Join the audience as the New England singing competition tapes episodes on
February 7, February 8, February 9 and February 10 at WGBH Studios in Brighton
BOSTON (February 1, 2019) – Sing That Thing!, WGBH’s televised competition for New England singing groups, returns for Season 5 this spring on WGBH 2. Eighteen ensembles representing genres from barbershop and pop to gospel and classical will compete across seven episodes in three age-based divisions. Expert coaches Annette Philip, Anthony Trecek-King and Jared Bowen will guide the groups, offering constructive feedback throughout the season and will ultimately decide which groups will be named the winners in each division and an overall winner in the Grand Finale.
“We are excited by the breadth and diversity of music and performers in our Season Five competition. Nearly all of our New England singers volunteer to bring live music to schools, nursing care facilities and civic events and to people who might otherwise not have access. It makes sense for WGBH to reward this spirit of generosity with a spotlight on air and online,” said Liz Cheng, WGBH’s general manager for television and co-executive producer of Sing That Thing! “The backstories and work of each group demonstrate the power of music to bridge divides and bring communities together.”
The 18 groups are divided into the high school, college or adult singing group divisions. The coaches will select one group from each division, plus a “wild card” group, to perform on the Grand Finale, when one group will be named the overall champion. Episodes tapings take place Thursday, February 7, Friday, February 8, Saturday, February 9 and Sunday, February 10 and are free and open to the public. To attend, RSVP online.
The Sing That Thing! coaches are Anthony Trecek-King, president and artistic director of the Boston Children’s Chorus; Annette Philip, a vocalist, composer/arranger and faculty member at Berklee College of Music and winner of the 2017 International Championship of A Cappella with her quartet, Women of the World; and Jared Bowen, WGBH News executive arts editor and host of WGBH’s Open Studio with Jared Bowen, Boston television’s only local arts series.
“Sing That Thing! is a manifestation of WGBH’s continued commitment to supporting the arts in our region,” said co-executive producer Patricia Alvarado Núñez. “I look forward to working with our dedicated coaches, Anthony, Annette and Jared, as well as our eighteen groups to showcase the sparkling creativity, big personalities and skill that come together in the songs produced every day by New England’s vocal artists.”
Sing That Thing! is sponsored by Emerson College, Eastern Bank and Mass Eye and Ear, with additional funding from Eran and Yukiko Egozy. The series is produced by public media producer WGBH, in partnership with Emerson College and with WGBY (Springfield, MA,) Maine Public, New Hampshire Public Television, Vermont PBS and CPTV - Connecticut Public Television. Sing That Thing! will be seen in every state in New England thanks to these partner stations.
Now in its fifth season, Sing That Thing! premieres April 12 at 8pm on WGBH 2. More information about the series is available at SingThatThing.org. Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with #SingThatThing.
Sing That Thing! will air on WGBH 2, WGBY (Springfield, MA,) Maine Public, New Hampshire Public Television, Vermont PBS and CPTV - Connecticut Public Television. (Check Local Listings)
Participating Groups
Boston Arts Academy Spirituals Ensemble
The season one overall winners of Sing That Thing! are back for Season 5, bringing their concert arrangements of African-American spirituals.
St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltones
The Hilltones is a contemporary a cappella ensemble at St.Johnsbury Academy, bringing their eclectic repertoire from Haydn to "Hamilton", Wilbye to Whitacre.
South Avenue from Plymouth South High School
Plymouth South High School's first contemporary a cappella group in their second year as an ensemble, demonstrating a passion and fearless ability to connect with the music they're singing.
Starving Artists from Brandeis University
Appearing for the second time on Sing That Thing!, Starving Artists has been delighting audiences on- and off-campus for over 20 years with innovative arrangements, eclectic style and infectious energy.
A co-ed a cappella group formed in 1976, the Chorallaries are the oldest co-ed group on campus, dabbling in everything from blues and jazz, musicals and traditional choir music.
A very international group, with members from Italy, Russia, Mexico, Japan and more, Univoz sings a variety of genres, ranging from chamber music to vocal jazz and pop.
Harmonix from Dartmouth High School
Dartmouth High School a cappella group, Harmonix, consists of students who love music, and work hard to produce everything from beautiful ballads to energetic arrangements.
Accent A Cappella from Lincoln-Sudbury High School
Accent is a group of talented, upbeat students who love to sing and are well-rounded. They participated in Sing That Thing! in 2017.
This octet comes from different musical, occupational and life backgrounds, but all share a love of challenging four-part barbershop a cappella.
Labyrinth Choir presents present theme-based concerts that include songs in many languages and encompass a wide variety of repertoire including Classical, contemporary, Broadway, jazz and traditional music from different cultures.
Lexington High School Madrigal Singers
LHS Madrigal Singers has built a reputation over the past 46 years as one of New England's premier high school chamber choruses. They enjoy singing a diverse repertoire each year, from early music to new works for chamber chorus.
Tonehenge is a seven-member a cappella group started in 2009 by a group of Boston area men who, after singing in high school and college settings, wanted to continue with their passion for singing without accompaniment.
The New Hampshire Notables from University of New Hampshire
Established in 1980, the NH Notables are the University of New Hampshire’s premiere all-female a cappella group. They arrange all of their own music.
Zumbyes are Amherst College's ("The Singing College") oldest and premier a cappella group. They perform with great energy and enthusiasm which is why The New York Times once dubbed them "the most dangerous a cappella group on the planet."
The Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus celebrates the rich sonority and tradition of male choral singing, performing a wide range of styles. In Boston, they are honored to regularly salute new citizens in naturalization ceremonies at Faneuil Hall.
The Colby Eight from Colby College
The Colby Eight is Colby College's oldest a cappella group, founded in 1947 and are the 2016 Maine's Got Talent State Champion.
Pitch, Please! from Northeastern University
Northeastern's newest and fiercest a cappella group, Pitch, Please!, strives to break the glass ceiling by revamping collegiate a cappella as an all-female group.
Strawberry Fields from Bristol Eastern High School
Strawberry Fields is an auditioned a cappella ensemble from Bristol Eastern High School. Strawberry Fields has been entertaining audiences since the 60s.
About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur and more than a dozen other primetime, lifestyle and children’s series. WGBH’s television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region’s diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black and High School Quiz Show. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR®; 99.5 WCRB Classical Radio Boston; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of digital content and programs for public radio through PRI/PRX, including The World and Innovation Hub, a leader in educational multimedia with PBS LearningMedia™, providing the nation’s educators with free, curriculum-based digital content, and a pioneer in services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at
wgbh.org.
