If Pentatonix involves microphones, beatboxing, and arena lights, The King's Singers involve six men, a single music stand, and absolute silence. Founded on May 1, 1968, by six choral scholars from King's College, Cambridge, this British sextet has defined the sound of classical a cappella for over half a century. They are the "Rolls Royce" of vocal groups: elegant, understated, and engineered to perfection.
What is remarkable is not just their longevity, but their consistency. Over 50 years, the lineup has changed completely—dozens of times—yet the "sound" remains identical. How is that possible? It comes down to a specific set of unwritten rules, a culture of listening, and a technique known as the "Pyramid of Sound."
Part 1: The Origin Story (1968)
In the late 1960s, six friends at King's College, Cambridge, decided to form a group. They were steeped in the English choral tradition—daily Evensong, pristine polyphony, and an obsession with tuning.
- The Original Six: Alastair Hume, Alastair Thompson, Simon Carrington, Brian Kay, Richard Salter, and Nigel Perrin.
- The Debut: Their first concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London was a sensation. Unlike other choirs that stood in stiff rows, they had personality. They sang Bach, but they also sang The Beatles.
This duality—serious high-art polyphony mixed with charming pop arrangements—became their trademark.
Part 2: The "Pyramid of Sound"
Every King's Singer is taught one fundamental rule on day one: The Pyramid. Most amateur choirs are "Top Heavy." The Sopranos sing the loudest because they have the melody, and the Basses are weak. This creates an unstable, shrill sound. The King's Singers invert this.
The Foundation (The Bass)
The Bass singers (originally Brian Kay, later brilliant voices like Stephen Connolly and Jonathan Howard) are the widest part of the pyramid. They sing with the most volume and the richest tone.
- Why? Because the lower overtones support the upper voices. A strong bass fundamental makes the upper harmonies ring more clearly.
The Core (Baritones & Tenor)
The middle voices tuck inside the sound. They are the "glue." They must blend perfectly with the bass below and the countertenors above. They rarely sing at full volume; their job is texture.
The Point (The Countertenors)
The two highest voices (Countertenors) sit at the very top of the pyramid. They must float. They sing with a light, laser-like precision, adding shimmer without weight.
- The Result: A chord that feels grounded, rich, and incredibly stable.
Part 3: The "English" Tone
The King's Singers are famous for a specific timbre often called "The English Choral Sound."
- Straight Tone: In Renaissance music (like Palestrina or Byrd), they use very little vibrato. This allows the chords to "lock" with mathematical precision. Vibrato is treated as an ornament, used sparingly for warmth on final chords.
- Vowel Unification: This is their obsession. If the group is singing the word "Lord," they will spend 20 minutes rehearsing the exact shade of the vowel "Aw." Is it a bright "Aw" or a dark "Aw"? If one person is slightly different, the blend is destroyed.
- Listening Down: Every member listens to the person singing the bass line. You tune to the lowest note. If the bass goes flat, everyone goes flat to match him. (Though in The King's Singers, the bass never goes flat).
Part 4: The Repertoire Strategy
How do you stay relevant for 50 years? You commission new music. While they are masters of the Renaissance, they are also fearless pioneers of the avant-garde. They have commissioned over 200 new works from giants like:
- György Ligeti: The Nonsense Madrigals (insanely difficult).
- John Tavener: The Lamb.
- Eric Whitacre: The Stolen Child.
The Lighter Side
But let's be honest: audiences love them for the "Lighter Side." In the second half of their concerts, they put down the music stands and sing pop arrangements. But they treat "Penny Lane" with the same seriousness as a motet. The tuning is just as precise, the articulation just as crisp. This prevents the pop songs from sounding cheesy; instead, they sound elegant.
Part 5: The Audition Process
How do you get into the group? It is one of the hardest auditions in the world. When a member leaves (which happens rarely), they hold private auditions.
- The Blend Test: A candidate stands in the circle and sings a piece with the group. The goal isn't to stand out; it's to disappear. Can you change your tone color to match the person next to you?
- The Personality Test: You are going to be stuck on a tour bus with these five men for 200 days a year. If you are annoying, you are out. They pick members who are easygoing, funny, and low-maintenance.
Part 6: Defining Recordings
If you want to understand their genius, listen to these three tracks:
1. "Masterpiece" (Paul Drayton)
A 11-minute musical joke that traces the entire history of classical music. They impersonate Bach, Mozart, Rossini, and Debussy. It is funny because the musical mimicry is flawless.
2. "Blackbird" (The Beatles)
Their arrangement of the McCartney classic is pure elegance. The Countertenor melody floats over a gentle, rhythmic accompaniment in the lower voices. It captures the fragility of the original but adds a choral warmth.
3. "Spem in alium" (Tallis)
Wait, isn't this for 40 voices? Yes. But The King's Singers recorded it by multi-tracking themselves. It is a testament to their rhythmic precision that they could layer 40 tracks of themselves and create a coherent performance.
Video Experience: And So It Goes
Listen to their arrangement of Billy Joel's And So It Goes. Note how they pass the melody between voices (from Tenor to Countertenor) without the audience realizing the seam.
Why They Endure
Trends come and go. Boy bands rise and fall. But perfect intonation never goes out of style. The King's Singers remind us that the human voice, when disciplined and unified, is the most powerful instrument on earth. They teach us that the collective is more important than the individual—a lesson that every choir, amateur or professional, needs to learn.
From perfect precision to pop stardom: Next, we look at the group that brought a cappella to the masses in The Pentatonix Success Story.
About the Author
HaND. is a choral veteran with 15 years of experience in practice and organization. A primary Bass, HaND. also demonstrates exceptional versatility as a Countertenor and Vocal Percussionist.
