Semi-Toned is a British all-male
A cappella group from the
University of Exeter
, mottoeng = "We Follow the Light"
, established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter)
, type = Public
, ...
, in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
who sing a variety of modern and classic songs. They were formed in October 2010 originally as a
barbershop quintet, before establishing themselves as a twelve-man contemporary group with a wide range of repertoire dedicated to developing their musical abilities whilst sharing a passion for singing and performing. They became more well known after multiple TV and radio appearances on shows such as 'The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain' (BBC2) and 'Sing: Ultimate A Cappella' (Sky One), as well as singing on
BBC Radio 2 with
Rylan Clarke-Neal during his 'Great Ka-Ry-oke Challenge' in support of
BBC Children in Need 2019. They now regularly tour both the UK and US, as well as performing annually at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival and frequently releasing albums and music videos.
History
2010–2013: The early years
The university's first all-male a cappella group was formed when Eddie Henley, Simon Eaton, and Jon Minter met after a Chapel Choir rehearsal. Initially the group sang a collection of old
barbershop classics in a much more formal style. After expanding to ten members the following year, Semi-Toned initiated the move away from barbershop into a modern
collegiate A Cappella
Collegiate a cappella (or college a cappella) ensembles are college-affiliated singing groups, primarily in the United States, and, increasingly, the United Kingdom and Ireland, that perform entirely without musical instruments. The groups are typ ...
style. They competed for the first time in
The Voice Festival UK
The Voice Festival UK (VF-UK) is a UK arts education charity dedicated to providing opportunities to get involved with contemporary a cappella, unaccompanied singing.
The Voice Festival's central purpose is to increase the awareness and popularit ...
in 2012, the UK Collegiate A Cappella competition winning both "Outstanding Arrangement" and "Outstanding Vocal Percussion". In 2013 the group won the South West regional where they were awarded "Outstanding Stagecraft and Choreography" and, once more, "Outstanding Vocal Percussion", before advancing to the London semi-final.
Semi-Toned made their
Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in 2013 with their show, "The Exe-Men",
which received a five-star review from ''Broadway Baby''.
2014–2015: Voice Festival success and first US tour
In 2014, the group reached the final of The Voice Festival UK and won awards for "Outstanding Arrangement" for their mash-up of "Dear Darlin'" by
Olly Murs
Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
and
"The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)" by Ylvis, "Outstanding Overall Performance" and "Outstanding Soloist" for Michael Luya in "Motion Picture Soundtrack" by
Radiohead.
They then continued their Edinburgh Festival Fringe success with 2014's "Toned Up!" which saw a second five-star review from Broadway Baby and a prestigious
Bobby Award, the group becoming the first University ensemble and first A cappella group to achieve this. In September the group recorded its first self-titled 5 track EP with The Vocal Company, featuring covers of
John Newman,
Daft Punk,
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. Nutini's debut album, '' These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, '' Sunny Side Up'' (2009), de ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Jay Z and Radiohead and was released in early 2015.
In January 2015 for the first time, Semi-Toned competed in the Semi-Finals of the
ICCA's in London, finishing in second place overall, whilst winning "Outstanding Choreography". In April, Semi-Toned won The Voice Festival UK as well as "Outstanding Overall Performance".
Soon after they embarked on their first tour of the
East Coast of the United States, visiting and performing with groups from
Colombia,
NYU
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
,
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
,
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
and
North Eastern Colleges. In August, Semi-Toned performed for the third year running at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with their show
Game of Tones. Just before this, they released their first professiona
music video a mash-up arrangement of "If I Were A Rich Man" from
Fiddler on the Roof and "Rich Girl" by
Gwen Stefani which amassed over 230,000 views on YouTube and reached the front page of internet news site
BuzzFeed. In 2016 the video was nominated in the Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards for Best Scholastic Video.
2016: ''Sing Theory'' and ''The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain''
In 2016, Semi-Toned won the Quarter-Finals of the
ICCA's held in Exeter, competing against other UK A cappella groups before finishing second at the Semi-Finals in London behind eventual World Champions
The Techtonics. At the same time, Semi-Toned released its second 6 track EP "Sing Theory" with Liquid Fifth with covers of
Fleetwood Mac,
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
,
Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
,
Beyoncé and a mashup of
Jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''ja ...
and
Chic
Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Pronounced Chick.
Etymology
'' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English diction ...
. The group at the end of March embarked upon their second tour of the United States, this time performing a 90 minute long show in large venues and travelling over three weeks along the east coast from
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
to
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, including an appearance at
Virginia Arts Festival The Virginia Arts Festival is a Norfolk-based non-profit arts presenter which serves southeastern Virginia, offering dozens of performances during the spring and throughout the year. Virginia Arts Festival performances have included international ba ...
.
Through the Summer of 2016, Semi-Toned participated in
Gareth Malone
Gareth Edmund Malone (born 9 November 1975) is an English choirmaster and broadcaster, self-described as an " animateur, presenter and populariser of choral singing". He is best known for his television appearances in programmes such as '' The ...
's BBC2 program "The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain" which was aired in November–December 2016. After competing with groups from all over the country, on 6 December Semi-Toned was named as Gareth's Best Choir in Britain during the final in Westminster Central Hall.
2017–18: Music video releases and ''Sing: Ultimate A Cappella''
Shortly after winning ''The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain'' in December 2016 Semi-Toned released their second music video, a charity fundraiser version of their Christmas Medley entitled
A Very Semi-Toned Christmas, in support of the Order of Malta Volunteers. In January 2017 they released a thir
video their cover of
Beyoncé's '7/11' which was a track on their 2016 EP 'Sing Theory'. After this they toured the US for a third time with their show of the same name, travelling across the Midwest and Western States, culminating in
Richmond, KY.
During the summer of 2017, Semi-Toned were invited to take part in the recording of a new
Sky One television show, entitled ''
Sing: Ultimate A Cappella'', hosted by
Cat Deeley
Catherine Elizabeth Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English television presenter and actress. From 1998 to 2002, she hosted the ITV children's show '' SMTV Live,'' for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show '' ...
. Filming took place throughout the summer, with the first episode airing on 6 October 2017. Semi-Toned came top of their heat, narrowly beating rival group Elle & The Pocket Belles with thei
performance of 'The Chain'by Fleetwood Mac to qualify for a place in the final episode. The final aired on 10 November 2017, in which Semi-Toned performed 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael and 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen. After their second performance, they were eliminated from the competition.
Semi-Toned released anothe
Christmas music videoin December 2018; their cover of
Wizzard
Wizzard were an English rock band formed by Roy Wood, former member of the Move and co-founder of the Electric Light Orchestra. ''The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits'' states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings was Paul McCartne ...
's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday".
2020–2021: Semi-Toned during a pandemic
After the music industry was significantly hit as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, music gigs and performances were cancelled all across the UK forcing Semi-Toned to cancel their fourth U.S. tour. This has led to an increase in the use of social media to promote and share performers' musical abilities from the safety of their own homes. Semi-Toned have followed suit by posting music videos on their own social medias o
InstagramFacebookan
YouTubeto maintain interest in their group. The
A Capella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
group have been able to perform in online music festivals and gigs to promote their work.
2022–Present: Semi-Toned today
In March 2022, Semi-Toned placed second in the ICCA Semi-Finals in London scoring one of the highest Semi-Finals score in ICCA history.
Discography
EPs
* ''Semi-Toned'' (2015)
* ''Sing Theory'' (2016)
* ''Strike Three'' (2018)
*''Infrared'' (2020)
''Sing Theory'' and ''Strike Three'' were review by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB), scoring 4.7/5 and 4/5 stars respectively.
Singles
* ''A Very Semi-Toned Christmas'' (2016)
* ''Candle in the Wind'' (2017)
* ''Sober'' (2019)
''Candle in the Wind'' was also reviewed by RARB, and received a 5/5 star rating from reviewer Dom Otto Asís.
Edinburgh Fringe Shows
Semi-Toned have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year since their debut there in 2013 and currently have the greatest number of sell-out Fringe shows of any university a cappella group. Their shows have consisted of;
* "The Exe Men" (2013)
* "Toned Up" (2014)
* "Game of Tones" (2015)
* "Sing Theory" (2016)
* "Stay Tuned" (2017)
* "Strike Three" (2018)
* "Life on Mars" (2019)
* "A Study in Burgundy" (2021)
* "Lost in Time” (2022)
In 2014, "Toned Up" also received the Broadway Baby Bobby Award, the rare and highly prized accolade of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Tours
The group have conducted four tours of the US and one tour of the UK. The first tour, in 2015, was managed by the group. The three successive tours of the US (2016–18) were jointly planned and undertaken by Semi-Toned an
Arts Management Associates Semi-Toned took a break from the US to conduct their first tour of the United Kingdom in 2019. Their 2020 tour, planned for the US, was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
References
{{authority control
2010 establishments in the United Kingdom
British vocal groups
Collegiate a cappella groups
Musical groups established in 2010
University of Exeter