Local vocal ensemble Bella Acapella has had a busy start to 2025, intensifying preparations for an upcoming international competition in Sweden through a series of professional coaching weekends and public performances.
“We started by refreshing our memory about all good things from the coaching weekend in November with Mieneke Klinkert and then we headed straight into another wonderful coaching weekend, this time with musicality judge and coach Emma Shanks,” the ensemble says. “Once again, our heads were full of new revelations about the techniques of singing and performing. After having practiced these for a month, it was time for another coaching weekend. This time singing coach Stuart Sides was back with many good tips on chord structures, breath discipline, vowel pronunciation and much more”.
“Every time a coach works with us, we realise that the more we learn, the more we know that we don’t know…. But one of the fantastic things with the members of Bella Acapella is that everyone is eager to learn and to develop as singers and always anxious to try out new things,” it adds.
A pre-dress rehearsal concert took place on Good Friday (April 18) at Charette restaurant in Cabanas de Tavira, offering the singers an opportunity to test their repertoire in a live setting. The full-dress rehearsal concert is scheduled for April 26 at 5pm in Moncarapacho. Admission is free and open to the public.
Meanwhile, the group is set to fly to Sweden on April 30 to take part in the international competition. Thanks to donations received through fundraising initiatives including a GoFundMe campaign and calendar sales, the competition fees for all members have been fully covered.
Bella Acapella will perform in the competition on Friday, May 2, at 4.17pm (Portuguese time). Supporters can watch the performance live by registering for a webcast at https://snobs.solidtango.com.
Bella Acapella is an international, mixed gender chorus with people who love to sing and have fun. The group has performed numerous concerts and ‘sings outs’ and always receive enthusiastic reactions from the audience. All songs are sung without sheet music and with the eyes on the MD! “This creates a magical atmosphere where conductor and chorus craft a fascinating blend of music with some ringing four-part chords,” says the group, currently comprising 30 members and with “plenty more room to expand.”
