Singers Limited
The Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe has a distinguished musical tradition, which has been built on in the last twenty years to produce a stream of talented singers and instrumentalists. We spoke to them ahead of their performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Singers Limited is the school’s close harmony group. Their name is a tongue in cheek reference to Singers Unlimited, a jazz a cappella group of the 1970s. They are a popular feature at all Royal Grammar School concerts and also give performances in the local community to great acclaim.
Steal Away, is a straightforward arrangement after the famous version by Michael Tippett. The piece is almost always the first number each generation of Royal Grammar School close harmony singers learn, but it never fails to make a mark with its simple but powerful presentation. It is a great number to develop a real blend of sound built on good breath control. Sh Boom has always been one of the most popular songs sung by the group. This is a version of the song written by members of the American group, The Chords, in 1954. Dem Bones is a famous arrangement of the spiritual that many groups have used to end their sets and is a tour-de-force of vocal and verbal dexterity.
Musical Director: Tim Venvell
Age range of performers: Age 16-18
Performing:
Steal Away Trad Spiritual
Sh Boom The Chords, arr Randy Watson
Dem Bones Trad Spiritual, arr Robert Selles