The a capella group The Swingle Singers were originally a French vocal group, founded by Ward Swingle back in 1962, but this 4-disc set represents the 1990s output of a later ensemble, based in London.
This excruciatingly twee group has lasted more than four decades. Travel to the wrong parts of the world and you’re likely to still run the danger of hearing them in concert. They just will not give up on their quest to merge the traditions of American jazz scat-singing and European classical music, and lose the best parts of both along the way.
The four albums in this set are A Capella Amadeus: A Mozart Celebration, and although Mozart had a strong sense of humour,I doubt if he would have been amused by what the Swingles
do to the Overture to The Magic Flute, or to any of the other selections from his operas, piano concertos and sacred music.
Bach Hits Back is the Swingle’s second attempt to destroy JS Bach’s reputation. Sadly, despite the title, Bach cannot hit back. The third album, 1812, is a live concert disc which tackles Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Gershwin and even Lennon/McCartney. The collection concludes with Around the World, a folk-song tour which includes the very worst version I’ve ever heard of ‘Waltzing Matilda’, complete with grotesque impersonations of a didgeridoo.
Everything is marked by an aura of ‘aren’t we clever’. Technically of course, the Swingles are great harmonists. But then, so were The Mamas and the Papas, and they at least had the grace to know when to stop.
Comments
Log in to join the conversation.