DISCLAIMER:This is not for anyone who can't stand classical music. I hate to say it, because it would probably be a great thing for you, but I'm throwing it out there. If you can't handle more than one dimension of music, don't read.
The vocal group was formed in 1965 at King's College, In Cambridge, England. That's about as interesting as the story gets. Over the over the 45 years of existence, the group has recorded over 60 tracks, including a Grammy winning album and a Beatles cover album.
Two members in the group worked with our group Monday afternoon, and gave us some dece advice on making our current songs better. For a while I sat there imagining how much the two British men sounded like Stewie from Family Guy, until one of the guys started quoting Stewie, to my immense enjoyment.
Before we all left the workshop , they answered some questions and they performed their version of "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" which involved them sticking their fingers in their mouth and swirling them around to get this weird vibrato thing going on. I know how it sounds, but it was cool, trust me.
Later that night, I headed out to the concert, ready for a good two hours of madrigal singing with the company of 70 year old couples and music majors. While I can listen to this music substantially longer than most kids my age, two hours can push my luck, unless there is something to keep the energy up. But hey, don't worry, fate didn't like my original plan.
Pulling off of Alcoa Highway, I noticed something wasn't running right with my car. Believe me, this is nothing new. My car shakes harder than Beyonce when it hits 60 mph. To my great inconvenience, both my left AND right front axles have snapped a few months within each other. It kinda reminds me of June and Johnny Cash. Possibly worst of all, I hit a dump truck last November. That's right, nearly a year ago, and I still haven't gotten around to getting that fixed up. Therefore I wasn't expecting anything too crazy. wrong. My front right tire apparently hit a dragon. By the time I was able to pull up to flat ground, car flopping in a Clampet fashion, My tires was missing a side. I was too amazed to be mad. An entire side of the tire was ripped completely off. So, my man Johnny came by with my tickets to the show and, being the fountain of unknown use-fullness he is, threw my spare on my car in no time flat and we were off to the show, an hour late. (On a side note, my little peg-leg tire is killing me. It's like if Kurt Cobain replaced George Harrison in The Beatles. I gotta get a new tire.) We got to the concert literally in the middle of the last song before intermission.
The rest of the concert. despite the first set-back, was a really good time. I saw numerous friends I hadn't seen in a while during the break, and got caught up on the first bit. My seats were kinda meh, but I took what I was given. The church holding the concert is very unique architecturally, as it is formed in the shape of a cross. I was in the right side, but most of the audience sat in the middle. The huge chamber had beautiful acoustics which made up for our seats.
I only heard about four songs, but they were all absolutely amazing. The King Singers do one of the best jobs in the world with blending their voices together. Nothing sticks out, unless it is supposed to. Blend is huge in all music, but in the a cappela singing at hand, it is the most important aspect. The group is bare to it's listeners, throwing their entire sound out to the world with nothing to hide. One song the group did was a piece written specifically for the group called "Horizons" about an African country's origins. The song utilized mesmerizing sounds, i.e. hissing, snapping, and gutteral sounds out the wazoo.
My favorite song the group performed was the famous Simple Gifts. With an underlying syncopation, unheard of in previous versions I had heard, the song had a relaxing laid-back aura about it, with a lead hovering over the simple (hehe) backing vocals. It is a powerful song that has proved itself time and time again, with a fresh spin. I really loved it.
The night ended up great. I would have loved for the Michelin man to have spared me, but maybe it was for the best. I'll be getting much needed tires now, so theres that. Dem King Singerz was a great show that re-fortified my love for great music, from all types of backgrounds.
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