The Swingle Singers

A vocal ensemble formed in Paris by expatriate American tenor Ward Single (1927-2015), The Swingle Singers (or Les Swingle Singers) is a double quartet featuring Christiane Legrand (sister of Michel Legrand, 1930-2011), Anne Germain (1935-2016) and Claude Germain, Jean-Claude Briodin (b. 1932), Jean Cussac (1922-2026), Claudine Meunier (b. 1926) and Jeanette Baucomont (1926-2019). The essentially classical repertoire is sung a cappella by the group, assisted by jazz musicians such as Guy Pedersen, Daniel Humair and Bernard Lubat. The jazz and classical formula proved very popular in the 1960s, with the albums Jazz Sebastian Bach (1963), Going Baroque (1964), Anyone for Mozart? (1964), Les Romantiques (1965) and Rococo à Go Go (1966). On the next album, Place Vendôme, the performers are joined by members of the Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis, Milt Jackson and Connie Kay. These were followed by Concerto d'Aranjuez - Sounds of Spain (1967), Noëls Sans Passeport (1968), Jazz Sebastian Bach Volume 2 (1968), American Look (1971) and Les Quatre Saisons (1972). The group, very popular in the U.S., won three Grammy Awards in 1964 and 1965, before disbanding in 1973. Settled in England, Ward Single created Singles II and diversified the repertoire. The new group changed its name several times: The New Swingle Singers (1978), The Swingles (1986), The Swingle Singers (1988), then The Swingles (2014). The vocal group, which collaborated with The Style Council in 1988 and Etienne Daho in 1996, continued to record over the following decades, as evidenced by the albums New World (1995), Ticket to Ride (1999), Mood Swings (2002), Ferris Wheels (2009), Weather to Fly (2013) and Theatreland (2024). In 2025, the line-up includes Malika Bhagwat (soprano), Sarah Alison (alto), Laura Moisey-Gray (alto), James Botcher (tenor), Owen Butcher (tenor), Jamie Wright (baritone) and Tom Hartley (bass).