# A Great A Capella Choir Performance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274 "2009-06-19T05:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/1 "2009-06-19T05:32:08Z")
Toto’s 1982 hit _ **Africa** _, as performed by the Slovenian choir [Perpetuum Jazzile](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbpwlqp5Qw). Anybody got anything comparable? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/2 "2009-06-19T09:35:27Z")
[Danny Boy?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU&feature=PlayList&p=384E5161BE913E89&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=31) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/3 "2009-06-19T10:53:23Z")
That’s an inventive choir! 🙂 [The Welsh crowd at a home rugby match](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtIlaHIqrs) [The Flying Pickets](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgDKtLPp46s) I wanted to find a decent Welsh Male Voice Choir video, but had no luck… ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/4 "2009-06-19T13:48:51Z")
The King’s Singers - [Deconstructing Johann](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDZpZPFGzOA) [Creole Love Call](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM6eRU85Y64) ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/5 "2009-06-19T13:48:55Z")
I can’t post a link or cite any particular chorus but any good Russian A Capella group should be able to do a decent (goosebump raising) Evening Bells rendition. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/6 "2009-06-19T13:51:35Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > I can’t post a link or cite any particular chorus but any good Russian A Capella group should be able to do a decent (goosebump raising) Evening Bells rendition. [Вечерний звон - Evening Bells](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLg0oRC4lUA&feature=PlayList&p=01BFDBCA641951C2&index=0&playnext=1) ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/7 "2009-06-19T13:57:54Z")
I loved all of these! Come on folks, feed the hunger! I just read that Only You was Maggie Thatchers favorite song. Hehe, considering the current thread we have about her. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/8 "2009-06-19T14:04:29Z")
[Straight No Chaser](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GUU1YbP_E) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/9 "2009-06-19T14:30:20Z")
[Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrcgDhpS3uo) [Kontakion of Saint Nino](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ2zj1-tMzY&feature=related) (Choir unknown) Georgian Sacred Chant Solage - [Fumeux fume par fumée](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84IJ5uKCNmM) (choir unknown; sounds like the Ensemble Organum recording.) Jacquemart le Cunelier: [Se Galaas Et Le Puissant Artus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agsine063Io) (choir unknown, but as above it sure sounds like the Ensemble Organum recording…) As you can tell, I’m having no fun whatsoever looking for these. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/10 "2009-06-19T15:08:58Z")
_Where the Streets Have No Name_ from U2’s movie\* Rattle and Hum.\* ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/11 "2009-06-19T16:09:25Z")
Ben Folds just released an album where he went to different universities and recorded each school’s a capella group singing one of his songs. He also did two songs himself. It took my ear a little time to get used to the sound but it’s pretty great! [Ben Folds Presents: University a Cappella!](http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Folds-Presents-University-Cappella/dp/B001Q8FRSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245427626&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/12 "2009-06-19T16:30:27Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Ben Folds just released an album where he went to different universities and recorded each school’s a capella group singing one of his songs. He also did two songs himself. It took my ear a little time to get used to the sound but it’s pretty great! > > [Ben Folds Presents: University a Cappella!](http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Folds-Presents-University-Cappella/dp/B001Q8FRSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1245427626&sr=8-1) My old college a capella group is on that album (alas, long after I left, although one of my students was still in the group when they did it). They actually did the last song, which is pretty cool. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8eII2KUpY0&feature=PlayList&p=6950D6BBA5F41CBF&index=13) is their rendition of _The Luckiest_ which got them on the album. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/13 "2009-06-19T17:17:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Straight No Chaser](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GUU1YbP_E) That’s what I came here to post. Darn you. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/14 "2009-06-19T17:19:57Z")
Incredible beauty, but incredible sadness in Samuel Barber’s[_Agnus Dei_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkObnNQCMtM). If it sounds familiar, it was first composed as _Adagio for Strings_, and apparently was used in the movie _Platoon_. But I think it works much better as a choral piece. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/15 "2009-06-19T17:23:55Z")
I’ve done that finger snapping/rain thing for the past 20 years as a camp thing with groups. I don’t know where we got it from but it’s interesting to see it done with almost the exact same hand gestures by the leader. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/16 "2009-06-19T19:04:59Z")
Okay, it’s not super-brilliant like some of the others, but it’s funny: [MORTAL KOMBAT!!!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYjtSumBRo). ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/17 "2009-06-19T20:54:30Z")
East European favorites: Swiss Russian - [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mjed11EcpFQ](http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mjed11EcpFQ) Bulgaria - [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gdqjcW8u7Lw](http://youtube.com/watch?v=gdqjcW8u7Lw) Georgia - [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rrq0Akmq10s](http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rrq0Akmq10s) And Bobby McFerrin working the crowd: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PgvJg7D6Qck/hqdefault.jpg "Bobby McFerrin - Ave Maria") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgvJg7D6Qck) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/18 "2009-06-19T21:20:01Z")
Naturally Seven on the [Paris subway](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF-KagTq7qY). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/19 "2009-06-19T21:32:40Z")
I made beer money in college doing lighting work for a stage equipment store. Guy contracted to provide lights/sound/makeup etc to travelling acts around the state. One of the hottest shows I worked was a group called “Sweet Honey of the Rock Gospel Choir”. Four ladies, barefoot, on stage. No band, no instruments, nothing. They sang. They clapped. They stomped. And they rocked the house more than any other music show I ever worked. Not really my style of music…but still an epic performance. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274/20 "2009-06-19T21:33:10Z")
[Klein Four](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTby_e4-Rhg): a cappella for math geeks! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-great-a-capella-choir-performance/500274.md?page=2)