Pentatonix won the third season of The Sing-Off, a singing competition of a capella groups. They met for the first time the day before auditions for the show. I love this performance of one of my favorite songs, written by Leonard Cohen about 1984. I do find it strange that the song has somehow become a religious anthem for many American christian singers and choirs. I wonder if they have ever listened to the words, which have very earthly and earthy context.
This week my song selection was inspired by Ruth at Image & Word. Her post Harmony features an acappella song. It reminded me how much I love acapella. You know someone can actually sing, not just perform to over-synthesized music, if they can sing acapella. The Nylons harmonies are some of the best. The group started in 1979 in Canada; some of the singers changed over time. I saw them perform in the late 80s when I lived in San Francisco. They put on an incredible, energetic show. Up the Ladder to the Roof is performed by The Nylons I saw the first time—Mark, Paul, Arnold, and Claude—The Nylons of their first four albums. When the group retired in 2016, one of the founding members, Claude Morrison, was still performing. I have also included their song about acapella.
Check out Hugh’s 51 Weeks: 51 Songs from the Past, Week 17. Add your own favorites.
The New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect 