Below is an extract from a recent email from Leslie of Upbeat.... Hi all, Hope everyone is having a good 2007 so far. UpBeat will be performing at the Esplanade Indoor Concourse tomorrow ( 22 Jan ) and Tuesday evening ( 23 Jan ), 7.30 and 8.30pm on both days, a selection of a cappella broadway tunes. It will be the same programme for all 4 sessions so do come watch this free performance after work/school if you are available. Thank you for your support and encouragement and we hope to see you sometime over the next 2 days! Cheers! Leslie

KEY ELEMENTS , the jazz a cappella group who had a masterclass with Swedish group The Real Group will be performing at blue Moo at the last week of January. Online reservation for seats is open via the blue Moo website: http://www.bluemoo.com.sg . Key Elements Date: 26 Jan 2007 (Friday) Venue: blue Moo , rooftop of YMCA Orchard (above the 9th floor, next to the swimming pool) Time: from 7.30pm Entrance fee: $12 each person , $10 for those with student passes , free for children 6 years and below. Check the blue Moo website for further info.

During the workshop conducted by the Real Group (only three of its members), the participants did a short round exercise of physical and vocal warmups which are important to preparing the body for singing. 2 groups were involved in the masterclass - Republic Rhapsody (hailed from Republic Chorale) and local jazz a cappella mixed sextet, Key Elements. It proved to be insightful as three of The Real Group members shared their experiences and singing techniques. The participants had no qualms in throwing question after question such as how they sing or even practice. The Real Group also taught some tips on how to correct singing notes such as playing a short bar and then the chord a few times. This method was explained by The Real Group as building the singer's confidence which is equally important than just singing. Both Republic Rhapsody and Key Elements underwent on-the-spot correction and indeed both groups sang with tighter sound and sounded better to the participants. In fact, i...

The A Cappella Society Presents THE REAL GROUP ( SWEDEN ) PUBLIC WORKSHOP $20 (exact change please) 10th January 2007, Wednesday 7.30pm – 9.30pm Venue: YMS Arts Centre Auditorium 54 Waterloo Street, Ground Floor Registration table opens at 7pm. For enquiries please email info@a-cappella.org.sg Map: www.yms.org.sg . Please check map for parking spaces. Join members of the world-renowned Swedish vocal band, The Real Group , in an evening filled with exciting possibilities, as they take to the podium in a special workshop presented to you by The A Cappella Society. They will bring their special brand of music and humour so close to you that you will be begging for more. Audience can expect to learn a new song, vocal techniques and will see local a cappella group, Key Elements in action with The Real Group for a masterclass. If you missed their Singaporean debut on the 8th, come join us for this workshop

Shuying from the mixed young a cappella group VoCollision left a tag to say that the group will be performing at Esplanade Waterfront on Fri 5/1/07 at 7.30pm ; and on Sat (6/1) at 10pm . They'll be doing a 45-minute set each night, showcasing a wide range of repertoire from swing jazz, pop-rock, to techno. Do show your support and watch them !

From the Desk of The A Cappella Society ~ JANUARY 2007 Happy New Year from The A Cappella Society! A big thank you to everyone who participated in our Christmas shows in December, singing, organizing or supporting. We had a great time and lots of fun and that would not have been possible without you! Looking ahead to 2007 we have big plans for the society and A Cappella music inSingapore. Starting the year with probably the biggest name in A Cappella, TheReal Group. We hope you will continue supporting us with all our plans and helpgrow the image and impact of vocal music in the country.Our main goal for 2007 is to make A Cappella music a more consistent part of theevents calendar and a more household name in people's minds.Let's make it another year of great A Cappella development for Singapore! For The A Cappella Society Alex & Angie Sassarak www.a-cappella.org.sg * These updates are correct to our best knowledge. Should there be any errors, kindly note that they are non-...

I went to the final instalment on 29 Dec 2006, 9.30p.m slot of the 4 time slots of Esplanade's Late Nite series at Esplande Recital Studio - Budak Pantai Unplucked . Budak Pantai wanted to bring in the intimate atmosphere as in their regular performing venue, blue Moo (a virtual cafe located at the rooftop of YMCA Orchard). As I entered the recital studio, the stage had this retro disco ball hanging with some toy displays which makes you wonder what Budak Pantai is up to as they sometimes have unpredictable antics. Budak Pantai opened the show with a R&B-flavoured Hokkien tune in Ai Piah Jia Eh Ya which may remind you of David Tao's R&B version of Wang Chun Feng . Budak enagaged the audience with their groaners and fun poking at each other (such as Joe pointing to his and Gordon's heads). Songs such as All Rice , Abuden (one of Budak's signature songs and written by Joe as lead) offered the slapstick humor which had the audience entertained and fits of laughte...

Lush. Pop. Jazz. The concert title certainly had me guessing what the evening would be like before I went for the concert. The Vocaluptuous that I had heard eons ago before the member change was a group with sleek and tight harmony with a very good jazzy feel. The group had undergone a 2-member change and it seemed to be for the better. The evening was really lovely with a lush, snazzy retro-like backdrop (with a retro disco ball hung at the ceiling) which gives a overall, relaxed atmosphere which was almost lounge-like. Vocaluptuous gave an opening of " Take 5 " whom i'm not too sure who sang the song originally. John, the latest member of the group sang convincingly as lead. Take 5 was given a local flavour treatment which had a hint of humor in it. What really impressed was one of the songs which had a small insertion of Geylang Sipaku Geylang (which probably means come home in Malay) which was a lovely effort in the song product of John's collaboration with his ...

Dear folks, Below is an extract from an email from Leslie of UpBeat . Dear friends of UpBeat, Merry Christmas! Greetings from all 6 of us here at UpBeat A cappella. We hope you are having a great Christmas weekend. We have spent the last few days carolling at several private events and have been having a great time singing the wonderful songs of the season. We would like to invite you to join us this Wednesday 27th December 2006 at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre for two 45min carolling sessions; 7.30pm - 8.15pm and 8.45pm to 9.30pm . Admission is free so bring along your friends and family. We are planning two different sets of repertoire so do stay for the whole two hours if you can! We are praying that the weather will be good so both shows can go on as they will be cancelled if there is any hint of rain at all. However, we will likely be performing at the Esplanade Concourse on 22 Jan and 23 Jan 2007 ( Mon and Tue ) in the evening in a programme of Broadway tunes. Admission i...

Season's Greetings! With the Christmas tree lighting up beside the desk of the A Cappella Society (TAS), the local a cappella scene heats up with an array of exciting concerts featuring Singapore's very best. TAS bring you the latest updates for gigs from now to January. From 19 -23 December, Vocaluptuous presents Lush Pop Jazz at the Esplanade Theatre Studio. If you enjoy their smooth, delectable vocals as well as their classy stage presence, this is the concert for your Christmas holidays. Tickets start at $45 from www.sistic.com.sg . Get a 20% discount if you present TAS newsletter ( as received in your email ) to the SISTIC counter! Agappella will also be putting on their Santa boots as well! They will perform on 20 December at the Esplanade Concourse at 6.45pm and 8pm. And as the annual staple, Budak Pantai will also return to the Esplanade Recital Studio on 28 and 29 December, to remind us why we love a cappella done Singaporean style. Tickets are at $25, from www.sist...

Singapore Men Chorus is having a Christmas-themed concert with both a cappella and accompanied music. Please visit http://www.singmc.org for more info on the group and the concert. With Every Christmas Card I Write... comes A festive-themed concert by Singapore Men's Chorus (SMC) ! For an unusual present, give those you care for a "live singing telegram" - an experience they'll enjoy, remember and appreciate. At this concert, let the Singapore Men's Chorus convey your well wishes of joy and peace, and messages of giving and sharing. 19 Dec 2006 7.30pm Victoria Concert Hall Tickets: $15 Buy your tickets now through SISTIC . SISTIC Hotline: (65) 6348 5555 and SISTIC Authorized Agents islandwide. Visit http://www.singmc.org/smceflyer.html for further details.

From the Desk of The A Cappella Society ~ DECEMBER 2006 For The A Cappella Society Angie http://www.a-cappella.org.sg/ * These updates are correct to the best of our knowledge. Should there be any errors, kindly note that they are not intentional.  (1) FEATURES THE REAL GROUP TICKETS ON SALE NOW  No idea what to get for your loved ones this Christmas? How about the tickets to a concert of simply awesome vocal music hailing from Sweden, featuring the highly acclaimed and award-winning vocal band- The Real Group? Check them out at, http://www.realgroup.se/ and remember to schedule a date with them- 8 January at the Esplanade Concert Hall, in your own as well as your loved ones? calendars. 18 CDs and 2,000 concerts later, TRG continues to titillate our palates with their unique songs, their tasteful vocal arrangements and impeccable singing technique. It is no wonder that one is compelled to see them in The Real! Tickets at are on sale now at all Sistic Outlets and author...

What do they say birds of a feather do? Flocking together as Budak Pantai are five guys who enjoy singing as much as they do Monty Python (and chicken rice). They may attempt a cappella and even perform some of their own compositions but don't let that fool you - they're really "bad" singers. But if it's entertainment you're looking for - and frankly, laughing your way into 2007 is a good way to end the year - then why not flock to Esplanade this December to catch Budak Pantai do their thing? Raw fun. Unplucked, essentially.Yes, Unplucked. Because what this concert is all about is five local funny guys letting loose and making music their way.Budak Pantai has been in the local music scene for over 12 years and has a sizeable (and growing) following here, which probably means they must be doing something right. Budak Pantai "Unplucked" Dates: 28 (Thur) & 29 (Fri) Dec 2006 Time: 7.30p.m & 9.30p.m Venue: Esplanade Recital Studio Purchase of tic...

Equivox , a spin-off from NUS Resonance a cappella club, will be performing along side with an indie rock outfit at blue Moo on 8 December (Friday night) from 7.30pm . Entrance fee at $10 per pax (come with 2 drinks or a drink and a snack). Online reservation opens from 2 December... just write in at www.bluemoo.com.sg ! About Equivox ... The group is a 5-member team (Serene, Shin Ni, Cheryl, Tim and Adrian). Since its injection into the circle in 2005, Equivox has already utilized its now two-year timeframe to the fullest, performing at countless distinguished (and not so distinguished) events. More notably, Equivox recently emerged champions in the open category of the annual National A Cappella Championships held at the Esplanade in July 2006. Since then, the group had only an achievement streak to look forward to – a recording stint with T2 Productions, a "post-competition-winners-only" performance at the Esplanade ( again!) and an invitation to sing at the highly-anti...

Vocaluptuous is having a Lush.Pop.Jazz concert in December ! The full length concert will be held for a week starting from 19 - 23 Dec 2006 at Esplanade Theatre Studio . Click here to see an enlarged view of the poster or drop by Vocaluptuous' website for more information !

"Sensational" - Ray Charles "Lordy! Ya'll is B-A-A-A-D!" - Bobby McFerrin Following their sold-out performance in 2000, m-pact “One of the best jazz-pop vocal ensembles in the world” (SF Chronicle) returns to Singapore to present songs from their successful new album that brings technicolor fantasy to a sophisticated swingin’ style. The Vocal Group of the Year (2005 LA Music Awards) will mesmerize you with their unbelievable vocal acrobatics and delightful orchestrations, their polished, yet authentic stage presence, and the true, artistic experience they create by the human voice alone. Hailed as "one of the best pop-jazz vocal ensembles in the world" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "among the best a cappella groups in the country" (NBC's Today Show, Billboard's Best Unsigned Band (1999) has mesmerized audiences around the world with their unbelievable vocal acrobatics and delightful orchestrations, their polished, yet authentic stage...

Hi folks, This month's a cappella open mic will be held this Wed ( 22 Nov ) evening starting from 7 p.m onwards at Singapore Art Cafe (located inside library@Esplanade). Renowned US a cappella group, M-Pact , Agappella and TAS Youth will be performing at the open mic so do come join us for a fun time of jamming songs in a cappella style. Admission is FREE !!

Below is a short review of US a cappella group who peformed last night (Nov 15) at Esplanade concert hall. Rockapella catapulted to stardom after snapping up an opportunity to perform on TV, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?". The theme song was a hit which was also sung by the group in the concert. From the classic oldies like My Girl (by the Temptations) and to Motown-tinged tunes and spirituals such as Papa Was A Rolling Stone , they gave an edgy sound to each & every song whether be it blues, pop or rock & roll. While most groups tend to do to overdo the vocal percussion bit, the group's beatboxer, Jeff Thatcher's percussive beats were smooth and balanced. They brought easy listening hits such as Love Potion #9 , Use Me , Long Cool Woman and the audience really lapped it up. The group even threw smiley balls at the audience and one of its members got to the audience side to invite a lady onto the stage and seranaded her. Rockapella truly milked t...

Catch Vocaluptuous in their fourth full length concert this December, from 19 - 23 Dec @ the Esplanade Theatre Studio ! They'll be singing a brand-new repertoire of familiar favourites, pushing the limits of a cappella with their Lush.Pop.Jazz arrangements! Let Sam Kan, Timothy Huang, Simone Khoo, Gerald Tan, John Lee and Hazrul Nizam dazzle you with their lush harmonies, pop delights and jazz revelries in an uber-classy theatrical setting. Get up close and personal in this warm, intimate show staged and directed by Jeremiah Choy, and embark on a journey of more than just a cappella singing with these six highly entertaining individuals. Joining Vocaluptuous at the piano is special guest, Eunice Olsen. A woman of many talents and an accomplished jazz pianist, this former nominated Member of Parliament is set to wow the audience with her deft fingers and sparkling personality. So come join the group for an evening of great music with the Lush.Pop.Jazz sounds of Vocaluptuous. Do...

Vocollision , a spinoff from Resonance (NUS a cappella club) will be singing on Nov 12 (Sunday) at 5.30 pm at Marina Square singing their first original composition for Noise! Singapore. Do come down & support them !