Vocal music will take center stage at SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival, taking place at various downtown locations from May 23 to June 3, 2018. Canada’s premier a cappella festival features headliner performances by national and international vocal groups, intimate club shows, free concerts, educational workshops for singers of all ages and experience, and a school day vocal workshop program. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now at singtoronto.com.
Now in its seventh year, SING! has entertained more than 50,000 music lovers while showcasing the best in Canadian and international vocal talent. Headliner concerts include:
SING! Rocks the House, a rare opportunity to hear the pop, Motown and soul sounds of Rockapellaon the same bill as “rock band without instruments” The House Jacks. These two groups both had a major impact on how contemporary a cappella sounds today.
O Canada: TwentySomething, the 20th anniversary celebration of three of Canada’s most influential and highly celebrated a cappella groups—Toronto Northern Lights Chorus,Cadence and Retrocity. At this event the Toronto Northern Lights Chorus will be honoured with the Slaight Music SING! Toronto Legacy Award. The honour recognizes a person or ensemble who has made a significant contribution to the vocal arts in Canada and internationally.
Sixteen festival concerts will span an array of musical styles, including pop, rock, jazz, classical, barbershop, world, gospel, folk, live looping and beat boxing, all performed a cappella (voices without instrumental accompaniment). The festival includes nine ticketed concerts, seven free events, and two days of workshops on the art of a cappella singing.
Special events include a SING! SWINGS: Bernstein and More, celebrating composer Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday with an evening of songs from his canon of work, plus other jazz classics; SING!: A Woman’s Work, a concert showcasing female a cappella singers, crosses musical cultures and blurs stylistic borders; and two weekends of SING! Free, featuring free outdoor concerts in the afternoon at the Distillery District.
More than 30 a cappella performance groups will appear at the festival, ranging in size from soloists to choirs of over 50 singers. Venues range from the venerable Jane Mallett Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre, to the intimate Dancemakers Theatre Studio 313, and from the funky Opera House on Queen Street East to the music club, Hugh’s Room, on Dundas Street West. Prices for paid concerts range from $20 to $75. For tickets and additional information, visit www.singtoronto.com
SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival has been selected as one of Ontario’s top 100 festivals and events by Festivals & Events Ontario this year, the fourth consecutive year in which it has received this honour.
SING! has also generated several SING! partner festivals in Texas, and will debut SING! Edinburgh this summer as part of theSpaceUK venues at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
SING! Festival highlights announced to date include:
| EVENT | DATE / TIME | VENUE | TICKET PRICE |
| SING! Preview
A lunchtime sampling of some of the best in a outside at City Hall. |
Mon, May 14
12:30 to 1:30 pm |
Nathan Phillips Square | Free |
| SING! Opening Night
Meet the artists and other festival goers, hear a taste of what’s to come, and celebrate the opening of Canada’s premier a cappella festival with an evening of song. |
Wed. May 23
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. |
120 Diner
120 Church Street |
Free |
| SING! Swings Bernstein and More!
A celebration of the rich songbook of renowned Broadway, film, symphony and opera composer Leonard Bernstein at 100, plus more great jazz tunes, hosted by Micah Barneswith Ault Sisters, Hampton Avenue, and The Watch |
Thur, May 24
8:30 to 10:00 p.m.
|
Jazz Bistro
251 Victoria Street |
$30 |
| School Day Workshop Program
Music students from grades 7-12 will experience an unforgettable day of musical education, led by international vocal group Rockapella |
Fri, May 25
9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
|
Little Trinity Church
425 King Street East |
$30 |
| SING! Rocks the House
Featuring international vocal groups Rockapella, and The House Jacks, both of whom have contributed to the sound and popularity of contemporary a cappella music. |
Fri, May 25
8:00 to 10:00 p.m. |
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
(Jane Mallett Theatre) 27 Front Street East |
$49 |
| SING! and Learn: Public Workshops
Four interactive workshops guide professional and amateur singers alike in the art of vocal technique and performance, with workshops led by Rockapella, The House Jacks and Barbershop expert Pat Brown from Toronto Northern Lights Chorus. |
Sat, May 26
Noon to 5:00 pm |
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
(Jane Mallett Theatre) 27 Front Street East |
$40 workshop day pass, $15 individual workshops |
| Free Concerts
A variety of a cappella groups perform a range of musical genres for a great afternoon of music. |
Sat, May 26
Noon to 5:00 p.m. |
Distillery Historic District Outdoor Stage | Free |
| O Canada: Twentysomething—Celebrating the 20th anniversary of three of Canada’s most influential and highly celebrated a cappella groups: Toronto Northern Lights Chorus, Cadence and Retrocity | Sat, May 26
8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
|
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
(Jane Mallett Theatre) 27 Front Street East |
$39 – $49 |
| Free Concerts
A variety of a cappella groups performing a range of musical genres outdoors. |
Sun, May 27
2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
|
Distillery Historic District Outdoor Stage | free |
| A Woman’s Work Featuring female a cappella groups Girl Pow-R, Penthelia Singers, Blisk ,Jordana Talsky, and The Willows, hosted by Suba Sankaran | Sun., May 27
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. |
Dancemaker’s Theatre Studio 313 | $25 |
| Crossroads: Tradition Re-envisioned—The Best in Jewish A Cappella
Presented in conjunction with Jewish Music Week, featuring the reimagined liturgical and Hebrew vocal music of The Ruach Singers and the thumping beatbox and soulful harmonies of Six13, with guest soloist Amanda Levine |
Tues, May 29
7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
|
Beth Sholom Synagogue
1445 Eglinton Avenue West
|
$20-$75 |
| Art Battle @ SING!
Pairing live competitive painting by professional artists with performances by Countermeasure, Beatsync and SoundCrowd |
Wed, May 30
7:00 to 11:00 p.m. |
The Opera House
735 Queen Street East |
$27 |
| Looper’s Delight
Live looping artists create intricate sonic landscapes before your ears and Freeplay Duo launches their new CD. |
Thurs. May 31,
8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
|
Hugh’s Room Live
2261 Dundas St W |
$20 in advance, $25 at the door, |
| SING! Celebrates Gospel
Rejoice in the beauty of the human voice and the purity of a cappella Gospel, featuring the University of Toronto Gospel Choir, the Chitans, and Resound. |
Fri. June 1,
8:00 to 10:00 p.m. |
Little Trinity Church
425 King Street East |
$27 |
| The Ruach Singers at Shabbat Beth Sholom
The Ruach Singers participate in Saturday morning service |
Sat, Jun 2
9:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon |
Beth Sholom Synagogue
1445 Eglinton Avenue West |
Free |
| Free Concerts
A variety of a cappella groups performing a range of musical genres outdoors. |
Sat, Jun 2
2 p.m. and 4 p.m. |
Distillery Historic District Outdoor Stage | Free |
| SoundCrowd and Friends featuring the full SoundCrowd chorus plus guests Countermeasure, Cadence, and Retrocity | Sat, Jun 2
8 to 10 p.m. |
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
(Jane Mallett Theatre) 27 Front Street East |
$30 |
| Free Concerts
A variety of a cappella groups performing a range of musical genres outdoors. |
Sun., Jun 3
2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Distillery Historic District Outdoor Stage | free |
More SING! artists are being added on an ongoing basis. View the latest schedule here.
