When six appealing young men take the stage at Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall on Saturday, November 4, the audience will be amazed at the range and breadth of sound achieved utilizing that universal musical instrument, the human voice. And the amazement won’t stop there.
In addition to unbelievable singing skills, award-winning ensemble Six Appeal displays astonishing energy and stunning comedic abilities as they perform from their vast repertoire that spans decades and covers almost all musical genres. Darke County Center for the Arts’ second Artists Series presentation of the season, this Six Appeal concert will please fans of almost all kinds of music from rock to pop to country and beyond as these appealing performers use only their voices to create a harmonious symphony of sound.
According to Merriam-Webster, a cappella (literally meaning “in the manner of the chapel” in Italian) is defined as singing without instrumental accompaniment; that is precisely what Six Appeal does. However, their shows feature a vast amount of musical accompaniment supplied by the voices of the accomplished singers who make up the popular ensemble. Each voice has a role to play: Michael Brooken’s mid-tenor brings power and clarity, Nathan Hickey’s warm baritone unites the group’s sound, Reuben Hushagen’s bass reaches frightening depths, and Jordan Roll’s remarkable range allows his high tenor voice to reach spectacular heights, while Trey’Jones’ vocal agility augments his silky low tenor voice to contribute anything otherwise lacking in the extraordinary blend. Andrew Berkowitz, better known as “Berko,” provides dynamic percussion, creating drum sounds and special effects that defy description.
A cappella groups have won much acclaim in recent years, with younger fans especially relishing the vocal percussion that adds dimension to the music. However, use of these vocalizations is not at all new; the older generation will fondly recall the Mills Brothers from Piqua, whose recordings proudly utilized instrumentation provided solely by the singing, swinging brothers. Other forms of a cappella music include doo wop which first appeared in big city African-American communities in the 1940’s and gained popular acclaim during the 1950’s, as well as barbershop singing begun by nineteenth century black southern quartets and subsequently enjoyed by listeners all over the country for well over a century. Audiences of all ages have for generations responded with glee to the vocal versatility on display when singers’ accompaniment is supplied by nothing but other voices.
In addition to the Artists Series concert, Six Appeal will provide an Arts In Education program for junior high students on November 2 and 3. The sextet has a passion for spreading a cappella music to every audience; an essential component of that mission is to empower young singers through their educational outreach program, guiding students through the history of a cappella in all its glorious forms. These sessions are free and open to the public; contact DCCA for more information about specific performance times which are scheduled in coordination with all local public schools.
When Six Appeal performs, an appealing concert by six appealing vocalists is guaranteed; to get your tickets for their appearance at Memorial Hall, contact DCCA at [email protected] or by calling 937-547-0908. Tickets cost $20, and are also available online at www.CenterForArts.net or may be purchased at DCCA’s office located within Greenville Public Library. If any remain by showtime, tickets will also be available at the door prior to the performance.
