A cappella
Also known as a capella
A cappella is one of those terms that sounds technical until you hear it: voices carrying the whole piece, with no instruments to lean on. Its roots are old and church-bound, but its modern life is broad, from Renaissance sacred music to polished pop and gospel vocal groups.
Origins and context
The term a cappella is Italian and literally points to chapel or choir style; the documented early prestige of the style is tied to late-16th-century sacred music in and around the Sistine Chapel.
The sound
Characteristics
- Unaccompanied voices
- Vocal harmony
- Choral textures
- Vocal imitation of rhythm or percussion
How to listen
History
The phrase comes into English from Italian a cappella, meaning “in chapel” or “in choir style,” and dictionaries trace its English use to the 18th century. Merriam-Webster notes that the style reached special prominence in late-16th-century sacred music associated with Palestrina and the Sistine Chapel, while also cautioning that older “unaccompanied” church music was sometimes supported by instruments doubling the voices. As a listening category, a cappella stretches far beyond church music. The modern field includes choral ensembles such as The King’s Singers, who describe themselves as a cappella specialists on their official site, and groups like Pentatonix and Take 6, whose official pages show how the format moved into contemporary pop, gospel, and arrangement-driven performance.
Notable artists
Essential listening
- 1
- 2
- 3
Explore connected genres
Sources and further reading
- A cappella
- kingssingers.com
The King’s Singers present themselves as an a cappella group on their official site.
- Pentatonix artist page
- take6.com
Take 6 is an official artist site and Apple Music page for the group exists.
- Apple Music
Pentatonix’s official and streaming pages document the recording Hallelujah.
- The Story