The Oxford Gargoyles

Programming note: The ACB was well represented at the ICCA and ICHSA Finals in New York this Saturday. It was a fantastic show, and we plan to have our full event review posted Wednesday morning.

Daniel Thompson is the musical director of The Oxford Gargoyles, an all-male group that participated in the 2007 ICCA Finals, coming out of the Western Europe Region. Thompson took the time to answer questions from The A Cappella Blog.

The A Cappella Blog (ACB): The Gargoyles performed this summer at the Fringe Festival. For the uninitiated, what is the festival like? How would you describe this performing experience?

Daniel Thompson (DT): The festival is an amazing experience, and not just because of the performing. I mean, we did one 45 minute performance a day for 9 days in a theatre which seated 160, but performances like that aren't necessarily new to a collegiate a cappella group. What is new and exciting is the daily busking out on the Royal Mile to advertise your show, sometimes competing against drumming groups, street performers and indeed other a cappella groups for would-be punters' attention.

ACB: The Gargoyles are an all-jazz group. How does this style of performance separate The Gargoyles from other groups? What advantages or challenged does this focus present?

DT: As a jazz a cappella group we tend focus on performing music which is trickier than that of your average college a cappella group - and performing it to a very high standard indeed. Our arrangements are often extremely vocally demanding, with complex jazzy harmonies and syncopated rhythms, and much of the time there are 6, 8 or even more parts. That said, The Gargoyles still put a lot of emphasis on producing a fun and dynamic performance so as to entertain the whole audience, which requires more work due to the high musical standard of our repertoire.

ACB: In 2007, The Gargoyles made a trip to the ICCA Finals in New York City. What was this experience like for the group?

DT: It was a totally new experience, and a fantastic one at that. Musically, it was extremely beneficial for the group because it gave us the drive and focus to really perfect the songs which were part of our ICCA set.

ACB: What would you say is the most important element to having a successful collegiate a cappella group?

DT: Enthusiasm. And talent. And not caring about making a fool of yourself.

ACB: What drew you, personally, to collegiate a cappella in the first place?

DT: I think the fact that I love singing, and I love jazz helped me in deciding to audition for The Gargoyles, but most of all I think it was that the whole a cappella thing was new to me. And because it was new it was exciting and interesting.

For more on The Gargoyles, you can visit their official website here or their MySpace page here.