MAS Vocal, a Miami-based high school choir, stood centre stage at TED 2026. In their blue dresses, they looked completely at ease, and they had every reason to be, as viral musician Jacob Collier introduced them. Renowned for crafting intricate harmonies, Jacob was the arranger of the piece they were about to perform. He found their work so impressive that he told the audience that their lives would be divided into two parts — before they heard the choir sing and after.
Then, he left the choir to sing, and the performance they gave of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ will blow Music Man readers away. The lead vocalists’ impressive vocal runs added entirely new flavours to the main melody. However, the choir really shone in the intricate a cappella harmonies beneath the lead, taking unexpected turns at every turn.
There were so many dynamics in the performance; I was impressed by how many highs and lows the incredible singers managed to capture. The delicacy and fragility they found in certain moments of the song seemed to make the entire piece more emotional. However, what truly amazed me was the power their voices held when they began to hit the big notes towards the end of the song. The final note from the lead singer truly took my breath away with the power it held both sonically and emotionally.
‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ is not the only Jacob Collier work in MAS Vocal’s repertoire. Music Man fans who want to hear more of the choir performing Collier’s music should check out MAS Vocal’s performance of ‘World O World’ at First United Methodist Church of Orlando. Once again, the incredible harmonies in the composition shine through, and listeners are able to hear another side of the choir’s skills as they move away from incredible power into performing with a gentler touch.
Hearing performances like this allows us to remember what can be achieved when it comes to beautiful music. With Jacob Collier’s imagination, combined with his understanding of theory and harmonics, the arrangements he creates feel fresh and detailed. Combined with the incredible talents of the singers in the MAS Vocal Choir, this was always going to be a winning collaboration. We can only hope that this match made in heaven will join forces again at some point in the future to create more unique renditions of popular songs, allowing us to hear them in a way we’ve never heard them before.