The performance was rounded off with several pieces arranged by Ward Swingle, one of the group's patrons, and the founder of The Swingle Singers.

For 50 minutes Friday afternoon, Ward Swingle, founder and music director of the world-renowned Swingle Singers, was there to guide and shape their voices, pronunciation, intonation and delivery of one of his trademark a cappella songs, 'Country Dances.' Swingle also coached students in his trademark jazz scat, which he called the universal language of music, reminded them not to neglect the second and fourth beats and gave tips on regulating volume. For the students, who are the top choral students in the school, Swingles' teaching, professional guidance and musical direction was inspiring. Ward Swingle is now retired, though he still serves as musical director of the Swingle Singers.A resident of Paris, France, he summers in the Grand Traverse region.The invite started as an indirect contact, initiated by the school custodian, Ron Brakel, who knew someone in his neighborhood who could introduce Larimer to Swingle. Starting from that tenuous connection, Larimer took a leap of faith and approached Swingle during a summer social gathering.But since Swingle routinely leaves for France in mid-September, not long after school starts, the visit was a now-or-never proposition.After the intensive session Friday with Swingle, Larimer is very pleased with his students' accomplishments."Mr. Swingle is an incredible important person in the world of choral music," he said."His music is very difficult and I noticed a major difference in just 50 minutes.""Now we have what his concept was when writing the songs, that imagery just makes everything become clear."Return to story list

WARD SWINGLE Founder, Singer, Arranger, Composer, Musical Advisor Swingle Singer 1963-1984 Ward Swingle Founder, Singer, Arranger, Composer, Musical Advisor Since leaving the group, Ward has continued to supply marvellous new arrangements and advise us on how we're doing with everything else. The group doesn't have difficulty finding an excuse to visit Ward and his lovely wife Francoise whenever we're near Paris. They've settled in nicely in a sleepy town about an hour into the French countryside - surely the ideal rehearsal venue if ever there was one! Ward's biography Ward Swingle was the product of an unusually liberal musical education. In his home town, Mobile, Alabama, he grew up with the sound of jazz and played in one of the great Big Bands before finishing High School. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Cincinnati Conservatory and studied piano with the celebrated Walter Gieseking in postwar France. In Paris in the sixties he was a founding member of the fabled Double Six of Paris, then took the scat singing idea and applied it to the works of Bach, hence The Swingle Singers, whose early recordings won five Grammies. When the Paris group disbanded in 1973, Swingle moved to London and formed an English group, expanding the repertoire to include classical and avant-garde works along with the scat and jazz vocal arrangements. In 1984, Swingle returned to live in America. Though he remained as Musical Advisor for his London-based group, he devoted most of his time to workshops, guest conducting and the dissemination of his printed arrangements through his publishing company, Swingle Music. His pioneering ideas in new choral techniques have produced invitations to conduct a wide variety of choral ensembles: The Stockholm and Netherlands Chamber Choirs, The Dale Warland Singers, The Sydney Philharmonia Motet Choir, the BBC Northern Singers, The Gregg Smith Singers and the MENC National Honors Choir at Kennedy Centre. Over the last ten years he has given a long series of workshops and seminars at outstanding universities in both Europe and North America. In March of 1994 he and Mrs Swingle moved back to France, where he continues his work in arranging, composing, adjudicating and guest conducting. He has recently written a book called 'Swingle Singing', in which he tells the story of the French and English groups, his own story, and defines 'Swingle Singing' techniques with illustrations from his own arrangements and compositions. You can learn more about how Ward started the swingle singers and his full involvement with the group from past to present in the History section. Ann was a great asset for the swingle singers, advising on publicity material and interviewing Ward Swingle for a recent publicity video. Having joined the swingle singers when Ward Swingle was still performing with the group and steered the ensemble's activities through more than a decade of performances and recordings, Jonathan's contribution to the group's history bridges the gap between the English group's first years and the modern era. Her ability as an arranger and musician helped ensure that the group continues today as a successful touring ensemble; but it was her determination and skill as a communicator that led to the swingle singers having a very healthy working relationship with its founder Ward Swingle, as well as all other notable faces from the group's history.

The Swingle Singers was founded by Ward Swingle, an American vocalist and jazz composer. "From the beginning, the group's success was created by the music of Bach," says Swingle first tenor Oliver Griffiths. The original group disbanded in 1973, and Swingle moved to London to found Swingle II. Now retired and living just outside of Paris, he continues to advise and occasionally arrange for the current bunch. But a lot more than nationality has changed.

Other musical highlights include a terrific young organist, Felix Hell and the Swingle Singers (led by their founder, Ward Swingle) in an a cappella "Badinerie" from the second orchestral suite. It's so much fun to watch the Swingle Singers put together the Badinerie layer by layer while Ward lays his thoughts on top; or meet John Bayless, and then later watch him slide into the MRI. Unbelievable sound quality (the string music, the thundering organ, and Ward Swingle's whisper-voice, all up at the same crisp decibel level) and the fine lighting. Just a few high points: The young organist playing the D-major Fugue and watching his feet dancing across the pedal keyboard; pianists John Bayless and Anatoly Larkin in a grand dueling duet improvising on themes of Bach; Ward Swingle rehearsing the current incarnation of the Swingle Singers (makes you wanna go "baba dabadaba"). Yours ever, Ward Swingle