Anthology

Since their founding by tenor and leader Ward Swingle in the 1960s, the Swingle Singers have been regarded as one of the most brilliant a cappella vocal ensembles in the world. The group's virtuosic repertoire developed over decades from a core body of vocal arrangements, primarily of the music of J.S. Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to a more extensive catalog of pieces, including popular hits, early music, folk songs, and fresh takes on other classical composers. The four discs in Virgin's The Swingle Singers covers all this ground, so it is as comprehensive as a survey of this dynamic octet can be without over-emphasizing any one area. Because the Swingle Singers made their name through jazzed-up versions of Bach and Mozart, it's easy to stereotype them as an enormously talented but gimmicky ensemble that is more for fun than for serious listening. But it takes considerable skill and stamina to vocalize the whole of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor, and extraordinary versatility to jump from literally breathtaking arrangements of Bach fugues to songs by Lennon and McCartney, themes by Henry Mancini, international folk ballads, piano pieces by Debussy, and an edited but highly entertaining version of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky -- such talent has to be taken seriously and appreciated as art. The performances in this set differ, whether as studio or concert recordings with various dates, but the all-digital sound is quite evenly balanced over the tracks, so few volume adjustments are required. Blair Sanderson.