Eighty singers enjoyed a fabulous workshop with Tony Backhouse, one of the leaders in the Australasian a cappella movement. Tony’s own arrangements of classic gospel songs, Don’t you want to join that number, Glad to be in the service and Nobody’s Fault but mine were great to sing. Tony developed each song in its own way, adding a vamp, improvisation, dramatic free-time intros and soulful endings. We also enjoyed a beautiful South African gospel song, Jesus remember me and a wonderful group free improvisation.
A superb day’s singing… an excellent teacher and such great songs
Tony has led eight gospel tours to the USA to participate in the African-American church tradition. He has run vocal workshops in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Italy, Canada, Fiji and Samoa and was one of the founders of the Sydney A cappella Association. He is the author of the Black Gospel songbooks A cappella • Rehearsing For Heaven and Move On Up, and a book on directing vocal groups Freeing the Song.
Tony Backhouse founded Australia’s foremost a cappella gospel choir Café of the Gate of Salvation in 1986, and directed it for 21 years. He arranged and composed the bulk of their repertoire and still writes music regularly for them. He founded a cappella choir the Honeybees and has directed and sung with reclusive male a cappella group the Heavenly Light Quartet since 1996. In demand for his inspiring teaching style, Tony has run more than 2000 vocal workshops throughout the world for the public, for festivals, schools, universities, churches, organisations and corporate training events.
“Tony Backhouse is Australasia’s premier arranger and teacher of a cappella gospel.” Roi Colbert, New Zealand Listener
“Tony Backhouse has been, and continues to be, a major influence on music in Sydney and beyond. The a cappella revival is almost entirely due to him.” Martin Wesley-Smith, composer, Australia
Thanks to David Lewis Baker for the images. More images here…