PBS Wisconsin Music & Arts

a cappella vocalization

Mackenzie

A very brief history of a cappella music. The term "a cappella" generally refers to singing without instruments, but the word itself comes from the Italian language and it means "in the style of the church."

bell tolls, monks chant song

Mackenzie

Because in the Middle Ages, a cappella singing, like Gregorian chant, was mostly used in religious services.

Hailee

During the Renaissance, madrigal singers created popular a cappella music, imitating the newly-invented instruments of their day.

warbling sound

Sam

Fast forward a couple hundred years to the 1930s, when barbershop quartets were all the rage. Then, in the 1950s, a cappella styles like doo-wop became popular on the radio.

Mackenzie

Also, around this time, a cappella vocal jazz started to emerge, and singers began imitating jazz instruments.

zap

Hailee

In the early 2000s, a cappella had a resurgence, thanks to exposure in TV, movies, a growing culture of a cappella groups on college campuses.

electronic zap

Hailee

And now, young people all across the country are creating contemporary a cappella music by rearranging popular songs and recreating the sounds of instruments with their voices. And that's a very brief history. Of the a cappella music. - You're hearing today.