6 Mind-Blowing Choir Competition Performances
This choral music will inspire you!
Every year, INTERKULTUR hosts choir competitions and festivals around the globe. That means we get to see a lot of truly moving choir competition performances. And we never get tired of witnessing choirs create moments that last forever.
That’s a major part of what makes events like the World Choir Games so exciting. Once in a while, a choir will deliver a song with so much passion, talent, and commitment that we remember why this artform is so important.
Great singing has a way of making us feel so much more alive to the beauty in the world. That’s why we’ve gathered up some of the most impressive and moving choir competition performances you’ve ever seen!
1. “Bye Bye Bye” — US Military A Capella Group
This amazing group performance includes a range of vocal effects. There’s not just a full spectrum of registers, there are members beatboxing and providing basslines. The overall effect is a fun, hype update to the legendary NSYNC hit “Bye Bye Bye.”
To make it all that much more strange and enjoyable, everyone is dressed in military jumpsuits and they do a choreographed dance. Rethinking the art form in this way reminds us that choir has so much potential when it steps down from the risers and steps up onto other stages.
2. “No Other Love” — The Ambassadors of Harmony
This large and expressive male choir competition performance takes us all the way back to 2012. But there’s a reason it is on this list. Watch how in tune the conductor is with his choir. They work together with impeccable tightness, with such intricate precision that we hang onto every moment.
The presentation is also top notch, with white-on-white suits creating a clean look and matching their crisp vocal lines. Their bouncing swagger also reminds us that they are performing in a barbershop competition, which is always a fun influence. All around a spectacular performance.
3. “Adrca (Scarf)” and “Ta na Solbici (And So We Dance in Resia)” — Carmen Manet
This Slovenian choir won the inaugural Eurovision Choir of the Year in 2017. This winning performance shows the fierce level of competition that we’ve come to expect from the show. They set the bar extremely high for the first year, establishing a standard that only the best of the best can hope to match.
Carmen Manet delivers charismatic performances that are both well rounded and well conceived. Their stomping percussion, use of camera shots to create unique choreography, and understated outfits all add those extra touches that take their great singing to the next level.
4. “Thunder” — Detroit Youth Choir
America’s Got Talent has given rise to its own subculture. And the Detroit Youth Choir is famous in this world, thanks in large part for winning the Golden Buzzer twice. It’s very impressive, but when you watch the video below, it’s easy to see why they’ve had so much success.
The Detroit Youth Choir mixes a contemporary sensibility with a tremendous amount of style and energy. Their performance is action-packed yet polished. It’s a combination that makes it impossible to take your eyes off them as they give their rendition of Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder.”
5. “Roar” — Revelation Avenue
This London-based 12-piece choir augments their contemporary pop selections with gospel roots, creating dynamic compositions that are familiar while still transcending the expected. This fantastic mixture of influences has taken them far, like when they took the stage for Britain’s Got Talent in 2015.
In this video, you see them interpret Katy Perry’s uplifting “Roar.” Their ability to play with the song allows them to expand its meaning to encompass so much more than the original. The result is the following video, showing that choir music has lots of vitality in the 21st century.
6. “True North” — Vocal Line
Denmark’s own Vocal Line won the Eurovision Choir competition in 2019. Their celebratory performance shows just how interesting their singing is. Taking full advantage of the human voice, they beatbox with cinematic flair, making their songs feel enormous. And they move to individualized choreography that creates a welcomed looseness. That feeling is a compelling companion to their tightly controlled vocal performances.
In Gothenburg, they gave us their interpretation of “True North” — an appropriate choice as the song was first written and performed by Tina Dico, a fellow Dane. The performance is rhythmic and swoon-worthy, the kind of thing Vocal Line does so well.
The Power of Choir Competitions
These six winning choir competition performances remind us how exhilarating choir events are! Keep an eye on INTERKULTUR’s calendar of competitions, and maybe you’ll see a truly mind-blowing performance!
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