They came, they sang, they conquered! The 15th SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival wrapped on June 6 after more than two weeks of concerts and workshops. This year’s theme was Singing Together and there were many opportunities for groups to collaborate and the public to join in.
Deke Sharon, considered the “father of contemporary a cappella”, led a singalong of songs from the popular Pitch Perfect movies, where he was Music Director. There were behind-the-scenes stories from the movie sets, and everyone got a chance to try the famous “cup song” using cups autographed by Deke.
Tackling tunes from the 80’s, Retrocity belted out old favourites, then invited audience members to a live karaoke, where the a cappella band provided the accompaniment.
Hundreds of beatboxers gathered at Toronto’s Rec Room for a full weekend “all from the mouth” sounds and rhythms. It was an international showdown featuring a Top 16 solo performers and Top 4 loopstation competitors from across the globe. The winner of the solo competition qualified for the Grand Beatbox Battle 2026 in Poland later this year, which reaches 10 million fans globally.
