ARRANGER
Will Geraint Drake is an award-winning vocal arranger from London, UK. He graduated from Durham University with a Masters degree in music, specialising in composition. Whilst at Durham University, he sang with, arranged for, and musically directed ICCA UK champions Northern Lights, helping them break the record for the highest ICCA UK score of all time. He won four awards for ‘Outstanding Arrangement’ during his years competing.
Since leaving Northern Lights, Will has continued to work as a vocal arranger and a cappella artist. His work has been nominated for eight Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards and won an A Cappella Video Award. Will is a founding member and musical director of Elision, a professional UK a cappella group who perform at various corporate events as one of Bloomsbury Event Group's acts. He is also the musical director of Enchord, a musical theatre a cappella group based in London. He has served as a judge for the ICCA and a workshop facilitator for the Open A Cappella Competition and continues to be commissioned for arrangements and masterclasses with groups both in the UK and the USA. His arrangements have been featured on BBC's The One Show, Deutsche Welle's Euromaxx, Classic FM, Capital FM and more.
"Where this group gets it right are the two true vocal jazz pieces. Where is Love? and What I Did For Love are fantastic examples of what makes Northern Lights unique. These charts are filled with gorgeous chords, a fantastic balance of rhythms and counter-rhythms, and theatrical builds. Will Geraint Drake did a fantastic job arranging both of these pieces, taking a basic framework from Broadway musicals and making them into something spectacular. Vocal jazz isn't easy, but when it's done properly, it's incredibly satisfying to hear."
- The Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB), 2023