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Stanford Counterpoint
First all-female a cappella group on the West Coast of the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Stanford Counterpoint (also known simply as Counterpoint) is an all-femme a cappella group from Stanford University. It is the second-oldest a cappella group from Stanford.[1][2]
Counterpoint is a student-led group,[2] and typically comprises 15–17 singers, selected by audition each September.[1][2] As of 2020, Counterpoint has released fourteen studio albums. The group has been nominated for a dozen national a cappella awards, and has been featured three times on Varsity Vocals' annual Best Of College A Cappella album.[3][better source needed]
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History
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The group was founded in 1979 by sophomores Linda Chin and Joyce Rogers, to provide a female-oriented alternative to the Stanford Mendicants, an all-male group and the only a cappella group on campus at the time.[2][4] The group was named "Counterpoint" because Rogers played the Harpsichord in high school and the concept of musical counterpoint is essential to the Baroque music she enjoyed playing.[5] At first, the women of Counterpoint performed with an upright bass and occasional other instruments.[citation needed] The group's first performed song ("Java Jive") featured an upright bass and received a standing ovation at their first performance in the spring of 1979.[2]
That first year, the group won the Stanford Alumni Association's award for the "most innovative student project" of the year.[4]
In 1980, Counterpoint took The Mendicants on a tour to perform for Stanford alumni in Southern California; as of 2019, that tradition continues—as does the lasting relationship between the groups.[5] In 1982, Counterpoint released a self-titled vinyl record, recorded in Stanford's Memorial Church.
In the 1990s, the group ceased using instruments and became all-vocal. Counterpoint recorded a studio album every other year, touring the United States during the years they didn't record.[1] In 2019, the women of Counterpoint went on their first international tour to Paris, France.[6] Also in 2019, Stanford Counterpoint celebrated their 40th anniversary with a reunion concert featuring generations of alumnae.[7]
In 2019, Stanford Counterpoint released their 14th studio album (Close to Home) and an accompanying music video for the track "God is a Woman". Both works are entirely performed/recorded/produced by women. The track "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" was selected for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board's 2019 "Picks of the Year"[8] and their music video for has been nominated for an A Cappella Video Award.[9]
As of 2020, Counterpoint has been nominated for 14 a cappella recording-related awards and honors including Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA)[9] award nominations and Best Of College A Cappella (BOCA) compilation album features. Many of these nominations were thanks to the work of Counterpoint's long-time audio engineer Bill Hare.[citation needed]
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Discography
As of 2020, Counterpoint has released fourteen studio albums:
- Counterpoint (1981)
- Run With It (1989)
- Sing It, Baby! (1992)
- Nomansland (1996)[1]
- Counterculture (1998)[1]
- Ticket to Anywhere (2000)[10]
- Cover Charge (2002)
- Studio Confessions (2004)
- Lights in the Rearview (2006)
- Belladonna (2008)[11]
- Dancing Til Dawn (2010)
- No Turning Back (2015)
- A Woman Like That (2016) - EP
- Close to Home (2019)[12]
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Awards and nominations
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Best of College A Cappella appearances
Three songs released by Counterpoint have been selected for Varsity Vocals’ annual Best of College A Cappella album.
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