenge and punishment in the form of a minidrama compressed into some 48 measures. It's surely one of the most startlingly original standards in the repetoire. Arranged for 19 voices, " Chatanooga Choo-Choo" was made famous by Tex Benecke, the Modernaires and the Glenn Miller Band. Ward Swingle has attempted a faithful, entirely vocal, adaptation. Also included in this package is "You're The Top."
| 9048 SHEET MUSIC $11.50 |
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Saints Fugue SSAATTBB |
This version of "Oh, Johnny, Oh" is an evocation of the Andrews Sisters' recording. Three soloists become the Andrews Sisters, while the other singers scat the accompaniment (brass, rhythm and bass guitar). Here the singers have to keep things swinging without the help of bass and drums. Al Jarreau wrote some wonderefully "onomatopaeic" words for Brubeck's fine piano piece, "Blue Rondo a' la Turk.". Ward Swingle transcribed the piano part as faithfully as possible for voices.Perhaps Kurt Weill's most famous song, Mack the Knife was written during his Berlin period, first sung by his wife Lotte Lenya; and later, in a very popular jazz version, by the great Bobby Darin. "Saints Fugue" was first written for the French Swingle group in the early 70's using only scat syllables. Ward Swingle revised it later adding the traditional words.
| 6290 SHEET MUSIC $7.50 |
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How Do I Love Thee? (SATB) |
'How Do I Love Thee' is a a traditional choral setting of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's wonderful poem. 'Tre Karleksdikter' means 'Three love-poems.' These are settings of well-known Swedish poets, and would present a good challenge for a choir wanting to explore the Swedish language. 'It Was A Lover And His Lass' is a setting of Shakepeare's famous sonnet. The text has a lot of scat-like syllables (e.g. "hey-ding-a-ding") which Ward Swingle was able to adapt and use as part of the guitar-like accompaniment.
| 6288 SHEET MUSIC $5.50 |
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Clair de Lune (Debussy) SSAATTBB |
The Swingle Singers often use "Flight Of The Bumble-Bee"as an encore piece. It has to go as fast as possible using a great variety of scat syllables in order to avoid lock-jaw. It also includes a fairly literal vocal transcription of Debussy's famous piano piece, "Claire de Lune." The tessituras are quite wide ranging from low D-flats for the basses to high B-flats for the sopranos. It is probably best sung with the help of microphones. This transciption of a Chopin "Etude Op. 25 No.9" is probably easier to sing than it is to play! It should be performed at a brisk pace, with the main melody alternating between the Tenors and the First Sopranos.
| 6286 SHEET MUSIC $5.75 |
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All Three charts are featured on The Swingle Singer's album 'Around The World Folk Songs.' The Ash Grove, arr. Jonathan Rathbone
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All Three charts are featured on The Swingle Singer's album 'Around The World Folk Songs.' David of the White Rock, arr. Ben Parry
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Charts from the Swingle Singers' stellar christmas album, 'The Story of Christmas. 'The Carol Medley,' 'Silent Night' and 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' are all exquisite, eight-part, Jonathan Rathbone arrangements for mixed choirs, while 'We Three Kings' is a hip jazzy take on the popular carol, written for a four-part men's choir. Carol Medley (SSAATTBB)
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Charts from the Swingle Singers' stellar christmas album, 'The Story of Christmas. These three, eight-part, Jonathan Rathbone arrangements will challenge your choir and entice your audience with their beautiful melodies and intricate rhythm and harmony. Coventry Carol
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Charts from the Swingle Singers' stellar christmas album, 'The Story of Christmas. These three, eight-part, Jonathan arrangements will add some wonderful variety to your christmas program. Quem Pastores
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Charts from the Swingle Singers' stellar christmas album, 'The Story of Christmas. These four, eight part arrangements are fun for the singers and the listeners. Especially exciting is Ben Parry's arrangement of Jingle Bells! Un Flambeau Jeannette, Isabelle, arr. Mark Williams
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| 9153 CHART $5.95 |
| 9152 CHART $8.25 |
| 9154 CHART $4.95 |
| 9155 SONGBOOK $8.25 |
| 9156 SONGBOOK $8.25 |
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Recorded at Harewood House in 1989, the Swingle Singers performance for Yorkshire Television includes Bach's "Organ Fugue in G Minor," Henry the VIII's "Pastime In Good Company," and the Swingles go-for-broke closer, "1812." Since the octet's founding by Ward Swingle, originally in France, and then as a later, English version, the group has astounded audiences with their "voice orchestra" renditions of classical works. Though Ward has since retired, Jonathan Rathbone, Ben Parry and their fellow singers carry the banner with aplomb and daredevil musicality.
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Ward Swingle was the product of an unusually liberal musical education. In his hometown, Mobile, Alabama, he grew up with the sound of jazz and played in one of the great Big Bands before finishing high school. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Cincinnati Conservatory and studied piano with the celebrated Walter Gieseking in postwar France. In Paris in the sixties he was a founding member of the fabled Double Six of Paris, then took to the scat singing idea and applied it to the works of Bach, hence The Swingle Singers ("The Mod Squad of Baroque Music"), whose early recordings won five Grammies. In this video Ward Swingle shares his world-renowned 'Swingle Singing' methods by conducting an a cappella master class with eight talented singers from the San Francisco Bay Area. With his instruction, guidance and example they learn and perform four of his arrangements, giving the at-home viewer practice and insight into these techniques -- techniques that have made Ward one of the most influential figures in vocal music in the Twentieth Century.
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Watch The Videos
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The Swingle Singers:
Promotional Video Enjoy this montage of video clips from over the years with The Swingle Singers (9.17) |
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The Swingle Singers: The 1812 Overture This voices only rendition of a piece written for full orchestra is an a cappella classic. Cannons included! (6.26) |
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