The Idea of North are an Australian

a cappella ''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 Ren ...

vocal ensemble founded in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

in 1993, by Nick Begbie (

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

), Meg Corson (

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

Trish Delaney-Brown Patricia "Trish" Louise Delaney-Brown is an Australian singer and songwriter. Career She sang soprano with The Idea of North, an a cappella quartet which she co-founded, until 2007. In 2011 she contributed soprano vocals for world music album, ' ...

(

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

) and Andrew Piper ( bass). In March 2002 Corson was replaced as alto by Naomi Crellin. Delaney-Brown was replaced on soprano in February 2007 by Sally Cameron. They won the Best Jazz Album category at the

ARIA Music Awards of 2010 The 24th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which included the 2010 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

for ''

Feels Like Spring ''Feels Like Spring'' is a collaborative studio album by Australian recording artists James Morrison and The Idea of North. The album was released in April 2010. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010, the album won the ARIA Award for Best Jazz Al ...

'' (collaboration with James Morrison) and again in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

for ''

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

''.

History

1993-1999: formation and debut album

The Idea of North were formed as a jazz-based, a cappella quartet, in Canberra in 1993, by Nick Begbie (tenor), Meg Corson (alto),

(soprano) and Andrew Piper (bass). All four members were students at the

Canberra School of Music The ANU School of Music is a school in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts, which forms part of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Australian National University. It consists of four buildings, including the main School of ...

of Australian National University. The group's name is from ''

The Idea of North The Idea of North are an Australian a cappella vocal ensemble founded in Canberra in 1993, by Nick Begbie (tenor), Meg Corson (alto), Trish Delaney-Brown (soprano) and Andrew Piper (bass). In March 2002 Corson was replaced as alto by Naomi Cr ...

'' (1967), a radio documentary by Canadian classical pianist,

Glenn Gould Glenn Herbert Gould (; né Gold; September 25, 1932October 4, 1982) was a Canadian classical pianist. He was one of the most famous and celebrated pianists of the 20th century, and was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann ...

. The group are generally described as a jazz quartet, but they also sing pop, R&B, classical,

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

. They cover material by the Beatles, Peter Allen, the Muppets, Aretha Franklin and Bee Gees. In 1997 they issued their debut album, ''The Idea of North'', with Ra Khan producing at the Canberra School of Music's recording studios. The group members arranged cover versions of both traditional and more recent material. Instrumentation was provided by Greg Stott on congas and percussion on three tracks and Piper on

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

on "My Funny Valentine". In 1999 they collaborated with jazz musician, James Morrison, and country singer,

Gina Jeffreys Gina Jeffreys (also known as Gina Jeffries, Gina Hillenberg and Gina McCormack born 1 April 1968) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and radio presenter. Career In 1991, Jeffreys competed in The Toyota Star Maker Quest at the Tamworth C ...

, to record a cover version of " Blue Christmas" which appears on Jeffreys' album, '' Christmas Wish'' (November 1999). Morrison felt the ensemble were "the best contemporary a cappella group in the country."

2000-2005: ''The Sum of Us'', ''Here & Now'' & ''Evidence''

The Idea of North's second album, ''The Sum of Us'' was released in October 2001, its track, " Mas Que Nada", features Morrison on trombone and another track, "Fragile", showcases

Don Burrows Donald Vernon Burrows (8 August 1928 – 12 March 2020) was an Australian jazz and swing musician who played clarinet, saxophone and flute. Life and career Donald Vernon Burrows was born on 8 August 1928, the only child of Vernon and Beryl and ...

on flute. Delaney-Brown wrote two tracks, "Neat Surprise" and "Gotta Move On", while "Singin a Capella" was co-written by Begbie and Piper and "Two Sides to the Story" was written by Piper. It was co-produced by the group's members and recorded at Tiger Studios, Sydney for Magnetic Records. It reached No. 15 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums chart. In March 2002 Corson was replaced as alto in the group by Naomi Crellin (ex-Pure Harmony), a graduate from University of Adelaide's

Elder Conservatorium The Elder Conservatorium of Music, also known as "The Con", is Australia's senior academy of music and is located in the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It is named in honour of its benefactor, Sir Thomas Elder. Dating in ...

. Corson started her solo career; during 2014 she teamed with Stott on guitar as a musical duo. Crellin's previous group, Pure Harmony, are an a capella quartet formed in 1992 at

Marryatville High School Marryatville High School (MHS) is a public state secondary school in Adelaide, South Australia. The school is situated on a large area of land in the eastern suburb of Marryatville, part of the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters. First Cree ...

, Adelaide with fellow students Sally Cameron and Joy Hague. The Idea of North's third album, ''Here & Now'', was released in October 2003 via

ABC Jazz ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Televisio ...

, which has re-recordings of their previous material plus two new tracks. The line-up of Begbie, Crellin, Delaney-Brown and Piper recorded it at

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

's studio 227, Sydney. It reached No. 13 on the ARIA Hitseekers Albums Chart and No. 8 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums chart. San Francisco-based,

Contemporary A Cappella Society The Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America), or CASA, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was founded in 1991 by Deke Sharon in San Francisco just ...

, present the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. In 2004 the Idea of North were runners up for Artist of the Year. In May 2004, The Idea of North's released ''Evidence''. ''Evidence'' peaked at No. 12 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums chart. At the 2005 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards they won best jazz album and best jazz song for "Rachel".

2006-2009: ''The Gospel Project'' & ''Live at the Powerhouse''

In April 2006, The Idea of North released ''The Gospel Project'', and featured prayers and three tracks, "Let It Ring", "Help Us" and "The Truth" co-written by Begbie and

Michael Leunig Michael Leunig (born 2 June 1945), typically referred to as Leunig (his signature on his cartoons), is an Australian cartoonist. His works include ''The Curly Pyjama Letters'', cartoon books ''The Essential Leunig'', ''The Wayward Leunig'', ' ...

. Aside from vocals by Begbie, Crellin, Delaney-Brown and Piper four of the recordings included instrumentals: Duncan Brown on bass guitar, Bill Risby on keyboards and Gordon Rytmeister on drums. During 2006 they had appeared at festivals in Germany, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. In October they toured Australia to promote the album with the Gospel Project Band. On 2 July 2007 they issued their first live album, ''Live at the Powerhouse'', both on CD and as a DVD.''Live at the Powerhouse'' at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

* CD version: * DVD version: Barry O'Sullivan of ''All About Jazz'' described how the "a capella vocal ensemble just swings and swings with impeccable harmonies and an understanding of each others' vocal parts. The breadth of the group's performance is its most remarkable characteristic, never stopping in offering something new with tracks." The album was recorded at the

Brisbane Powerhouse Brisbane Powerhouse is an arts and cultural hub located in a former power station in the Brisbane suburb of New Farm, Queensland, Australia. The venue offers an array of performing arts, visual arts, festivals, and free community events. The fir ...

on 4 June 2006 with the DVD directed and edited by Adam Sébire, while the audio was recorded by David Hemming and produced by the group. Sally Cameron (ex-Pure Harmony, South Australian Police Band) joined as soprano in February 2007 to replace Delaney-Brown, who left to start her family. The group farewelled Delaney-Brown, formally, in a one-off concert at The Basement, Sydney in June 2008. She later became a member of Sonic Mayhem Orchestra and then James Valentine Quartet before establishing the Trish Delaney-Brown Quintet.

2010-2011: ''Feels Like Spring'' & ''Extraordinary Tale''

On 10 April 2010, The group released their sixth studio album, ''

'' which, another collaboration with Morrison, peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums chart and spent 33 weeks (non-consecutive) in the top 20 until February 2011. In the studio, instrumentation was supplied by Begbie on tenor saxophone and trombone; Brown on bass guitar; Cameron on alto saxophone and trumpet; Ian Cooper on strings; Sandro Constatino on viola; Crellin on alto saxophone and trumpet; Alexandra D'ella on violin; Phillip Hartl on violin; Morrison on double bass, flugelhorn, horn arrangements, piano, saxophone, trombone and trumpet; James Muller on guitar; Piper on bass guitar, baritone saxophone and trombone; Rytmeister on drums; Sunnil de Silva on percussion; Adrian Wallis on cello; and

Jonathan Zwartz Jonathan Peter Zwartz is a New Zealand-born Australian jazz musician. In the 2018 ARIA Music Awards, he won the Best Jazz Album category for his third album, ''Animarum'', released in 2018. Early life Zwartz was born in New Zealand. Career ...

on double bass. It was co-produced by the group and Morrison. At the

Idea of North and James Morrison won the

ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Jazz Album is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The award for Best Jazz Album was first presented in 1987, when George Golla Orchestra, received a trophy for their album, ...

for ''

''. In July 2011, the group released ''Extraordinary Tale''. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2011 The 25th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2011 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fi ...

the ensemble were nominated for Best Jazz Album. For the solely a capella recording Begbie, Cameron, Crellin and Piper provided their usual four part harmony with Piper adding

vocal percussion Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo. In Western music Recent ...

. ''Extraordinary Tale'' peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues Albums, No. 5 on the Hitseekers Albums and No. 93 on the Top 100 Physical Albums charts. Also in 2011 Crellin temporarily left, on maternity leave, and was replaced on alto by Joy Hague (ex-Pure Harmony) with Crellin returning in the following year. Hague resumed her work as a high school music teacher although she filled in as deputy alto in the Idea of North as required thereafter.

2012-2014: ''This Christmas'' & ''Smile''

The quartet recorded their eighth studio album, ''This Christmas'' which was released on 29 October 2012. The album includes Morrison guesting on trombone on two tracks, and Hague as alto on three tracks. The album peaked at No. 80 on the ARIA Albums, No. 2 on the Hitseekers Albums and No. 2 on the Jazz & Blues Albums charts. The quartet's ninth studio album, ''

'' was released on 12 August 2013 which had peaked at No. 86 on the ARIA Albums, No. 4 on the Hitseekers Albums and No. 2 on the Jazz & Blues Albums charts. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2013 The 27th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2013 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...

the Idea of North won the ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album for a second time with ''

''. In November 2014, The Idea of North released a compilation album, ''Anthology'', which peaked at No. 5 on the Jazz & Blues Albums charts.

2015-present: ''Ballads''

From 2016 Japanese vocal percussionist Kaichiro Kitamura was a session and touring member and featured on three tracks on their tenth studio album, ''Ballads'', which was released on 18 April 2016. The album reached No. 3 on the Hitseekers Albums and No. 2 on the Jazz & Blues Albums charts. In February 2017 Cameron and Piper both left the group; Piper was replaced on bass by Luke Thompson, while Cameron's temporary replacements were Delaney-Brown and Jo Lawry, prior to a more permanent soprano to be appointed later that year. In November 2018, the band self-released ''Brick By Brick'', available from their website.

Members

Current

Tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

: Nick Begbie (1993–present) *

Soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

: Trish Delaney-Brown (1993–2007, 2017), Jo Lawry (2017), Emma Rule (2018) *

Alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

: Naomi Crellin (2002–11, 2012–present) * Bass: Luke Thompson (2017–present)

Touring and session

Vocal percussion Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with one's mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo. In Western music Recent ...

: Kaichiro Kitamura (2016–present)

Former

: Meg Corson (1993–2002) * Bass: Andrew Piper (1993–2017) *

: Joy Hague (2011–12) *

: Sally Cameron (2007–17)

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

As featured albums

Compilation albums

Awards and nominations

ARIA Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

are presented annually since 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The Idea of North has won one award from four nominations. , - ,

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, , ''Feels Like Spring''
, , rowspan="4",

ARIA Award previous winners. , , , - ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, , ''Extraordinary Tale'' , , , - ,

, , ''Smile'' , , , - ,

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, , ''Ballads'' , , , - ,

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, , ''A Piece of Quiet (The Hush Collection, Vol. 16)''
, ,

ARIA Award for Best Children's Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Children's Album is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Ind ...

ARIA Award previous winners. , ,

CARA Awards

Since 1992, the annual

Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards The Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America), or CASA, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was founded in 1991 by Deke Sharon in San Francisco just ...

(CARAs) recognise the best recorded a cappella and aim to support this burgeoning culture of instrument-less enthusiasts. , - , rowspan="2", 2005 , , ''Evidence'' , , Best Jazz Album , , , - , , "Rachel" , , Best Jazz Song , , , - , 2010 , , The Idea of North , , Favourite Oceanic Group , , , - , 2011 , , The Idea of North , , Favourite Oceanic Group , , , - , 2013 , , The Idea of North , , Favourite Oceanic Group , , *Note:wins only

References

External links

Official websiteContemporary A Cappella Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Idea of North, The ARIA Award winners Australian Capital Territory musical groups Australian vocal groups Australian jazz ensembles Professional a cappella groups Vocal quartets Vocal jazz ensembles