Sitting on the floor in front of the altar in a beautiful church, a chandelier hanging over them, the members of SYSTIR were dressed all in black, ready to perform their next a cappella cover. Joined by a guitarist, the singers were going to take on Kate Bush’s song ‘Army Dreamers’. Music Man readers who watch their cover will be amazed at how they infused the already emotional song with feeling, not only singing beautifully but also allowing the message to shine through in their performances.
When the members of SYSTIR began to sing, their voices echoed around the church, deepening the song’s haunting atmosphere and making its lyrics about loss even more resonant. Their performance further reinforced the song’s message as they allowed the story to play out on their faces. One viewer online even felt that the SYSTIR version was more emotional than the original, commenting, “It’s a rare thing where a cover not only does justice to an original, but surpasses it in emotional impact.”
Something that especially struck me about their emotional performance was the way the two vocal leads interacted with each other as they sang. They cleverly turned the lyrics of the verses into a conversation, turning to sing to each other as they shared the lines between them. To me, it felt like this connection between the performers seemed to heighten the song’s emotional nature even further, enabling listeners to further empathize with the pain behind the song’s story.
SYSTIR are a sub-group of The Anúna Collective, and have become known for their emotional all-woman vocal covers of songs, often covering Irish and folk-influenced music. ‘Army Dreamers’ is not their only church-based performance. They leaned into the more traditional side of their sound when they performed the 14th-century Irish piece ‘Prophetarum Presignata’ in Armagh’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. Their stunning performance proved they have the range to take on any song, whether old or new.
SYSTIR’s vocals are undeniable; the way they weave their voices together to create an emotive a cappella tapestry makes their synergy one of a kind. Yet any Music Man fan who watches the video of their performances is sure to agree that it is their performance and deep connection to the music that elevate their renditions to another level. Their own connection reminds us that music is not only something to be listened to in a detached manner, but something that can touch our hearts on a profound level.