Singing, stomping, grooving, moving

Ten body musicians and their director, Mattias Wyss, will celebrate "S'volle Läbe" at the Gewürzmühle on the 8th May, Their complex art combines singing, rhythm, and movement into an invigorating feast for the eyes and ears.
 

"Ten women, one man – we are our own instruments." This is the first sentence in the programme booklet of the body music group «clapappella». And this succinctly summarises what it's all about: "With a cappella singing, body percussion, and dance interludes, we express what moves us: fiery rhythms and energy, melodic reflection – simply put: vibrant joie de vivre. "S'volle Läbe". And this for 90 minutes.

They already staged this programme in the autumn of 2025. And it was so successful in Zurich, Thun, Basel and Lucerne that they now want to do it again. This is the first time that "clapappella" is touring with a full-length concert.

Tenth anniversary
It all began in 2014 when the "Zuger Singkreis" offered a body percussion workshop with Mattias Wyss to fill a vacancy for their conductor. "Fifteen singers participated back then," recalls clapappella member Regula Zehnder in an interview with a journalist from the Zuger Zeitung newspaper, "and we were immediately hooked and wanted to continue." From then on, they rehearsed weekly and, in 2015, joined forces with a Zurich group that was rehearsing at the same time: "clapappella"—a combination of the English word "clap" and the musical term "a cappella" for unaccompanied singing—was born.

What began as a workshop evolved over the years into an extensive repertoire, and "then the desire to perform it on stage slowly arose," says Regula Zehnder. "S'volle Läbe" (full of life) is the result of a ten-year development process. Mattias Wyss, the musical director of "clapappella," is originally a special education teacher, school principal, and school music teacher. "For many years, I've been intensively and passionately involved with body music, the combination of a cappella singing and body percussion, as a side job and a dedicated hobby," he explains, describing his self-taught path.

He cites international professionals as his main influences: for example, Barbatuques (Brazil), Humanophones (France), and the TaKeTiNa rhythm pedagogy of the Austrian musician Reinhard Flatischler. "I also suddenly discovered that there are similar percussive traditions in Switzerland, such as the Bödälä or Gäuerle from Central Switzerland," he says.

clapappella perform what is known as "Body Music"        Photo provided

The fascination of body percussion
When asked why this type of music resonates so strongly, Mattias Wyss has to search for words: "It immediately triggers something in the body; something is transmitted physically—you could think of mirror neurons. Furthermore, body music doesn't require an instrument; anyone can try it out on their own body right away. It evokes an almost childlike joy of play." He thereby emphasizes the multi-layered nature of the music—the simultaneity of polyphonic singing, foot stomping, clapping, finger snapping, and dance-like movements.

"After ten years of regular rehearsals at each of these levels, everything sinks deep into the body," he says thoughtfully. What was initially just learned seems to be stored over time in a kind of muscle memory. And he adds: "We're more of a band than a choir; our performances are comparable to jam sessions. We continue to perform older pieces and add newer ones." The program "S'volle Läbe" currently consists of 15 pieces; the others are archived and can be brought out again later.

What happens if the group loses its rhythm? "Actually, I'm always more concerned about whether everyone is healthy," replies Mattias Wyss, "because the voices and bodies have different 'roles'in the group - andthat can be crucial. We practice variations in case one or the other 'instrument' breaks down." And if something does fall out of the rhythm "it's a bit of a bumpy ride," but the groupusually stabilises itself and recovers.

For Regula Zehnder, the body percussion training is also "something like a school of life in which you get to know yourself better." And, as the group's leader, Mattias Wyss knows: "Body music has an obviously invigorating and awakening effect on the performers. We usually arrive at rehearsal tired from everyday life, but we leave feeling refreshed and energised."

Previous audience reactions suggest that the spectators and listeners feel similarly. The women of "clapappella" are now rehearsing intensively for another series of concerts. So their audiences can look forward to a feeling of joy conveyed nonverbally – through air and body vibrations – on both sides of the stage.

«clapappella» will perform their «S’volle Läbe» programme at the following venues, among others: the Jazzkantine in Lucerne at 8 pm on 1st May 2026; and at 8 pm on the 8th May 2026 at the Gewürzmühle in Zug

Further information can be found online at www.clapappella.ch.