The Real Group

The Real Group is a professional a cappella group from Sweden, consisting of five members: Emma Nilsdotter, Katarina Henryson, Anders Edenroth, Morten Vinther Sørensen, and Anders Jalkéus.

The group's members compose or arrange most of the songs that they perform. A large portion of the group's recorded songs are sung in English, with the remainder being almost entirely in Swedish. The group cites Bobby McFerrin as an early source of inspiration: "What we do may never have happened if we hadn't heard his [albums].".

The Real Group has performed in more than 2000 concerts worldwide. In 2002 The Real Group performed at the opening ceremony of The FIFA World Cup in Seoul. They performed live to the audience of 60,000. On December 22, 1993, to commemorate the fiftieth birthday of Queen Silvia of Sweden, The Real Group backed up former ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad in a performance of the ABBA hit "Dancing Queen", using an a cappella arrangement that would later be released on the album "Varför får man inte bara vara som man är".

Member changes
The Real Group was formed in 1984, when its original members were students at the Swedish Royal College of Music. Margareta Bengtson had been the Soprano with the group since its inception but broke off from the group to work on her solo albums at the end of 2006. Johanna Nyström filled her spot for some time, until Emma Nilsdotter replaced her in 2008, and had her first appearance with the group in Kremlin Palace. Johanna Nyström has also filled in for both Margareta Bengtson and Katarina Henryson whenever they have been on maternity leave or otherwise away. Morten Vinther Sørensen recently joined the group to replace Peder Karlsson, who has since shifted his focus to developing The Real Academy.

Vocal ranges of the members

 * Emma Nilsdotter: ???(not posted on website)
 * Katarina Henryson: From D below middle C up to high C.
 * Anders Edenroth: From C below middle C up to A below high C.
 * Morten Vinther Sørensen: ???(not posted on website)
 * Anders Jalkéus: From contra G up to G above middle C.

Vocal ranges of previous members

 * Peder Karlsson: From low E up to C above middle C.
 * Johanna Nyström: ??? (not posted on website)
 * Margareta Bengtson: From F below middle C up to G above high C

Awards

 * Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs):
 * 1995: Best Contemporary Cover: "Dancing Queen" from Varför får man inte bara vara som man är
 * 1995: Best Jazz Song: "Flight of the Foo-Birds" from Varför får man inte bara vara som man är
 * 1996: Best Female Vocalist: Margareta Bengtson
 * 1997: Live Album of the Year: Live in Stockholm
 * 1997: Best Original Pop Song: Jag Vill Va Med Dig
 * 1997: Best Jazz Song: Waltz for Debby
 * 1997: Best Female Vocalist: Margareta Bengtson
 * 1998: Best Holiday Album: En riktig jul
 * 2003: Best Classical Album: Stämning
 * 2003: Runner Up for Best Classical Song: "En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt" from Stämning
 * 2004: Best Holiday Album: Julen er her
 * 2004: Best Holiday Song: "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" from Julen er her
 * Other awards:
 * 2002 Karamelodiktstipendiet, an annual award given to a Swedish entertainer by Povel Ramel.