OVERALL NOISE RATING: 1 (Quiet and appreciative audience)

The Noise Rating Index is a partially-objective measurement of pager and handphone blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits, intra-audience conversation and other mind-bogglingly inept noises emitted in the concert hall during actual performance of music. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.

Ticket for Inkpot classical music reviewers have been kindly sponsored by Arts Management Associates.

These people not only look good, they dress beautifully well too. Right from the start, The Swingle Singers had my attention glued on them, albeit from a contorted, acute angle - thanks to the press seat that put me in right up under their noses. I could almost feel the spray of saliva as the cannons - mimicked by the effervescent David Porter Thomas (Second Bass) - roared away in their 'classic' finish - the 1812 Overture...

I have heard a lot about The Swingle Singers. Since my singing days in the Youth Choir, I have seen their success modeled by many Singapore a capella groups. They try to imitate The Swingle Singer's unique singing style - created by Ward Swingle - made up of nonsensical syllabic utterings that can tumble at lightning speeds. This choral breakthrough helped them fashion arrangements of Bach's music which were until then unheard of. A unique style was born and judging from the audience response at the Mandarin Ballroom tonight, this style is well-loved, alive and kicking - after so many years. I still have a cherished CD of the earliest Swingle Singers, the French group - Jazz Sebastian Bach . Many of their latest releases can be ordered through their internet order form (Here is an annotated list of recordings). Life after Herr Bach has included many more numbers - equally successful if not more so - ranging from moody Beatles to the charmingly cunning soundtrack to Mission Impossible

The Swingle Singers were founded in the early 1960's by Ward Swingle, an American living in Paris at that time. Les Swingle Singers quickly gained international recognition with a huge world-wide following and a reputation for musical agility and accuracy. When this group disbanded in the early 1970's, Ward Swingle moved to England and formed a new group using classically trained singers: Swingle II. His aim was to increase the repertoire to include not only jazz, but classical music and pop, a tradition that lives on. Ward Swingle retired in 1984. The group continues to go from strength to strength, performing in the region of 150 concerts a year all over the world, being equally at home in jazz clubs, cathedrals, opera houses and concert halls.

Tonight, despite the extreme cold temperature and poorly positioned (audience) seating arrangement, The Swingle Singers delivered a moving and extended programme that was designed to satisfy the most demanding audience. These are hardworking singers who obviously know their stuff inside out. Every single arrangement is a creation of skilled musicianship and the tight harmonies and clever use of their trademark syllables to represent words and meanings - through sound painting - amaze me. Needless to say it is therefore difficult to memorise so many - let alone an entire tour repertoire. This explains why the Swingle Singers are professionals in their own right.

Intonation was close to perfect except in the jazzy fast Bach pieces. It is obvious to me that the Swingle Singers are capable of more than the messy execution I heard in the Overture to Die Zauberflöte and Country Dances...both of which opened the first and second half respectively. Perhaps they needed to warm-up! Otherwise, throughout the night , ensemble work was constantly impressive right down to the hilarious actions that they devised. This was evident in the Cachapaya and Mission Impossible pieces, both of which had the crowd roaring in laughter.

Nevertheless, the number that brought the house down must surely be the animated 1812 Overture - the Swingle's version. Here they marched, fired cannons, experienced earthquakes and tolled cathedral bells - all convincingly - with just eight voices. Just listening to their CDs, one would miss so much - the Swingle Singers must be watched and heard 'live'.

Vocally, the Swingles are made up of trained singers with a variety of singing experience. However, I must add that one would be disappointed if one went there expecting huge, trained operatic voices. These are small voices, manipulated to sound even smaller. In fact, they make no excuses that they are dependent on their sound engineer John Milner, to make them sound good. I am unable to make out whether their dynamic control was of a personal effort (each singer was miked) or the result of severe sound editing from the back of the hall.

What I did hear was perfectly balanced vocal parts, blending almost like condensed milk (i.e. very smoothly), pleasing sonic reverberation that floated their voices off the loud-speakers on and off stage. Notably, I could NOT hear them from their mouths. Perhaps this is therefore why I could detect an amazing singing technique. Let me describe it to you: I heard many of them cutting notes short by stopping their vocalisation but continuing to change their mouth shape to enunciate. Surprisingly, the vowel sound continued to change. It is almost as if they could control the shape of sound after they have uttered it. A unique first - I am tempted to coin the term: unvoiced vocal kinetics!

The Second Soprano Joanna Forbes delivered a fascinating account of Milonga del Angel, a creation of Piazolla arranged by Ward Swingle. Hers is a beautiful voice by any standard. Though not perfectly sung tonight - I loved and will always love this evocative arrangement of the Beatle's Blackbird/I Will - Ann de Renais, the First Soprano, had a break from singing her usual 'wow' top descant notes to render a gently imaginative solo for this beautiful song.

Michael Robinson's Yesterday was tender yet moody, contrasting with his comique actions in many numbers. First Bass Jeremy Sadler was positively funny in Fiddler on the Roof. Finally, - the dashingly beautiful Second Alto Wendy Nieper had her chance to prove her fabulous vocals in the encore number, Pink Panther.

Not my usual cup of tea of heavy opera and uptight classical music - but what a delightful break after a stormy weekend! I was in one of my moods again and did not feel like attending this concert. However, responsibility calls and I waded through rain to find myself being lifted in spirit by this infectiously funny bunch of vocal comedians. The last encore number - Count Your Blessings was a bitter-sweet finish for the night and for me - I was gently reminded to count my blessings in place of sheep when I cannot sleep... Amen to that I say!

Frozen cold and twisted in neck, Ng Yeuk Fan finds renewed energy in spirit to face life.

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364: 10.12.98

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