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a cappella

UK/ˌæ.kəˈpɛl.ə/US/ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/
adjectiveC1Not compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

A cappella means sung with no instruments at all. Sing a cappella.

Without instruments a choir drifts in pitch over a long piece, which is the whole difficulty. The Italian means in the manner of the chapel, where instruments were not used.

Pardy · CC BY-SA 3.0

Definitions of a cappella

  1. 1adjectivea cappellaSung with no instruments at all.C1

    “The last verse was sung a cappella and the hall went silent.”

a cappella is a manner.

Where it comes from

Italian a cappella means in the manner of the chapel, from the unaccompanied singing of the Sistine Chapel.

  1. Italian

    a cappella — in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel

  2. English, today

    a cappella

Borrowed from Italian a cappella (“in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel”), referring to non-instrumental choirs.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Music & Instruments

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