An a cappella group from Peking University performs at the Strawberry Music Festival in 2012. Photo: CFP

Though still a relatively strange term in China, a cappella, the art of singing solo or in a group without instrumental sound, has been rising in both popularity and quality across China in recent years, as a cappella groups have been enjoying increasing exposure on TV through talent shows, singing contests and other types of activities. 

The recently ended 2014 A Cappella Summer Camp in Shanghai is one such event. Concentrating on spreading this art form through a variety of activities, a major portion of the camp, the 4th National A Cappella Competition, provided Chinese audiences a huge feast by bringing in performances by a cappella musicians from across the country.

Communication platform

Co-hosted by Vocal Asia, an association established in 2010 to bring together a cappella musicians in Asia, this is the fourth camp since 2011. This year's camp attracted over 100 individuals passionate about a cappella, including a number of international a cappella masters; the members of Danish vocal group Basix and Peter Huang, the head of Singapore's MICappella.

During the camp, a cappella musicians used their voices and talents to interpret different music genres, including electronic, rock and jazz just to name a few.

Many of the participants had already demonstrated their talent in a cappella in various singing contests before. For instance, Xinsheng Jiadao, the group that won first prize at the competition, are a group of six college students that made it to the finals on TV shows like The Sing-Off and The X Factor.

Basix, who acted as mentors for the participants at the camp, also gave a performance at the Daning Theatre on Sunday to wrap up the one-week camp.

Besides competitions and performances, master classes and a forum were also held as part of the camp, providing participating groups an excellent opportunity to talk about the art form and its development in different regions.

This year's camp boasted 17 groups and 30 individuals, totaling 142 people, with groups coming from Peking University, Sun Yat-sen University, Minzu University of China and other universities.

"This year's camp has improved in both quality and quantity, which reflects the development of the art of a cappella in China," Ruan Jingheng from Vocal Asia told the Shanghai Morning Post.

Gaining momentum

Originating in Italy, a cappella can be traced back to church music sung during medieval times. Today's a cappella groups, however, pay more attention to multiple-voice singing and the emulation of musical instruments, making it possible for the art form to imitate various styles of music, from classical compositions to rock.

Compared to other forms of music, a cappella is more interactive and spontaneous. It can happen anywhere and anytime, bringing people enjoyment without demanding too much when it comes to skill with an instrument or musical background. This interesting form of performance, which represents a new lifestyle, is particularly popular among young people and students in China today.

In recent years, a cappella performances by both foreign and domestic groups have been appearing with increasing frequency at various events in China, and the art form is quickly becoming a hot new genre.

The King's Singers, a British a cappella team famous around the world, just wrapped up a brilliant concert in Shanghai in May. While last year, the all-male American ensemble Chanticleer demonstrated to Chinese audiences the charm of countertenor, a type of falsetto used to imitate the female voice.

Over the past three years, the Daning Theatre, where this year's a cappella competition was held, has continuously invited a cappella groups from Taiwan and foreign countries to perform at the theater.

Almost all of the over 10 concerts held so far were packed, said Liu Dan, vice general manager of the theater, according to a report by the Xinmin Evening News.

It was not until around 2006 that a cappella groups in China began to gain the attention of media outlets.

At the time, a cappella group Tadpole, established in 2000, grabbed the media spotlight by winning the annual CCTV National Young Singers Competition and showing a national audience the appeal of a cappella.

From that point on the art form began spreading rapidly throughout the country, with many a cappella teams coming to the forefront through talent shows and other TV programs such as Star Avenue and The X Factor. The Strawberry Music Festival, one of the biggest music festivals in China, even had a special stage set aside for a cappella musicians in 2012.

Challenges

One interesting aspect of the A Cappella Summer Camp is that almost all the participants over the past four years have been college students or new graduates - a perfect miniature of the overall situation of a cappella in China, as most a cappella groups are clubs at universities or have roots reaching back to universities. For those who participate in a cappella and are not students, most came into contact with the art during their time at college. 

However, despite a cappella's popularity among students, it's a different story all together outside of university campuses. According to Ruan, there are currently no professional a cappella groups in China as of yet, as the art only serves as a part-time hobby even for those who engage in the field after graduation. 

"The most urgent thing right now is to let more people know about this art form. Students will only be able to find a lasting stage after leaving schools when there is an audience for them," noted Chen Fengwen, chairman of Vocal Asia.

While the majority of domestic a cappella groups are amateurs in it for the fun, things are beginning to change. The Minzu University of China is considering establishing a course in a cappella, according to Wang Ai, a teacher at the university.

"I hope I can collect the experiences of groups and compile a textbook that covers things step by step, from technique to theory, so as to establish a firm foundation for students of a cappella," the Oriental Morning Post quoted Wang as saying.