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If you love "a cappella" music, and you are unfamiliar with The Vocal Majority ("VM"), then where have you been the past 30 years? The VM's superb holiday package is splendid, goose-bumps-producing stuff.

The VM Chorus is an award-winning group that has been snatching gold medals in international SPEBSQSA (Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America) competitions since 1975. Based in Texas, the group consists of 160+ men who perform as "volunteers" just for the sheer joy of singing.

That joy is abundantly apparent on Twelve Days of Christmas, which features powerful and emotional singing on every track. Although the VM is renowned for its "a cappella" work, four of the 11 numbers include instrumentals. I generally favor "a cappella" stylings, but particularly enjoyed the instrumental arrangement on Do You Hear What I Hear?; in that piece, the accompaniment effectively wraps the singers in a marvelously exotic, almost mystical, aura.

There are numerous dynamite moments on Twelve Days of Christmas. The Songs of Christmas Medley is one of the finest holiday medleys I have heard; it artistically packages seven songs in just over six minutes of music. The medley opens with a robust round of Christmas Is Coming before slipping into Deck the Halls. The presentation of The Christmas Song is especially warm and rich. The title cut, Twelve Days of Christmas is glorious, although it includes an odd, computer-generated "six geese a-laying" and a falsetto "nine ladies dancing" in the mix. The CD closes strongly with a dramatic O Holy Night, building in a magnificent crescendo that suddenly drops into a soft hush in the final moments. Fantastic!

The VM's Twelve Days of Christmas CD is barbershop-style style singing at its traditional finest. The relatively straightforward arrangements emphasize the wonderful vocal instruments of these men, and the harmonies are superb. This is a great Christmas offering--take home the VM men this holiday season.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From the liner notes:

"About The Vocal Majority Chorus:

As America's Premier Pops Chorus, the Vocal Majority entertains thousands of people from around the world every year. Its repertoire encompasses many styles of music including inspirational and sacred, Broadway, patriotic, vocal jazz, classic love songs, and barbershop harmony. The Vocal Majority Chorus won its ninth International SPEBSQSA [Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc.] Championship Gold Medal in 2000. Chartered in 1972, the 150-plus performing members of The Vocal Majority Chorus are all volunteers and sing purely for the joy of making music."

Jim Clancy is the Musical Director: "The inspiration behind The Vocal Majority Chorus and much of the reason for its success is its Musical Director, Jim Clancy. As arranger and director of songs on this recording, his guiding hand is evident in every note and inflection. Jim holds the distinction of being the world's most recorded bass singer with his distinguished voice heard on jingles broadcast on radio and television stations around the world."

Greg Clancy is the Associate Director: "As Associate Director, Greg Clancy has followed in his father's footsteps as a leader and motivator for The Vocal Majority Chorus. Greg is a studio vocalist and producer in the commercial jingle business, and is President of PRO Motion Music, a creator of music recordings for the fitness industry."

Tom Merriman is the Instrumental Arranger: "Tom Merriman was the arranger of the orchestral accompaniment for this recording. With over 40 years in the Dallas music scene, his arrangements have supported movies, television specials, radio station jingles, and commercials and have been heard live behind some of the best known performers on stage.

From the group's promotional materials (available in large part on the VM's web site):

"Pull together a group of 160+ men volunteering from all walks of life with varying degrees of musical talent and experience, ask them to sing, and the listener may hear something that resembles beautiful music. But call that group The Vocal Majority Chorus and stand Jim or Greg Clancy before them in the role of director, and one is in store for an extraordinary musical experience from a group that has touched literally tens of thousands of listeners around the world. The Vocal Majority Chorus' repertoire is as diverse as its membership, with music including barbershop favorites, classics to jazz, patriotic to sacred, rounded out with standards and Broadway pops."

"Officially, The Vocal Majority Chorus is the Dallas Metropolitan Chapter of the Society for Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA). Not one of the 12 men who gathered on that first cold night of December 2, 1971, could have imagined the success of the VM. They wanted to form a chapter that would become the finest singing ensemble in the world. So, under the guidance of founder, first president, and marketing director Bob Arnold, the Chorus was born, and Ray Anthony consented to be the first director in April of 1972."

"The Vocal Majority tradition extends well beyond the Dallas/Forth Worth Metroplex. Vocal Majority has performed in England, Scotland, and Canada. In its 30-year history, the VM has sung for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush. The Chorus has performed with numerous ensembles during these years including The Four Freshmen, The Lettermen, the Oak Ridge Boys, the Suntones, and the Texas Boys Choir. They have also joined many solo performers in concert including Glen Campbell, Jimmy Dean, Bob Flanigan, John Gary, Lee Greenwood, Jack Jones, and Johnny Mann."

"While the VM is known for it's a cappella music, it has sung with symphony orchestras and other music groups. The 1998 performance with The Atlanta Symphony in Olympic Centennial Park stands out as the VM's largest audience with over 135,000 people in attendance. The Chorus has performed with the Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Wind Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Mid-Cities Orchestra, Richardson Symphony, Utah State Symphony, and the Constitution Symphony Orchestra.".

--Tom Stoker, September 2003

Vocal Majority

Twelve Days of Christmas

Artist link

Track List