Open To The World ’25: The Swingles, Jamal Moore & ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius
An Elegant Christmas Concert – Celebrate the season with the legendary, five-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble, The Swingles, charismatic American vocalist Jamal Moore, and ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius!
As part of the unique Open To The World festival, ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius invites audiences to an unforgettable concert experience.
Headlining the final concert of the festival, the legendary British ensemble will perform Voices Through Time – a captivating journey through their signature sound, from jazz-infused Bach to exquisite folk, pop, holiday classics, and musical theatre arrangements.
The evening will also feature an exciting collaboration between The Swingles, Jamal Moore, and ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius, and will be held on Sunday, December 7, at 7:00 PM, at the LSSO Concert Hall.
The Swingles – Icons of Vocal Music
The Swingles have been pushing the boundaries of vocal music for over 60 years, earning 5 Grammy Awards and establishing themselves as one of the world’s most beloved and admired vocal groups.
American-born Ward Swingle first assembled a group of Parisian session singers to sing through Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier as a vocal exercise in 1962. The resulting album “Jazz Sebastien Bach” (originally recorded for friends and family) became a huge hit, breaking new musical ground and launching The Swingles to fame.
Several of the singers had previously sung with Mimi Perrin’s group Les Double Six (who, with Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie, recorded the six voices twice to create a much larger sound and richer chord structure). The Swingles of today employ a similar technique in their current shows – an immersive layering up of vocals using live-looping technology to record themselves in the moment and have it play back later, producing mesmerizing and expansive musical textures.
Throughout this time, the group’s signature and instantly recognisable sound has remained timeless, and their intricate arrangements unparalleled. They constantly seek new ways of reimagining jazz, folk, pop, and classical music, alongside creating new original material.
A New Program and Exceptional Collaborations
Jamal Moore – vocalist, songwriter, and owner of a truly exceptional voice – is celebrated for his velvety, richly-textured timbre and his effortless ability to move between musical genres. Whether performing pop, classical, gospel, or jazz, Jamal brings a magnetic presence that captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression.
His career as a backing vocalist has taken him to the world’s most prestigious stages alongside global superstars. He has toured with Beyoncé, performing on her world tours, the Kobe and Gianna Bryant memorial events, and the Coachella festival; appeared with Rihanna at her concerts and the Academy Awards; and collaborated with The Weeknd, Kanye West, and others. Jamal’s voice features on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album and in the soundtracks of The Lion King, Trolls, Homecoming, and Wicked. In 2025, he also appeared on stage at the Grammy Awards.
Jamal’s friendship with ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius began in 2024, when he first came to Lithuania to perform with the choir and world-renowned video game and concert music composer Christopher Tin. This year, Jamal returns to Vilnius for the Open To The World concert, joining the choir and The Swingles to present several of his own arrangements.
At this year’s Open To The World concert, ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius unveils a brand-new program. True to their passion for contemporary choral music and fresh, imaginative interpretations of popular works rarely heard in Lithuania, the choir will perform four pieces arranged by their friend – Blake Morgan, tenor and songwriter with the acclaimed British vocal ensemble VOCES8 – and gifted to the choir especially for this occasion.
Through Morgan’s distinctive touch, songs such as The Jackson 5’s I’ll Be There, the gospel standard Shall We Gather at the River, and the beloved You Raise Me Up emerge in a new light – refined with vocal elegance, emotional sensitivity, and surprising harmonic turns.
The evening will also see ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius sharing the stage with The Swingles and Jamal Moore. Together, they will present works prepared exclusively for this performance – an offering that promises to surprise and delight.
First Part of the Concert
Štai Čia Šviesa
Deividas Edas Kukta
Cloudburst
Eric Whitacre
Caledonia
Dougie MacLean | arr. Blake Morgan
I’ll Be There
The Jackson 5 | arr. Blake Morgan
Shall We Gather at the River
Robert Lowry | arr. Blake Morgan
UMOJA
Jamal Moore
Kanaval
Sydney Guillaume
The Circle of Life
Elton John | arr. André van der Merwe
You Raise Me Up
Rolf Løvland & Brendan Graham | arr. Blake Morgan
Second Half of the Concert
Bučimiš
Trad. | arr. Clare Wheeler & Edward Randell
The Song of Purple Summer (from Spring Awakening)
Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater | arr. Jo Goldsmith-Eteson
Little Organ Fugue
J.S. Bach | arr. Ward Swingle
Hallelujah, I Love Him So
Ray Charles | arr. Edward Randell
Tumbleweed
Jamal Moore | arr. Jared Jenkins & Jamal Moore
Narnia
Jo Goldsmith-Eteson
Lover’s Desire
Afghan trad. | arr. Edward Randell
Gemiler Giresune
Turkish trad. | arr. Kevin Fox
Carol of the Bells
Mykola Leontovych / Peter J. Wilhousky | arr. Jon Smith
Grease is the Word (from Grease)
Barry Gibb | arr. Jon Smith
Burden
Edward Randell | arr. Clare Wheeler & Edward Randell
Amazing Grace
Trad. | arr. Rob Dietz
Artists & Production Team
The Swingles (UK). Members: Mallika Bhagwat, Sarah Alison, Laura Moisey-Gray, James Botcher, Owen Butcher, Jamie Wright, Tom Hartley.
Jamal Moore (USA) – Vocalist.
ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius – Artistic Director & Conductor: Milda Švelnienė.
Concert Producers: Richard Eteson (The Swingles), Audrius Valatkevičius (ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius), Jamal Moore.
Concert Sound: NO NOISE – Sound design & acoustics company. Sound Engineer: Kęstutis Dulinskas.
Lighting & Stage Design: Delegatai – Event technical production company. Lighting Director & Operator: Povilas Varonenka (FadersUp.Live).
Sponsors & Partners
Open To The World 2025
ISM Bel Canto Choir Vilnius’ Open To The World Festival is a unique vocal-choir music project in Lithuania that has become a cherished tradition. It aims to showcase unique modern content and the world’s finest choirs, vocal ensembles, and composers. The festival promotes cultural and choral music innovation and fosters cooperation between Lithuanian and international musicians. It also serves as a platform to nurture Western culture, create music, and grow together.
Born in 2018, Open To The World will feature six concerts this year, bringing together more than 300 singers and musicians. The lineup includes one of the world’s leading professional choirs – the three-time Grammy-winning Berlin Radio Choir – performing their acclaimed immersive production “human requiem”; Sweden’s top male choir Zero8 and vocal ensembles Ringmasters and the 2024 World Barbershop Champions, Lemon Squeezy; the leading male choir from Spain’s Basque Country, Suhar Korua; soloist Jamal Moore (US); the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra; Lithuania’s finest boys’ choir Dagilėlis; and others.
The festival is sponsored by engineering, prefab, and construction company INHUS; the Business Garden Vilnius office park developed by Vastint Lithuania; the largest logistics and industrial property developer in the Baltic States, SIRIN Development; the Lithuanian Council for Culture; and the Vilnius City Municipality. LRT TV is the information partner, and Ogilvy is the advertising partner.
Sponsors and partners of the Berlin Radio Choir’s special performance “human requiem” include the Embassy of Germany in Vilnius, the Goethe-Institut Lithuania, LIDL Lietuva, Allianz Lietuva, and SAP Lietuva.