In 1991, Brigham Young University (BYU) students David Boyce and Bob Ahlander took a trip to a few universities on the East Coast. While they were there, they were introduced to modern a capella music and realized BYU didn’t have any groups dedicated to this particular sound. Boyce and Ahlander took it upon themselves to add modern a capella to the BYU repertoire; holding auditions and selecting the best singers for the job, the two men named their new group BYU Vocal Point.
Here are the original members:
Since its foundation in 1991, Vocal Point has become extremely popular, touring the United States and winning the Championship of Collegiate A-Capella two years in a row, reports Snow College. In addition to these accomplishments, the BYU Vocal Point members have also taken the internet by storm, with many of their performances going completely viral.
Like this video, where the members surprised fellow BYU students with real-life renditions of “Kiss the Girl” from Disney’s Little Mermaid — viewed over 7.8 million times.
Or this one showing the group serenading girls and gifting them with roses for Valentine’s Day— viewed over 7.5 million times on YouTube.
But these two videos are nothing compared to Vocal Point’s most powerful performance, where they team up with the BYU men’s vocal choir for a heart-stopping rendition of the hymn “Nearer, My God to Thee”.
When the video begins, only the men from Vocal Point are in sight. They are dressed in matching sky-blue blazers while the soloist stands at the center in a grey blazer meant to distinguish.
The men sing together, starting off the song, when roughly 30 seconds through the soloist begins with the first verse. The man’s voice is powerful and clear, angelic in nature as he sings, “Nearer, my God to Thee, nearer to Thee.”
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the backstage lights up and the camera pans out to reveal the men’s choir. They sing Latin lyrics which add another layer of complexity and beauty to Vocal Point’s existing tune.
Here’s a rough translation of the Latin lyrics, provided by the group:
“At the moment of death,
My strength is from Heaven.
God helping, nothing should be feared.
Forever direct us, O Lord,
To high places by narrow roads.
Such is the path to the stars:
Ever upward.”
Quite frankly, it’s hard to describe this video in a way that does it justice. All I can say is that it’s pretty freakin’ amazing— and others definitely seem to agree.
So, check out Vocal Point’s incredible performance for yourself, and be sure to let us know what you think!
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