Vocaldente
Encyclopedia
History
vocaldente were founded in 2004 by five singers - Tobias "Tobek" Kiel (1st tenorTenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), Johannes "Johnny" Gruber (baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
/ mouth percussion) Niklas Turmann (2nd tenor), Ansgar Pfeiffer (countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
), and Arndt Schmöle (bass). The group primarily emerged from the Knabenchor Hannover (Hanover Boys Choir) and the Hanover University of Music and Drama
Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover
Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover is an artistic-scientific university in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany. It dates back to 1897. From 1962 until 2010 it was named Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover , short: Musikhochschule Hannover...
. Their line-up has altered three times, in 2006, when Tobias Wunschik replaced Schmöle, in 2008, when Michael Schöpe was recruited in place of the departing Turmann and in 2009 when Timo Klemm came in for Pfeiffer who retired. Schmöle and Turman left to pursue new musical challenges.
The ensemble began by building their support base locally and then began to perform across Germany. By 2007, they were frequently undertaking foreign tours, most notably to the United States and South East Asia, where they've been continuously building up a loyal and enthused following of fans ever since. In 2007 and 2008, they won first prizes at several renowned international A cappella competitions such as the Tampereen Sävel Contest for Vocal Ensembles in Finland and the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival
The Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival is an annual showcase and competition for a cappella groups of all vocal styles. The competition is organized into eight regional events across the United States, with each winning group advancing to the National Finals in San Rafael, California.-Festival...
in the U.S.
The band performed a special concert in the Balver Caves
Balver Höhle
The Balve Cave is the biggest cultural cave in Europe. It is located in Balve, Germany.-History:The Balve Cave was mentioned in the Thidrekssaga. Since 160 years the annual Schützenfest is a part of the culture. In 1985 the Festspiele Balver Höhle were founded with the mystery play Katharina von...
in 2009, celebrating the 5th anniversary of their formation. A DVD of this concert is planned for release in Autumn 2009.
Influences
Due to their varied musical backgrounds and instrumental professions, vocaldente cite many different musical influences. As a vocal group, they're most notably influenced by pioneering British a cappella ensemble the King's SingersKing's Singers
The King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, in whose workshops at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival is a classical music festival held every year in summer time all over the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany....
they've already participated twice, where they were honoured by some commending remarks from members of the King's Singers.
Repertoire
The ensemble performs a varied catalogue of popular songs covering contemporary and modern music from the past 100 years, as well as its own compositions. All songs are arranged by members of the group themselves. When performing, vocaldente put great emphasis on singing acoustically without technical aids or microphones, as they consider this method as returning “back to the roots of a cappella”.Discography
All recordings are released independently by vocaldente, and are only sold through their official website or at their concerts. The group recorded all in studios in Hanover, Germany.Albums
- "Let’s Misbehave" (2006)
- "gold 'n' delicious" (2009)
Singles
- "...dann ist Sommer" (2007)
DVDs
- "Live at Balver Caves" (scheduled for release in Autumn 2009)
Awards
- 1st Prize - Tampereen Sävel 2007 (Tampere, Finland)
- 1st Prize - Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival 2008 (San Francisco, USA)
- 1st Prize - Taiwan International Contemporary A Cappella Competition 2008 (Taipeh)