The King's Singers and the Real Group

     Last night, we had the great honor and pleasure of seeing the King’s Singers and The Real Group perform in concert in the Tabernacle! The Tabernacle is an incredible piece of architecture. The acoustics gave such an amazing resonance to the groups performing.

   The King’s Singers went on stage first, and they performed a few Renaissance pieces by Orlandus Lassus and Thomas Weelkes, and then performed several arrangements of more contemporary songs, like Gershwin’s “Love is Here to Stay,” Keith Robert’s “Little David Play on Your Harp,” and several others. Their sound was impeccable and it was clear that they loved singing together. They sang “The Lady is a Tramp” as an encore after audience kept cheering for them.

    My favorite moment in the songs the King’s Singers perform is always the last chord. When they resolve to the last chord, it sounds so sweet and warm, and I get such a sense of togetherness from them. It reminds me of the unity and community that choral music encourages. Their interactions on stage with each other and with the audience reflected their charm, sense of humor, and love for music.

    The Real Group came on next; they were dynamic! I’ve always had a love for the Real Group ever since I sang their piece “Bumblebee” in high school. They have such a unique sound and I always enjoy the arrangements they perform. They sang a “Real Group favorites” mash-up with familiar songs like “Nostalgia World” and “Chili Con Carne,” their thought-provoking song “Words,” a few Swedish pieces including a Swedish Christmas carol, and ended with a powerful and inspiring song called “Freedom” by George Michael.

    The Real Group is an internationally renowned vocal group and so much fun to see live. They revealed to us that the original bass was ill and couldn’t go on the tour, so they found a replacement bass—I was amazed because of how comfortable and confident the bass sang! The group had a lot of charisma and energy and I would definitely go see them again.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Today, Caitlin W. and I got to meet the King’s Singers in person! They were such a pleasure to meet and they were so warm and personable. We purchased a King’s Singers anthology for them to autograph and took a few pictures with them. If anyone is planning on going to England in the future, don’t miss out on seeing the King’s Singers if you can!

-Sunhwa Reiner (Junior and ICACDA President-Elect)