Nine days of magic, 400 singers, nearly 1000 for workshops, thousands of audience members applauding and cheering, sold out concerts, connections made, skills learned, and joy shared. That was SING! 14.
SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival has become Canada’s premier a cappella festival (singing without instruments). This May was the 14th Annual Festival, bringing together singers from many traditions, all with one focus – giving voice to the voice. From the 50-member barbershop chorus A Cappella Showcase to the solo looping artist David Lane, SING! showcased some of the best in Canadian unaccompanied singing.
There was something for every musical taste and budget.
Free concerts gave a sampling of the breadth of the music in a cappella week. TV-stars The Ault Sisters, sea shanty singers Pressgang Mutiny, and the young students from the I Love to SING! program brought light to a rainy Kew Gardens afternoon on May 24. Canadian Beatbox Champ Scott Jackson mesmerized the crowd at Nathan Phillips Square on May 26 with every possible sound that could be made by one human body, while the Sunday Singers Womens Choir shared music from their international repertoire.
Headlining events ran the gamut from performances to showcases, from competitions to an EP release. An array of musical styles - from pop to jazz, electronic to soul, and even a “dragappella” musical comedy show - brought audiences to their feet in standing ovations.
Cultures were celebrated. Opening weekend May 24 featured a brilliant jazz concert with Estonian Voices (Estonia) and Countermeasure (Canada), the haunting visceral harmonies of Georgian polyphony by Ori Shalva, and the stunning harmonies and powerful movement of Black Umfolosi International (Zimbabwe-Canada).
Nine-voice electro-pop ensemble Beatsync filled the house on May 29 with hundreds of fans, who were treated to a stunningly choreographed production. A highlight was J-M’s on-the-spot rendition of an Allie X song, created exclusively with voice and a loopstation.
Competitions ranged from visual art to beatboxing to all styles of a cappella.
The Great North Battle on May 30 weekend, produced in partnership by Beatbox Canada, brought out some of the best in the world including from Canada, the U.S., Japan, Belgium, Italy, Taiwan and more. They vied for qualifying spots at the Grand Beatbox Battle 2025, hosted by Swiss Beatbox in Japan. World Tag Team Beatbox Champions Spiderhorse (Gene Shinozaki and Chris Celiz), brought their mix of electronic music, hip hop, and funk in a stunning performance and workshop. Crowds roared as contestants showed their prowess in time-limited solo, loopstation, and top 4 tag team battles. Grand Solo Winner was King Inertia.
A cappella “royalty” graced stages, led by Deke Sharon, legendary "Father of Contemporary A Cappella" and Pitch Perfect music director/producer. He joined panelists Dylan Bell (FreePlay Duo, Retrocity, The Watch), Micah Barnes (the Nylons, recording artist), and Jeannie Wyse (Randolph College Vocal Division Head) in judging 10 hopeful groups competing in the first ever SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships on May 30. The energy in the theatre was electric. Micah Barnes: “Truly a pleasure top to bottom!” Splüsh, Toronto’s newest collective of seasoned a cappella performers, took home the Audience Choice Award and first place in the Open Category. High School champs were Enter A Cappella from Sir William Mulock Secondary School. Collegiate winners were On That Note from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Painting paired with a cappella as jazz-world singers FreePlay inspired artists at Art Battle on May 28. In three fast-paced rounds, artists had just 20 minutes to create a painting that could take them to national finals. Audiences voted on their favourite work, from outdoor scenes to abstracts. The evening ended with two Silent Auctions, one for the live art and one for experiences and treasures at the SING! auction.
Saturday night, May 31st brought a blockbuster concert from 80-voice SoundCrowd featuring songs and stories with Deke Sharon, who took the audience inside the story of the making of his Pitch Perfect movies. Splüsh kicked off the night with their powerhouse vocals. And everyone was singing along by the end of the night.
As an official Pride Toronto Allied Event, SING! again kicked off Pride month on June 1 with its SING! With Pride gala concert, this year featuring the award-winning On That Note 18-voice ensemble. Headliners The Kinsey Sicks, America's favourite “dragapella® beautyshop quartet, delivered superb songs, sharp satire, and over-the-top drag. Steven Page, co-founder and former lead singer of Barenaked Ladies, received the Slaight Music SING! Toronto Legacy Award for exceptional contributions to the vocal arts. Mayor Olivia Chow spoke about the importance of the arts to the culture of Toronto.
SING! is more than entertainment. With education as a pillar, the festival offered workshops and networking sessions for all levels of musicians. The annual School Workshop on May 26 hosted middle school and high school students for sessions with Estonian Voices and Black Umfolosi International. The week-long online Business Summit provided opportunities for singers to learn about AI and the music business, financial management, record distribution, booking non-traditional gigs, voice care, recording studio technology, fringe festival opportunities and more. It culminated in a busy B to B session with six of Canada’s most prominent music industry leaders meeting one-on-one with artists.
Launched in 2012 by seven volunteers, SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival is a true Canadian success story. Audiences came from across Canada to witness the a cappella magic. “What a joy to watch a cappella veterans sharing the stage with newcomers, paving the way for the next generation of Canadian a cappella stars,” said festival co-founder co-manager Patricia Silver. “And the Royal Ontario Museum was a perfect setting for music that ranged from traditional to contemporary.”
In recent years, SING! has expanded to several partner festivals in Texas, as well as SING! Edinburgh at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, SING! Mexico, SING! Edmonton and SING! Vancouver. SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival has also been chosen as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals and Events for the past decade, with Patricia Silver inducted into the Festival and Events Ontario Hall of Fame.