King’s Ely’s award-winning boys’ a cappella group – the King’s Barbers – will give a performance on tour in the south-western Indian state of Goa.
They will perform at the Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival at Unesco Heritage City in Old Goa later this month (February), along with international soloists, ensembles and choirs.
The King’s Barbers will be starring in the festival and will also be performing at two schools and a children’s hostel during their time there.
Peter North, founder and director of the King’s Barbers, said: “The Barbers sing everything from timeless classics to contemporary a cappella songs. The group was founded 27 years ago not only to keep boys singing through the voice-change, but also to introduce them to different performance styles. Former members have sung in some of the most important and successful groups in the a cappella scene, including All the King’s Men and Out of the Blue. This visit to India is an amazing opportunity for the boys to meet musicians from other cultures, to sing with them and to immerse themselves in the Indian way of life.”
Last year, the group won the National Youth a Cappella Competition at the University of Birmingham.
The Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival will be offering music programs, courses and conferences with artists from several traditions from around the world: Carnatic, Christian, Sufi, Hindustani, Jewish, Orthodox and many others.