BOSTON–Indian vocalist and Berklee professor Annette Philip will serve as one of the coaches on the second season of WGBH’s televised singing competition, Sing That Thing!
Twenty-four amateur singing groups from across New England were selected from a field of more than 80 groups. Over the course of eight episodes, Sing That Thing! introduces viewers to a variety of genres from the world of vocal music, including a cappella, jazz, spirituals, hip hop, show choir and classical.
Sing That Thing! – the public television competition that celebrates the tradition and talent of New England singing groups—returns for a second season April 1 on WGBH 2.
Hosted by Boston Children’s Chorus Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King, Sing That Thing! includes groups from three categories: high school, collegiate and adult. A live-to-tape semi-final and finale feature the top group from each category presenting their unique spin on a medley of selected songs. The series is produced by public media producer WGBH, in partnership with Emerson College and with WGBY (Springfield, MA,) Maine Public Broadcasting Network, New Hampshire Public Television, Vermont PBS and CPTV – Connecticut Public Television.
“We are proud to share the exciting performances of some of the region’s most talented singers,” said Liz Cheng, WGBH’s general manager for television and co-executive producer of Sing That Thing!. “It was an honor to work with Emerson College and for the first time to collaborate with our public media partners across all the New England states.”
The Sing That Thing! coaches – Larry Watson, Annette Philip and Jared Bowen – provide constructive feedback to each group and determine which will advance to the grand finale. Watson, an educator, lyricist and civil rights activist, is a professor in the Berklee College of Music ensemble department. Philip, a vocalist, composer/arranger and faculty member at Berklee College of Music, won the 2014 national Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Championship with her quartet, Women of the World. Bowen, WGBH News executive arts editor, hosts WGBH’s Open Studio with Jared Bowen, Boston television’s only local arts series.
Performances will be punctuated by Master Classes, featuring vocal tips and educational moments from the coaches as well as local singing luminaries like MIT Director of Choral Programs Bill Cutter and Rockapella member Charlie Evett.
“Vocal music has the unique power to bring people from all backgrounds together in harmony,” said co-executive producer Patricia Alvarado Nuñez. “Congratulations to all of the groups from Maine to Connecticut who shared their unique talents with Sing That Thing!
Sing That Thing! is WGBH’s newest original local series. Funding is provided by The Boston Foundation, New England Baptist Hospital, and MGH Cancer Center. Additional funding is provided by Eran and Yukiko Egozy.
Sing That Thing!, now in its second season, premieres April 1 at 8:30pm on WGBH 2. More information about the series is available at SingThatThing.org. Join the conversation with fellow fans on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Competing Choirs:
High school
- Beverly High School Vocal Ensemble – Beverly, MA
- Hollis-Brookline Honors Choir (Hollis Brookline High School) – Hollis, NH
- The 18 Wheelers (Wheeler High School) – Providence, RI
- Mansfield High School Select Choir – Mansfield, MA
- Music Unlimited (Waltham High School) – Waltham, MA
- ShenaniGanns (Gann Academy) – Waltham, MA
- Strawberry Fields (Bristol Eastern High School) – Bristol, CT
- Vibe (Daniel Hand High School) – Madison, CT
College
- Doo Wop Shop (UMASS Amherst) – Amherst, MA
- Fermata NoWhere (UMASS Lowell) – Lowell, MA
- Good Question A Cappella (Williams College) – Williamstown, MA
- Gordon College Choir – Wenham, MA
- Manic Optimist (Bates College) – Lewiston, ME
- Noteworthy (Emerson College) – Boston, MA
- Redhot & Blue (Yale University) – New Haven, CT
- Simple Harmonic Motion (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) – Worcester, MA
Adult
- Bostonality – Brookline, MA
- Boston Jazz Voices – Waltham, MA
- Boston Skyline Chorus – Lexington, MA
- Cambridge Chamber Singers – Cambridge, MA
- The Copley Cats – Boston, MA
- Immutable – Boston, MA
- Mass Whole Notes – Somerville, MA
- Vocal Revolution – Lexington, MA
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web. Television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston Public Radio; 99.5 WCRB; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station.
