Not ready to commit to a sit-down ticketed a cappella concert just yet? SING! Toronto is offering four days of free programming in the popular Distillery District to introduce the city to the magic that is all-vocal music. The outdoor stages compliment 12 full days of programming that includes world-renown artists and an eclectic collection of genres.

The free stages will provide all a cappella entertainment during both weekends of the festival, May 26-27 and June 2-3. Here’s the full lineup:

Saturday, May 26

Noon - Pretty Sharp

Known as half singing, half party, Pretty Sharp has been entertaining audiences with their pop covers since 2013. Grab a glass of wine and go ahead and sing along. It’s encouraged!

12:40 - Penn Glee Club 

Steeped in brotherhood and tradition, the Penn Glee Club is the USA’s longest continuously running glee club, starting in 1862. With fully staged productions each year since 1932, this group has brought its Broadway-style choral show to audiences around the world.

1:15 - FreePlay

The duo of Dylan Bell and Suba Sankaran calls their style “inspired eclecticism” with influences from the clubs of NYC to the temples of India; they use their voices and live-looping to transport their audiences….to nearly as many places as they’ve performed around the world.

2:00 - City Choir

Open to anyone who loves to sing, this non-auditioned community choir provides an outlet for jazz, pop, classical, folk, world, funk, spirituals, and holiday singing for Toronto residents. They perform in both self-produced shows as well as festivals throughout the city.

2:20 - Kousan Choir

Fifty voices strong and celebrating more than 40 years of tradition in Armenian music, this group performs an annual concert and tours across North America each year. Based in Toronto, the group is now under the direction of Ripsime Tovmasyan, M.A.

3:00 - Blisk

Singing polyphonic Balkan and Slavic songs, this all-female Toronto-based group hails from Poland, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Debuting just last December, their music uses dance, movement, and hypnotic percussion to take listeners on a musical journey through Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, and more.

3:45 - Churchville-Chili School Choir

Hailing from Rochester, New York, this group of 9th-12th graders rehearse every other day and primarily perform a cappella pieces. Regularly a recipient of Gold with Distinction at NYSMMA, they also have spent some time in the recording studio, recently releasing their third album.

4:30 - SoundCrowd

With over 70 voices, SoundCrowd is Toronto's newest a cappella group to burst onto the scene, opening for Barenaked Ladies in 2016 and performing at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Deke Sharon in 2017. 

Sunday, May 27

2:00 & 4:00 -The Post Men

This will be the first out of town gig for this young quartet out of Kingston, Ontario. A quartet out of the Kingston Townsmen chapter of Barbershop Harmony Society, they have their sights set on competing in the fall contest in Ontario.

2:30 - TriTone

This mostly a cappella trio of childhood friends sing everything from choral music to pop, and even some Chinese pop. Based in Markham, Ontario, they continue to sing together, despite being separated by post-secondary education.

3:00 - Turkwaz

Nominated for Canadian Folk Music Awards “Pushing the Boundaries” and “World Group of the Year,” as well as a 2017 Juno nomination for their CD, "Nazar," Turkwaz combines four voices and diverse traditions of Sufi, Thracian, Arabic, Turkish, and Greek backgrounds to create a repertoire as unique and fresh as their approach.

3:30 - Onoscatopoeia

The University of Toronto’s Hart House Jazz Choir performs jazz, pop, and R&B, all a cappella. Under the direction of Jeff Magee, an alumnus of Tune.Beats.Awesome and former ICCA competitor, this 17-member group performs several times a year throughout Toronto.

Saturday, June 2

2:00 - Special Guest!

4:00 - The Willows

A jazz trio that originally met as young dancers discovered their talent for singing while studying together at Ryerson University in Toronto. With unique song selection, dance, and a little bit of theatrics, The Willows bring their audience a classic jazz experience with a modern twist.

Sunday, June 3

2:00 - Spadina Station

Described as dynamic, versatile, and cheeky, this quirky quartet performs original music as well as classic covers, including pop, rock, and jazz favorites. This group was formed out of the Miles Nadal JCC Choir and continues to rehearse there, right across the street from Spadina Station.

2:30 - Duly Noted

This all-treble Toronto based a cappella choir has a vast repertoire-everything from madrigals to Shawn Mendes-and is dedicated to giving their proceeds to charity.

4:00 - Yonge Guns

A well-traveled barbershop quartet out of Southern Ontario, the Yonge Guns have performed in Canada, USA, England, Germany, and Sweden. Formed by high school friends in 2013, the group is affiliated with Toronto Northern Lights and finished third in the BHS International Quartet Contest in 2017.