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A cappella and Barbershop Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
A cappella and Barbershop Quizzes, Trivia

A cappella and Barbershop Trivia

A cappella and Barbershop Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
6 quizzes and 60 trivia questions.
1.
  Singing in the Dark    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Singing without musical accompaniment is like singing in the dark - you have to find your own way through with no signposts and no guidelines. Here are some questions on a cappella singing and some of my favorite groups.
Average, 10 Qns, DragonLadyBlue, Dec 15 14
Average
DragonLadyBlue
211 plays
2.
  The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I know I'm biased, but I believe this quartet are world class at the fiendishly difficult art of a cappella singing.
Average, 10 Qns, craigles, Jan 07 08
Average
craigles
188 plays
3.
  Barbershop Music    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Barbershop quartets and choruses are still very popular today with both men and women. Here are some questions about modern Barbershop music.
Tough, 10 Qns, ferfer72, Feb 04 21
Tough
ferfer72
Feb 04 21
495 plays
4.
  Sweet Adelines    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Everybody seems to know about guys' barbershop. So what do you know about women's barbershop?
Average, 10 Qns, Morgana13, May 10 07
Average
Morgana13
321 plays
5.
  A Cappella Music    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Not for the a cappella virgin! Do you know yours Bobs from your Blenders? Your doo-wops from your doo-dahs? Then give it a shot - but don't say we didn't warn you... (note: Some questions were re-worded to make them a little easier)
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, jessika, Dec 14 14
Very Difficult
jessika
620 plays
6.
  Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is all about college a capella groups that are featured on "Best of College A Capella" or "BOCA".
Average, 10 Qns, kevinl75, Apr 06 07
Average
kevinl75
241 plays
trivia question Quick Question
This group from the University of Pennsylvania sings renditions of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "Lean On Me".

From Quiz "Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?"





A cappella and Barbershop Trivia Questions
1. Some of the earliest recorded a cappella singing came from monks singing sacred songs and church service music. What is this music frequently called?

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant is usually sung in unison, all voices combining on a single melody. It is believed to have its origins more than 1000 years ago although as it was largely an oral tradition exact dates are subject to debate.

2. How did they come up with the name, "The Idea Of North"?

From Quiz The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style

Answer: Not even they can remember

I attended a singing workshop in 2005 in Hobart which this group were running, and this point was made to us all right at the start - they said "Don't ask how we got our name!"

3. What popular musical by Meredith Willson features a Barbershop quartet as the school board?

From Quiz Barbershop Music

Answer: The Music Man

The Buffalo Bills were the quartet that became famous for touring the country with this musical. That quartet (The Bills) also arranged the songs into Barbershop for Mr. Willson because he wasn't as familiar with the artform.

4. This group from the University of Pennsylvania sings renditions of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "Lean On Me".

From Quiz Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?

Answer: UPenn Off The Beat

The UPenn Off The Beat has been on just about every "Best of College A Capella" CD.

5. One of the most popular times for starting an a cappella group is as a student in high school or college. Varsity Vocals gives these student groups a chance to compete with a renowned yearly championship called the ICCA. What does ICCA stand for?

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella

The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella has been running since 1996. One of the most successful groups has been the University of South California's "SoCal VoCals" who won on 3 occasions between 2008 and 2012. Varsity Vocals also operates the International Championship of High School a Cappella (ICHSA). [Information from Varsity Vocals website]

6. What are the parts in Sweet Adelines?

From Quiz Sweet Adelines

Answer: tenor, lead, baritone, bass

The parts in Sweet Adelines are the same as guys' barbershop... which leads to interesting mixups! Tenor is the highest, and then it just goes down.

7. What is the name of the organization that promotes Barbershop singing for men in America?

From Quiz Barbershop Music

Answer: BHS

SPEBSQSA stands for the Society for Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (also known as the American Barbershop Harmony Society). SAI is Sweet Adelines International, and HI is Harmony International. Both of those groups are Barbershop organizations for women. BBSHOP is the name of one of the Yahoo! Groups you can join to discuss things going on in the world of Barbershop.

8. The Amalgamates appear on "BOCA" with such songs as "I Don't Want to Wait" and "Man in the Mirror". Which university are they from?

From Quiz Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?

Answer: Tufts University

Tufts has many a capella groups that have appeared on "BOCA", including the Amalgamates and the Beezlebubs.

9. Name the British group to hit the UK charts with a cover of Yaz' 'Only You.'

From Quiz A Cappella Music

Answer: The Flying Pickets

They were the first a cappella Number 1 in the UK.

10. The 90s PBS children's show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" had weekly performances from which great a cappella group?

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: Rockapella

Rockapella also performed the theme song for the show. They became very popular during the run of the show and released nine CDs, but for a lot of people their most recognizable music outside of the show was "Wake Up" for a Folgers commercial.

11. The Idea's first CD, self-titled, contains a lovely rendition of the 23rd Psalm. Whose original arrangement did they adapt for this recording?

From Quiz The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style

Answer: Bobby McFerrin

Bobby McFerrin rose to prominence in 1996(?) with an a cappella song called "Don't Worry, Be Happy", I can only just remember it!

12. Who sings the melody in the songs?

From Quiz Sweet Adelines

Answer: lead

The reason this seems confusing, and different from classical music, is that the lead is lower than the tenor. In barbershop, there is a harmony part higher than the melody--the tenor.

13. Following the release of their disc 'A cappella Country,' who was the first all-a cappella group to perform at the Grand 'Ole Opry?

From Quiz A Cappella Music

Answer: The EDLOS

They're also one of the few a cappella groups to release an all-country album.

14. In the 2012 hit movie "Pitch Perfect" the a cappella group joined by Beca, the lead character, was ...

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: All Female

The heroes are the Barden Bellas, an all-female group at the fictional Barden University. Anna Kendrick, who plays Beca, actually had a Billboard Top 100 hit with the song "Cups (When I'm Gone)" from the movie but it was remastered to add instruments.

15. Which song has the lyrics "dancin' with Mandela", "eating a paella", and even "he's your Rockefeller"?

From Quiz The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style

Answer: Singin' A Cappella

Words by Nick Begbie and Andrew Piper, Music and Arrangement by Andrew Piper. I laughed when I first heard it and it still makes me laugh. The other phrases in the question are also lyrics in the song!

16. What is the motto of Sweet Adelines?

From Quiz Sweet Adelines

Answer: Harmonize the World

There's a song called "Harmonize the World" that Sweet Adelines sings. And they're succeeding--there are choruses all over the world, including Australia, Canada, and Finland!

17. What are the names of the four voice parts in a Barbershop chorus or quartet?

From Quiz Barbershop Music

Answer: tenor, lead, baritone, and bass

The lead part sings the melody.

18. The SoCal VoCals, who have sung "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Torn", are from what California university?

From Quiz Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?

Answer: USC

The USC Sirens have also appeared on the "BOCA" albums.

19. What women's a cappella ensemble includes a Smithsonian Museum curator?

From Quiz A Cappella Music

Answer: Sweet Honey in the Rock

Bernice Johnson Reagon is a Distinguished Professor of History at American University and Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History - AND a founding member of Sweet Honey.

20. Where was barbershop first created?

From Quiz Sweet Adelines

Answer: United States

Barbershop is completely, totally, uniquely American.

21. Which star of "Diagnosis, Murder" frequently sings with a Barbershop quartet on the show?

From Quiz Barbershop Music

Answer: Dick Van Dyke

The quartet is named Metropolis, and they are the 2003 third place medallists in SPEBSQSA's International Quartet Competition.

22. This all-girl group from the University of North Carolina has appeared on "BOCA" with such songs as "Dreams" and "Fame".

From Quiz Do you Know Your College A Capollogy?

Answer: The Loreleis

The Treble Makers from the University of Maryland are a group that has also appeared on "BOCA" with "Walking on Broken Glass".

23. What a cappella doo-wop group had a song heard - and identified by name - in the film ET: The Extra-Terrestrial?

From Quiz A Cappella Music

Answer: The Persuasions

The Persuasions' version of 'Papa Oom Mow Mow' is playing on the radio early on in the film.

24. Probably the most influential a cappella group for many years is this British sextet who originally were formed while studying at Cambridge. But what is their proper name?

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: The King's Singers

The King's Singers' line up has changed many times since they started at King's College, Cambridge in 1968. They have released 150 albums and sold (according to their website) over two million copies of sheet music for their arrangements providing a huge influence on musical groups throughout the world.

25. The Idea of North participated in the 2003 Harmony Sweepstakes a cappella competition in California, USA. What happened to them there?

From Quiz The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style

Answer: They won the whole thing

Founded in 1984, the Harmony Sweepstakes is the largest a cappella competition in the world. The Idea of North were the first international group ever to win the Sweepstakes.

26. What is the audition song you must learn before you can join Sweet Adelines?

From Quiz Sweet Adelines

Answer: It can be any song

Once you learn it and sing it, you can be in Sweet Adelines! (Well, once you fill out the application, pay up, etc., etc.)

27. Approximately how many men are registered Barbershoppers in North America?

From Quiz Barbershop Music

Answer: 20,000

This figure does not include affiliates outside of North America or female Barbershoppers.

28. What gay a cappella group appeared in the film 'Philadelphia'?

From Quiz A Cappella Music

Answer: The Flirtations

The Flirtations were the first all-gay a cappella group.

29. What is generally regarded as the first a cappella song to reach number one on the UK charts over Christmas 1983?

From Quiz Singing in the Dark

Answer: Only You

The Flying Pickets cover of Yazoo's "Only You" spent five weeks at the top of the chart. The a cappella song "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in 1988. Neither "Blue Christmas" nor "Careless Whisper" were a cappella.

30. Which animated film is the gorgeous ballad "When She Loved Me" in?

From Quiz The Idea Of North - A Cappella Aussie style

Answer: Toy Story 2

A female friend of mine heard this version only the day after watching "Toy Story 2" with her children, and she begged to play it again, right away! I could have sworn she was nearly crying too. Which was also my reaction after hearing it a few times and reading the lyrics.

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