Toronto comes alive with a cappella today with 10 days of fantastic programming at the 7th Annual SING! Toronto Vocal Arts Festival. Canada’s premier a cappella festival invites thousands of professional and amateur singers together to learn, create, educate, and explore the many facets of the human voice.

While there are lead up events throughout the year, the official kickoff is tonight with the free Opening Night Party at Club 120, featuring looping artist Alissa Vox Raw, barbershop quartet Supertonic, pop ensemble Beatsync, and jazz from Hampton Avenue. 

Thursday brings an evening of jazz and Bernstein with Ault Sisters, The Watch, and Hampton Avenue. Micah Barnes, formerly of The Nylons, will host as the audiences will transport "back to the days of legendary Vegas Showrooms."

Things start to really heat up on Friday, when headliners Rockapella make their appearance, first with a SING! And Learn program for school children at Little Trinity Church and then later when they team up with The House Jacks for an incredible vocal rock concert at Jane Mallett Theatre at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

Saturday offers a jam-packed day of music and learning, with public workshops offered by Rockapella, The House Jacks, and Toronto Northern Lights. The outdoor stage in the Distillery Historic District will light up from noon to 5 PM, and then the evening will close out with a very Canadian celebration: “O Canada: Twentysomething” will celebrate 20 years of music from Toronto Northern Lights, Cadence, and Retrocity.

The outdoor stage returns on Sunday, leading up to SING! A WOMAN’S WORK, a concert featuring five phenomenal women’s groups: Girl Pow-R, The Willows, Penthelia Sisters, Jordana Talsky, and Blisk, all hosted by SING!’s Artistic Director, Suba Sankaran.

The weekdays may return, but the excitement doesn’t stop. Beth Sholom Synagogue will host CROSSROADS, the best of Jewish A Cappella on Tuesday, May 29, and TD Canada Trust hosts a free workshop for financial literacy for musicians on Wednesday, May 30. Wednesday also brings the return of the ever-popular Art Battle, where 12 contemporary artists will create to the music of Beatsync, Countermeasure, and SoundCrowd.

Thursday, May 31 brings an evening dedicated to live-looping, featuring FreePlay Duo Dylan Bell and Suba Sankaran and a surprise list of friends, while Friday, June 1 will bring a Gospel concert, with rising stars, Resound, University of  Toronto Gospel Choir, The Chitans, Andrew Craig, and Kerry Lee Crawford.

The final weekend will close out with more performances on the outdoor stage in the Distillery Historic District and an evening concert on Saturday, June 2 with SoundCrowd and Friends.

For more information, visit SING! Toronto.