The Origins of Bach with a Beat

Who were the original Swingle Singers?

The "Bach with a Beat" Singers, in The Villages, Florida, was formed to primarily perform Bach's music, sung in Ward Swingle's uniquely fashioned interplay of SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass) parts. Although, in the interest of providing their audience with an interesting "change of pace", the group additionally sings other complementary musical genres.

The original "Swingle Singers" were a vocal group formed in 1962 in Paris, France, by Ward Swingle. Christiane Legrand, the sister of composer Michel Legrand, was the group's lead soprano through 1972. In 1973, the original French group disbanded and Ward Swingle moved to London and recruited all new members who debuted as "Swingle II".

Since the London group's incarnation, the group has never disbanded. As individual members have left the group, the remaining members have held auditions for replacements. Until 2011, the group consisted of eight voices--two sopranos, two altos, two tenors and two basses--and typically recorded with only a double bass and drums as accompaniment.