I think the best singers are the ones with a sense of showmanship. In NTU, I know a couple of Jam Bands who boast amazingly talented vocalists, but lack that sense of performance presence. To me, that’s just wasting your God-given ability because the audience cannot make any sort of emotional connection during the whole gig.

Now vocal ensembles (aka a capella groups) are a much more delicate beast because you have anything from three to six vocalists and every member must perform at the same level, or risk having a ‘frontman’ who is the only link to the audience, so to speak. Fortunately for us, and the hundreds of fans who turned out at the Esplanade Concert Hall last night, Rockapella delivered a heartfelt, emotionally-charged yet professional performance that left all their fans demanding more.

Which is why it’s ironic that the night began with the realisation that organiser Century Events simply did not put any hype into Rockapella’s first trip to Singapore. We’d already known that the Concert Hall was far from sold out, but to actually see all the empty seats really made my heart sink. This was arguably the best a capella group to hit our shores, and a couple of mentions in the papers plus a few posters in the Esplanade was the only promotion they got. Nonetheless, Rockapella didn’t seem fazed by the slightly over half-filled Hall and by the end of the concert seemed genuinely humbled by the standing ovation they got from the audience.

But I get ahead of myself. Rockapella, as we know it today, is led by the absolutely charismatic Scott Leonard, one of Rockapella’s mainstays, who composes and arranges most, if not all, of Rockapella’s repertoire. Kakita was totally enamoured with Leonard’s pants, which seemed to have a life of its own as Leonard jived and grooved all over the stage. Not one to hog all the limelight, though, Leonard made sure he gave props to the rest of the group, especially vocal percussionist extraordinaire Jeff Thacher, another Rockapella mainstay. Thacher was arguably the most popular member of the ensemble, with the audience showing loads of appreciation for his vocal acrobatics and seamless transition between percussion instruments.

Another member who truly endeared himself to the audience was super-bass George Baldi. Cutting a huge figure in comparison with the rest of Rockapella, Baldi hit all the low notes with superb precision, then just blew us away when he showed the amazing range of his falsetto as he hit the chorus of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” without faltering. The fact that he could command the stage with an ability most basses (myself included) could only envy, made him a truly enjoyable performer to watch.

Tenors Kevin Wright and John Brown, whom Baldi jokingly referred to as “the girls” because of their relatively higher range, demonstrated that they could melt hearts just as well with their solos.

All in all, a truly entertaining night and a steal with tickets at $56.