Subject: Obit: Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 Jan 15 - 06:57 PM

I haven't seen a mention in the papers, but he died last week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Swingle

Bach and friends

Looking at the videos on YouTube, he kept coming up with fresh new ideas until very soon before he died.

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Subject: RE: Obit: Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 25 Jan 15 - 07:24 PM

I think Bach would have been proud of him.

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Subject: RE: Obit: Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 25 Jan 15 - 07:35 PM

Radio 3 today talked about him quite a bit on
'The Choir'. Four Swingle pieces played too.
And also on the prog it's also worth listening to Am botham a bh'aig Fionnghuala -Ensemble: Anúna.

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Subject: RE: Obit: Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
From: pdq
Date: 25 Jan 15 - 07:45 PM

A San Francisco disc jockey, who had not read the album cover very well, called them the Single Swingers.

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Subject: RE: Obit: Ward Swingle, 1927-2015
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 26 Jan 15 - 01:48 PM

Swingle did a lot of paradoxical things. He made ephemeral pop music out of timeless classics, he made "Serious" music amusing, he took Bach and 40's Be-Bop and created a music that sounded like the sixties, and he made complicated counterpoint seem simple and fun.

That "Swingle Singers" sound is one of those instantly recognizable musical signatures, and no matter how old it gets, it always sounds new and fresh. His music was made of musical devices that have been used and reused for 300 years, and yet it was original. One of the great and unique musical talents, and he will be much missed.