We are proud to announce, that this years European Voices Award goes to:
ONAIR
Since 2013, the Berlin a cappella ensemble: André Bachmann, Marta Helmin, Jennifer Kothe and Patrick Oliver, present vocal perfection, artistic arrangements, as well as innovative sound design and extensive stage performance.
The ensemble will perform at the Münster Vocal Festival 2024, on Saturday, September 28th.
Meet Jim Daus Hjernøe the second edition of the Online EVA Talk:
The purpose of our EVA Talk in this new format is to provide vocal ensemble singers and choir leaders with concrete tips and inspiration, to maintain continuity for your group or choir during times of physical distancing.
This time we will welcome Professor Jim Daus Hjernøe, the director and leading head of the European Voices Award-winning RAMA Vocal Center (RVC). As an internationally sought-after lecturer, excellent musician and ensemble leader, he lives the pursuit of innovation. With the RVC, Jim has simultaneously created an international network that carries the ideas, the methods and the creative potential all over the world.
Jim has also developed the “The Intelligent Choir” methodology (TIC). The “Intelligent Choir” consists of singers who themselves take responsibility for the musical creative process.
With “Vocal Painting” (VOPA), Jim has further developed Walter Thompson’s “Sound Painting” for improvisation with the voice and created a powerful tool for musical work in an ensemble.
Jim will give you a first impression on TIC and VOPA and about the possibilities to learn more about it for around 60 minutes. Thereafter will be time for questions and answers.
Please write an email to info@europeanvoices.org and we will sent you the ZOOM link.
We would like to ask for a contribution. Donate as much as you feel (maybe 5 € or more) to
European Voices Association e. V.
DE78 8306 5408 0004 7258 40
GENODEF1SLR
You are also welcome to become a member of EVA.
Meet Merel Martens for the first edition of the Online EVA Talk:
For some time now choirs are rehearsing online with tools like Zoom or Jamulus. Even if many singers and conductors have lots of experiences now they might be interested in learning some new things.
The purpose of our EVA Talk in this new format is to provide vocal ensemble singers and choir leaders with concrete tips and inspiration, to maintain continuity for your group or choir during times of physical distancing.
Merel will teach you for around 60 minutes. Thereafter will be time for questions and answers.
Merel Martens founded the Vocal Leadership educational programs at the Codarts conservatory in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2015.
Merel’s work with award winning vocal groups such as Pitch Control, MAZE, The Junction, Dutch Organic Choir and VOÏSZ Vocal Projects breaks new ground in vocal music around the world as well as in her home country.
Please write an email to info@europeanvoices.org and we will sent you the ZOOM link.
We would like to ask for a contribution. Donate as much as you feel (maybe 5 € or more) to
European Voices Association e. V. DE78 8306 5408 0004 7258 40 GENODEF1SLR
You are also welcome to become a member of EVA.
With great sorrow have we received the information that Tobias Hug has passed away.
Tobi has been active in the a-cappella-scene for more than 20 years.
While
being active as beatboxer on stage, he also loved showing young people
the beautiful use of ones own voice – for vocal songs, but also for
beatboxing.
He created the worldwide largest
beatbox-choir in Hong Kong (with over 7000 young people beatboxing
simultaneously) and supported multiple festivals, not to mention the
festival he created by himself, the Black Forest Voices Festival in
Kirchzarten (Germany).
Tobi was a founding member of EVA and supported the idea of EVA where he was able to.
We lost a good friend today.
Tilo, Karin, Hanno and Thomas
We are very pleased to inform you that the European Voices Association (EVA) will take over the platform “acapella-online.de” on October 1st. We thank Volker Bauer – the founder and long-time operator of this site – very much for his confidence in us and assure him to give our best and to continue his work conscientiously. Volker Bauer writes the following about his decision:
Dear singers, groups, fans, enthusiasts of vocal music.
Alea iacta est – as the Latin says. The dice have been thrown, a decision has been made, one door is just beginning to close, while another, hopefully bigger one, is opening up and revealing a glimpse of the future of acappella-online.de.
As you may have read on the website and in other places during the last weeks and months, I was looking for successors – because for health reasons I could not do a project like acappella-online.de anymore, and certainly not alone. I was quite open whether this is an individual like me, who does it out of pure enthusiasm, an organisation that already deals with vocal music, or a group of people, who combine to rejuvenate acappella-online.de. There were a lot of conversations, discussions, considerations and procedural models.
Today I can announce the result of this work:
European Voices Association e. V. (EVA) takes over acappella-online.de, the platform for vocal music in German-speaking countries.
I am optimistic that the colleagues from EVA will manage to transform the website, the platform and the information into the here and now and that you, who use the website, will enjoy browsing on acappella-online.de again.
I would like to thank you all for your years of loyalty and support. You have always made sure that I have further developed, supported and expanded. Moreover, not to forget, you took care of the content. acappella-online.de is what you call “community driven” – I took care of the framework, you took care of the content. I thank you very much for that.
My thanks and fingers crossed to European Voices Association, who will now start to fulfil the expectations I and you set in them regarding the new, polished acappella-online.de.
All the best to you and lots of fun with music only made from vocal chords …
Volker
“acappellamaniac”
We are proud to announce, that this years European Voices Award goes to:
Vocal Line
For more than 28 years Vocal Line and director Jens Johansen have set new standards for a cappella music, winning numerous international music prizes and gaining a reputation as one of the best vocal ensembles in the world. Vocal Line has performed with superstars like Bobby McFerrin and The Rolling Stones, travelled all over the world, and they´ve recorded eight studio albums with complex yet catchy arrangements of pop and rock masterpieces.
The video of the presentation of the award can be found here:
(German version below)
The European Voices Association awards the European Voices Award for the year 2018 to the
RAMA Vocal Center (Aalborg) (RVC)
at the Royal Acadamy of Music (Aarhus/Aalborg) (RAMA).
The RAMA Vocal Center receives the award for outstanding achievements in the field of popular training for choir conductors and choir singers.
The RVC is the Danish centre for training programmes for jazz/pop vocal ensemble leaders and is now one of the best in the world.
The RVC offers programmes for choir conductors and soloists, supplementary and extra-occupational courses and a wide variety of inspiration and master classes. Students find a learning environment that is characterized by innovation and competence development. An outstanding team of lecturers, the internationality of the students themselves and, last but not least, excellent technical equipment enable education at the highest level.
The RVC combines intensive study sessions in Aalborg with long distance learning and supervision via digital platforms.
In its quest for continuous artistic and pedagogical development, the RVC is today one of the hotspots of modern vocal music, “the place to be” for ensemble leaders from all over the world.
Professor Jim Daus Hjernøe
is the director and leading head of the RVC. As an internationally sought-after lecturer, excellent musician and ensemble leader, he lives the quest for innovation. With the RVC, Jim has also created an international network that carries ideas, methods and creative potential all over the world.
Jim has also developed the The Intelligent Choir Methodology (TIC). The “intelligent choir” consists of singers who themselves take responsibility for the musical design process.
With Vocal Painting, Jim has further developed Walter Thompson’s Sound Painting for improvisation with the voice and created a powerful tool for musical work in ensembles.
European voices association (EVA) verleiht den
European Voices Award
für das Jahr 2018 an das
RAMA Vocal Center, Aalborg der Royal Acadamy of Music Aarhus (RAMA).
Das RAMA Vocal Center erhält den Preis für die herausragenden Leistungen im Bereich der populären Ausbildung für Chorleiter, Chorsänger.
Das Vocal Center der Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg ist das dänische Zentrum für Ausbildungsprogramme für Jazz/Pop-Vokalensemble-Leitung und mittlerweile eines der besten weltweit.
Das RVC bietet Programme für Chorleiter und Solisten, Ergänzungs- und berufsbegleitende Studiengänge und die verschiedensten Inspirations- und Meisterkurse. Studierende finden eine Lernumgebung vor, die durch Innovation und Kompetenzentwicklung geprägt ist. Ein hervorragendes Dozententeam, die Internationalität der Studierenden selbst und nicht zuletzt eine exzellente technische Ausstattung ermöglichen eine Ausbildung auf höchstem Niveau.
Das RVC verbindet dabei intensive Studien-Sessions in Aalborg mit Long-Distance-Learning und Supervision über digitale Plattformen.
In seinem Streben nach ständiger künstlerischer und pädagogischer Weiterentwicklung ist das RVC heute einer der Hotspots moderner Vokalmusik, „the place to be“ für Ensemble-Leiter aus aller Welt.
Professor Jim Daus Hjernøe
ist der Leiter und der führende Kopf des RVC. Als international gefragter Dozent, als exzellenter Musiker und Ensemble-Leiter lebt er das Streben nach Innovation. Mit dem RVC hat Jim gleichzeitig ein internationales Netzwerk geschaffen, das die Ideen, die Methoden und das kreative Potential in alle Welt weiterträgt.
Jim hat darüber hinaus die TIC-Chor-Methodik („The Intelligent Choir“) entwickelt. Der „intelligente Chor“ besteht aus Sängerinnen und Sängern, die selbst Verantwortung für den musikalischen Gestaltungsprozess übernehmen.
Mit dem „Vocal Painting“ hat Jim das „Soundpainting“ von Walter Thompson für die Improvisation mit der Stimme weiterentwickelt und ein mächtiges Tool für die musikalische Arbeit im Ensemble erschaffen.
There are two kinds of choir singers. Some of us are the shy one. We love singing in a group, but we don’t want to be heard too much. We don’t consider ourselves musicians, and we don’t know how to prepare or learn music on our own. In every concert, there are those two measures in that one song that we just don’t sing because they’re too hard. We just move our mouths and hope that our neighbors will manage those notes without us.
And some of us are the musicians, the confident ones, the divas. We audition for solos. We wait for our moment to shine. We love it when the director says our section is too quiet. And we wonder why our fellow singers always suggest, carefully, that we’re too loud.
Jo Annemans is in his element working with both of them. In his workshops (for vocal groups, choirs, or just gatherings of singers) he combines his approximately 20 years of experience singing with Belgian vocal group Voice Male and his day job as a therapist to teach the psychology of group singing. Most of all, he wants to teach singers how to listen. How does my part fit into the overall arrangement? What do my notes mean for the song in this moment? How does my vocal line interact with the others? What’s happening behind the solo?
Jo teaches several kinds of workshops for singers. Some involve learning one of his arrangements just to practice listening skills. Another involves arranging on the spot through improvisation and listening. And for vocal groups and choirs, he also offers individual master classes and coachings.
So what can singers get out of a workshop with Jo? One thing he always tries to do is give singers personal attention without making them feel uncomfortable. A shy singer can become more confident about their voice and start to feel more comfortable with every note they sing. And confident singers can learn how to listen more and understand how they fit into the group’s overall sound. In the end, both types of singers walk away knowing that they all share equal responsibility and value in the choir, and they find joy in realizing: we did this together, and everybody was in it.
Get more info about Jo on his website: www.joannemans.be
A personal review of this year’s International A Cappella Competition in Graz by our Vice-Chairman Peter Martin Jacob
„Es klappert die Mühle am rauschenden Bach“, an Arrangement of this traditional German Folksong by German Vocal Group str8voices was considered to be the „most creative arrangement of the pop category“ at this year’s International A Cappella Competition Graz. The jury also praised the performance of the song. str8voices from Hannover also won the 2nd prize in the pop category. Some of you might know the eight singers from their little youtube-hit, an arrangement of the Star Wars Soundtrack of „The Force awakens“. If not, check it out here. I wish this extraordinary vocal group a continuing splendid career, as they already sing together since eight years. May the Force be with u!
Graz in summer is always worth going there. Where else can you experience around twenty vocal groups of all over the world in three days, not to mention the fabulous climate, the great food and the lovely tiny second largest city in Austria? It’s also very cool to meet so many folks of the a cappella family and have a chat or two.
Apart from str8voices, that surprised me as I have never seen them before, I especially was deeply impressed by the ensemble Georgian Six from … tataaa… Georgia, the European Eastern state at the south-end of the Caucasus. The two female and four male singers showed a highly remarkable performance, in the Jazz Category and particularly in the Classical Category. In both Categories they won the audience award, which is a great statement, I think. I’ve never heard such an amazing version of Khachaturian’s „Sabre Dance“ before, as well as I was very impressed by the own compositions of this perfectly singing group. Their music, as we learned by the adorable and really sweet tall black-haired female singer, is a mix of asian, arabian, georgian, slavic and european influences. A great worldmusic-mix. Highly recommended to everybody. Check out the Vokal Total youtube-channel. You will see and hear what I mean.
Another really striking appearance at this year‘s competition had the young German Vocal Group Quintense from Leipzig. The young two female and three male singers are music students, they founded the group one and a half years ago. Graz was about their fifth public gig, and they won the Jazz Category. Isn’t that amazing? In Pop, they managed to reach the third prize and the audience award. Congratulations! What an outcome! Oh, and they also received the magenta talent trophy, which is given since two years to a very talented ensemble.
In my opinion also worth to mention: Gretchens Antwort, four girls from Berlin. Really great singers. And I like the attitude! And their versions of „Männer“ from Herbert Grönemeyer and their arrangement of Cohen’s „Halleluja“. Upsweep from Rome/Italy. Check out this video. They can sing AND move. They also know how to dress on stage (Italians!), Their „Cry me a river“ thrilled me. And I really liked the grooving base.
In my opinion also worth to mention: Gretchens Antwort, four girls from Berlin. Really great singers. And I like the attitude! And their versions of „Männer“ from Herbert Grönemeyer and their arrangement of Cohen’s „Halleluja“. Upsweep from Rome/Italy. Check out this video. They can sing AND move. They also know how to dress on stage (Italians!), Their „Cry me a river“ thrilled me. And I really liked the grooving base.
Under this link you get an overview of all the prizes, diplomas and awards that were given this year to the participating groups.
Come to Graz in July next year and experience the outdoor opening ceremony called „Marktschreierei“ as well as the great „Dom im Berg“ and the pretty „Minoritensaal“ as the two venues of the competitions. Really extraordinary! Listen to the singing world, dance with the participants at the party, drink and have fun till four o clock in the morning (or later) or just be impressed of great voices.
Yours
Peter
Natural, organic and fresh sounds as it was straight from a backyard passionately composed into rich and full-flavoured harmonies.
Six vocal enthusiasts joined in the pursuit of a simple goal of capturing the natural warmth and harmony of human voices and translating them into a sensual experience for the enjoyment of the listeners.
Music is a universal language – there is no instrument more primal than that of a human body and no rhythm more pure that the sound of a beating heart.
In our musical ventures, we always strive to create a comprehensive harmony of sounds. As the six voices become one we suddenly become aware that the essence of beauty is not at all pretentious, but merely a simple and natural occurrence. With time and persistence such beauty can mature and bring out its genuine splendour and creativity.
In 2013, the Kreativo Vocal Band began to invest more time to their song creation process with the desire to fulfill their common passion and calling to perform Jazz, Pop and Country music among other popular genres. All singers still continue to perfect their vocal techniques and have a long track record performing at small- and large-scale events world-wide. We give an appealing and playful twist to well known hits of the Slovenian and foreign songs, and in 2015 we have released our first album with arrangements of popular Slovenian songs.
In addition to performing at various events we have already held numerous independents shows, among which is the traditional annual concert “Igramo na Glas” (Fierce and Loud), and in September 2014 we performed in the non-competitive part of the Slovenian Song Festival. We partake in different music festivals for vocal groups held in Slovenia and abroad, and we already pride ourselves with several more prominent achievements. In 2015, we performed at the International Vokal Total Festival in Austria and were awarded the Silver Award in the “Jazz” category, and also a special Bronze Ward Swingle Award. In May 2016, we attended the Slovenian A Cappella Festival called “Sredi Zvezd” (Among the Stars) held in Žalec and won first place. In July 2016, we appeared at the Total Vokal Festival again and won first place in the “Pop” category, and we were presented with a Gold Award and a Gold Ward Swingle Award.
With the awards came numerous opportunities to work with famous people from the world of the a cappella music, including Peder Karlsson, Anders Jalkeus (The Real Group) and Andrea Figallo (Flying Pickets). All artists are former members of world-renowned vocal bands with the current mission to spread their rich knowledge and experience among other enthusiasts of vocal music. Working with these experts is key to our professional development; therefore, we hope these cooperations will be the source for our creative and artistic growth in the future.
Tranquil and hard-working girl born and bred in Ljubljana. A lawyer by profession, and a rocker by heart who swears by Japanese cars and sticks to Styrian men (Štajerska region).
JANA GAMSER
Alto
Hard-working, conscientious and uncompromisingly strict when it comes to music performance. Her velvety voice will leave you speechless.
ALEŠ MAJERIČ
Tenor
His sensitive humour and orderly old-fashioned upbringing always follow him around. Love for women, dedicated singing and passion for sports are what keeps him young at heart.
The personification of music itself. Someone, who feels right at home between the lines and spaces of the staff. Relentless Jazz player with a perfect pitch for rhythm and intonation. Favourite waste of time – the electric guitar.
DOMINIK ŠTRUCELJ
Tenor / Vocal drums
The most friendly “drum machine” in the Universe and a matchless sound engineer, hacker and heartily White Carniolan (region of Bela Krajina)
LUKA ČERNE
Bass
A thrifty and resourceful bass singer from Upper Carniola (Gorenjska region) with strong managerial skills. Time is his worst enemy, but when it comes to music, everything can be put on hold.
