【A Cappella 101】Isn't A Cappella...?【Online Programme】

In the four-episode online programme Isn't A Cappella...?, A Cappella singing group VSing will answer several questions related to A Cappella singing and explain what is A Cappella from different aspects, including history, structures, techniques, style and arrangements.

In Cantonese.

The programme does not represent the views of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.  The presenter reserves the right to vary the boradcast time of the programme.

VSing, also known as "吾聲" in Chinese, is one of the active A Cappella vocal groups in the local pop music scene in Hong Kong.  It was formed by professional musicians in 2017 and has been bringing vibrant, fresh, and high-quality A Cappella music to Hong Kong.  The name "吾聲" emphasizes the characteristic of A Cappella music, using only human voices to explore the possibilities of creating music.

Performers (listed in alphabetical order):
Bernard Chan
Vincent Cheung
Justin Lau
Sharon Lee
Anna Lo
Gilbert Wong

This episode introduces the history of A Cappella, including how it evolved from monophonic plainchants in the Middle Ages to multiple voices in serious compositions and further developed to modern styles, including "Barbershop music" and "doo-wop" in the 20th century.

VSing will demonstrate how different styles in the past influenced today's A Cappella.

Isn't A Cappella about imitating instruments?  It is a common misunderstanding about A Cappella: A Cappella is not just about imitating instruments, nor is it merely one musical style; A Cappella is a way of singing.  Singers can imitate instruments when needed, but not necessarily, it all depends on the genre of the songs.

The special guest of this episode, drummer Lawrence Tsui, will work with VSing, demonstrating how A Cappella imitating instrument, and how certain instrumental elements can be applied to A Cappella arrangements without directly emulating the instruments.

Isn't A Cappella all about singing harmonies? Yes, but how do we achieve that harmony? A Cappella involves more than just melody and harmony; the quality of the harmony does not solely depend on the quantity of harmony present. There are different vocal parts in A Cappella, and each part plays a distinct role, contributing a unique layer to a song. 

In this episode, VSing will demonstrate how each vocal part adds depth and richness to a song. 
 

It's the final episode, so why isn't there any focus on reading music? Can we sing A Cappella even if we don't know how to read music? Absolutely! While being able to read music and knowing music theory are certainly important, the most crucial ability is that we sing out loud, dare to imitate others, collaborate with our peers, and find our own harmony. There are surely more fun on the way! If there's a will, there's a way!