The Swingles in Concert at Pjazza Teatru Rjal

LOOKING BACK (ForWard)

For more than half a century The Swingles have pushed the boundaries of vocal music. The seven young singers that make up today’s London-based group – Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson, Federica Basile, Liz Swain, Oliver Griffiths, Jon Smith, Kevin Fox and Edward Randell – are driven by the same innovative spirit that has defined the fivetime Grammy® winners since they first made waves in the 1960s, that is to make new and exciting music as well as to continue performing the older repertoire.

At a time when a cappella music is more popular than ever, The Swingles are recognised as masters of their craft. Over the years the group’s versatility has led to collaborations with artists as diverse as the Modern Jazz Quartet, Jamie Cullum and Labrinth. Luciano Berio was one of the first composers to explore the sound of the Swingles’ amplified voices in an orchestral setting with his groundbreaking Sinfonia. In addition to a busy touring schedule that regularly takes them to North and South America, Europe and Asia, The Swingles present their own London A Cappella Festival at Kings Place each January.

The concert’s title Look Back (ForWard) was chosen to honour the founder Ward Swingle, who started the group back in the early 1960s and was the choir’s mentor and advisor until he passed away in 2015. It is a tribute to his musical vision but also a journey through five decades of musical changes, reflecting the many sides of The Swingles over the years. Ward Swingle always encouraged the group to explore and innovate, so the singers will include some of their newest music as well as old favourites. The current members feel that it is a huge honour to be part of such a rich musical legacy whilst having a great opportunity to push forward creatively.

For Oliver Griffiths, one of the group’s current singers “the 1960’s line-up of the group is an inspiration to us – within 10 years they had won 5 Grammy Awards and been part of the premiere of Luciano Berio’s Sinfonia, which is an incredible piece that we still perform today. That versatility and ability to straddle different genres and musical worlds is something we still aim for. Recently, we are very proud of the original music we have written and we want to continue to focus on that; we’d also love to explore more collaborations with other disciplines such as theatre and dance.”Griffiths added that they are all very excited to spend some time in our beautiful country and share their music “particularly after one of us just came back from a holiday there and adored it, so the rest of us can’t wait.” The Swingles are particularly looking forward to perform in the unique setting of Pjazza Teatru Rjal. “Some of our favourite moments in performances have happened in outdoor shows” says Griffiths. “I remember one performance of Debussy’s Clair de Lune in a medieval courtyard in Israel; at the exact moment we started those famous rolling arpeggios, a gentle rain started and each drop was illuminated by the stage lights. It was unbelievably beautiful. Open air performances are unpredictable but that’s often what makes them special.”

The repertoire for the September concert at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the first ever by this internationally renowned vocal ensemble in Malta, features music ranging from the Baroque masters Bach, Tallis and Corelli, through 20th century classics such as de Falla and Piazzolla and right up to the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Narnia.

The concert on 18 September starts at 20:30h. Tickets are available from www.pjazzateatrurjal.mt Students and senior citizens may benefit from special discounts (terms and conditions apply). Date: 18 September 2018 Time: 8.30pm Venue: Pjazza Teatru Rjal