A Cappella Dreams

EPISODE #9

A cappella, Italian for in the style of the church, refers to music for unaccompanied voices. Just a decade ago it was nowhere near the radio dial. Now it’s everywhere: college campuses, Hollywood blockbusters, prime time reality television, and the Grammys. A cappella hasn’t been this big since Gregorian chant. Why has a cappella returned with such a vengeance? We try to find out why in this four part episode.

Act 1: Undercover Barbershop, featuring journalist Kevin Roose

Buffalo Bills Barbershop Quartet – The Only Girl In The World

Dion & The Belmonts – I Wonder Why

Barbershoptags.com – I Love to Sing ‘Em

The Barbershop Singers – My Wild Irish Rose

Buffalo Bills – As Time Goes By

Vocal Spectrum – When I See An Elephant Fly

OC Times – Come Fly With Me

Act 2: How To Become A Youtube Star In 3 Easy Steps, featuring musician Matthias Harris

Halestorm – Bad Romance (Lady Gaga cover)

Matthias Harris – Somebody That I Used To Know (Gotye a cappella arrangement)

The Stiff Dylands – Ultraviolet

Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)

Mike Tompkins – Teenage Dream & Just The Way You Are (Katy Perry a cappella arrangement)

Matthias Harris – Boyfriend (Justin Bieber arrangement)

Matthias Harris – Home

Act 3: Sing On / Sing Off featuring Manjula Raman from Element

Element – Royals (Lorde a cappella arrangement)

Element – Raise Your Glass (Pink a cappella arrangement)

Act 4: A New Golden Era

Pentatonix – Daft Punk

SONGS DISCUSSED

The Tallis Scholars – Missa Brevis: Kyrie

Middlesex A Cappella – Sound of Silence

Pentatonix – Daft Punk