The King's Singers say:

"This is a recording of us performing Harry Connick Jr.'s "Recipe for love" in Christ Church, Spitalfields this October. The piece was arranged for us by Robert Rice, and often features at the end of our concerts. The track can be found on our recent album Swimming over London. Listen out for our use of vocal percussion and watch out for any actions..."

Discover 'Recipe for love'

Composed by Harry Connick, Jr., "Recipe for Love" is a unique jazz offering from The King's Singers which they first recorded as part of their 2010 album, Swimming Over London. Key to any arrangement, and captured perfectly by Berty Rice, the parts fit the voices at his disposal perfectly ranging from high countertenor to low bass.

In "Recipe for Love" the elegance of the arrangement is demonstrated from the very beginning by the way the scat solo lines are smoothly transitioned between various parts of the ensemble. This is a slightly slower, more relaxed version than Connick's original which adds to the sophisticated style for which The King's Singers are renowned.

Notice how baritone, Christopher Gabbitas, begins the piece, not by counting in but, by breathing in to mark the upbeat of the music. This is a trademark of the King's Singers, who work without a conductor - they all have equal say in the artistic and musical decisions, highlighting the impressive unity in the ensemble.

A simple breath to start the song (00:13)

The "double bass" sound heard in the bass voice part is created by moving beyond the conventional "dum" often written in arrangements in this style. By removing the vowel of "dum" (i.e. "dm") a sharper, staccato sound is sung. As well as this, occasionally you will also hear a "t" at the beginning (i.e. "t-dm") which adds a percussive effect to this, together very effectively mimicking the sound of a double bass.

Listen for the 'dm' and 't-dm' of the bassline (00:38)

Notice how the contrast of sounds is controlled by a range of vocal colours which enhance the dynamics. The group's breathier sound helps with the pianissimo sections, and they employ their more focussed sound for the loader, "brass-ier" sections such as the syncopated "ba bas":

The group uses a range of vocal colours to achieve wide dynamics (01:13)

This dynamic control is most notably demonstrated through the instrumental section as different tones are employed to add to the instruments being impersonated, such as the "wa wa" trumpet and "voo voo" saxophone:

Listen to the "wa wa" sounds of a vocal 'trumpet' (01:38)

And a "voo voo" 'saxophone' too (02:00)

The King's Singers demonstrate here how important it is to have unified vowels, particularly on "ooo" sounds. Their unified dialect here contributes to their impeccable blending:

Listen to how perfectly the "ooo" sounds blend as one (02:45)

The King's Singers, rather than trying to accurately imitate the various jazz instruments, employ sounds which replicate them slightly. These are used largely to add variation to the arrangement - but also for comic effect, such as the drum part which is passed around the group, but most prominently performed by countertenor Timothy Wayne-Wright - take a look in the video above!

The drum part has its time to shine (01:05)

This wide variety of instrument-inspired sounds creates a sophisticated style which in this song aligns perfectly with the genre of music they are singing.

Written by Henry Southern