rajpurkar/squad huggingface dataset:
Title: A_cappella

Those who subscribe to this interpretation believe that since the Christian scriptures never counter instrumental language with any negative judgment on instruments, opposition to instruments instead comes from an interpretation of history. There is no written opposition to musical instruments in any setting in the first century and a half of Christian churches (33 AD to 180AD). The use of instruments for Christian worship during this period is also undocumented. Toward the end of the 2nd century, Christians began condemning the instruments themselves. Those who oppose instruments today believe these Church Fathers had a better understanding of God's desire for the church,[citation needed] but there are significant differences between the teachings of these Church Fathers and Christian opposition to instruments today.

Question: What does the rejection of instruments in Christian music likely stem from?
Answer: an interpretation of history

Question: During what time is there no record of Christians using instruments for worship?
Answer: 33 AD to 180AD

Question: At what point did instruments begin to receive condemnation from Christians?
Answer: the 2nd century

Question: For what reason do modern Christians continue to oppose the use of instruments?
Answer: Church Fathers had a better understanding of God's desire for the church
Title: A_cappella

While worship in the Temple in Jerusalem included musical instruments (2 Chronicles 29:25–27), traditional Jewish religious services in the Synagogue, both before and after the last destruction of the Temple, did not include musical instruments given the practice of scriptural cantillation. The use of musical instruments is traditionally forbidden on the Sabbath out of concern that players would be tempted to repair (or tune) their instruments, which is forbidden on those days. (This prohibition has been relaxed in many Reform and some Conservative congregations.) Similarly, when Jewish families and larger groups sing traditional Sabbath songs known as zemirot outside the context of formal religious services, they usually do so a cappella, and Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations on the Sabbath sometimes feature entertainment by a cappella ensembles. During the Three Weeks musical instruments are prohibited. Many Jews consider a portion of the 49-day period of the counting of the omer between Passover and Shavuot to be a time of semi-mourning and instrumental music is not allowed during that time. This has led to a tradition of a cappella singing sometimes known as sefirah music.

Question: On what day is using musical instruments not allowed? 
Answer: Sabbath

Question: In what style do Jewish families typically sing Sabbath songs?
Answer: a cappella

Question: What is a cappella music occasionally called among those of Jewish faith?
Answer: sefirah music

Question: How many days are counted between Passover and Shavuot?
Answer: 49

Question: What is part of the time between Passover and Shavuot thought to be?
Answer: a time of semi-mourning
Title: A_cappella

The popularization of the Jewish chant may be found in the writings of the Jewish philosopher Philo, born 20 BCE. Weaving together Jewish and Greek thought, Philo promoted praise without instruments, and taught that "silent singing" (without even vocal chords) was better still. This view parted with the Jewish scriptures, where Israel offered praise with instruments by God's own command (2 Chronicles 29:25). The shofar is the only temple instrument still being used today in the synagogue, and it is only used from Rosh Chodesh Elul through the end of Yom Kippur. The shofar is used by itself, without any vocal accompaniment, and is limited to a very strictly defined set of sounds and specific places in the synagogue service.

Question: What is the name of the philosopher who praised music without instruments?
Answer: Philo

Question: What did Philo's views on the absence of instruments clash with?
Answer: Jewish scriptures

Question: What is the one instrument still in use today by the synagogue?
Answer: shofar

Question: The shofar stops being used at the end of what Jewish event?
Answer: Yom Kippur

Question: How is the shofar used?
Answer: by itself, without any vocal accompaniment
Title: A_cappella

A strong and prominent a cappella tradition was begun in the midwest part of the United States in 1911 by F. Melius Christiansen, a music faculty member at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. The St. Olaf College Choir was established as an outgrowth of the local St. John's Lutheran Church, where Christiansen was organist and the choir was composed, at least partially, of students from the nearby St. Olaf campus. The success of the ensemble was emulated by other regional conductors, and a rich tradition of a cappella choral music was born in the region at colleges like Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota), Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois), Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa), Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), Augustana College (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), and Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Minnesota). The choirs typically range from 40 to 80 singers and are recognized for their efforts to perfect blend, intonation, phrasing and pitch in a large choral setting.

Question: When did a cappella begin to take hold in the United States?
Answer: 1911

Question: What was the name of the choir F. Mellus Christiansen used?
Answer: The St. Olaf College Choir

Question: Who did the St. Olaf Choir influence?
Answer: other regional conductors

Question: How many singers are typically in the choirs?
Answer: 40 to 80
Title: A_cappella

In July 1943, as a result of the American Federation of Musicians boycott of US recording studios, the a cappella vocal group The Song Spinners had a best-seller with "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer". In the 1950s several recording groups, notably The Hi-Los and the Four Freshmen, introduced complex jazz harmonies to a cappella performances. The King's Singers are credited with promoting interest in small-group a cappella performances in the 1960s. In 1983 an a cappella group known as The Flying Pickets had a Christmas 'number one' in the UK with a cover of Yazoo's (known in the US as Yaz) "Only You". A cappella music attained renewed prominence from the late 1980s onward, spurred by the success of Top 40 recordings by artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin, Huey Lewis and the News, All-4-One, The Nylons, Backstreet Boys and Boyz II Men.[citation needed]

Question: What a cappella group rose to popularity in 1943?
Answer: The Song Spinners

Question: What was boycotted by American musicians in 1943?
Answer: US recording studios

Question: Who is credited for first introducing elements of Jazz into a cappella?
Answer: The Hi-Los and the Four Freshmen

Question: What number one song was covered by an a cappella group in 1983?
Answer: "Only You"

Question: During and after the 80's, what helped a cappella music rise in popularity?
Answer: the success of Top 40 recordings
Title: A_cappella

Contemporary a cappella includes many vocal groups and bands who add vocal percussion or beatboxing to create a pop/rock/gospel sound, in some cases very similar to bands with instruments. Examples of such professional groups include Straight No Chaser, Pentatonix, The House Jacks, Rockapella, Mosaic, and M-pact. There also remains a strong a cappella presence within Christian music, as some denominations purposefully do not use instruments during worship. Examples of such groups are Take 6, Glad and Acappella. Arrangements of popular music for small a cappella ensembles typically include one voice singing the lead melody, one singing a rhythmic bass line, and the remaining voices contributing chordal or polyphonic accompaniment.

Question: In place of instruments, what do some modern a cappella groups implement?
Answer: vocal percussion

Question: Where does a cappella still maintain a heavy presence?
Answer: Christian music

Question: In a cappella, what do the voices not contributing lead vocals or a bass line contribute?
Answer: chordal or polyphonic accompaniment
Title: A_cappella

A cappella has been used as the sole orchestration for original works of musical theater that have had commercial runs Off-Broadway (theaters in New York City with 99 to 500 seats) only four times. The first was Avenue X which opened on 28 January 1994 and ran for 77 performances. It was produced by Playwrights Horizons with book by John Jiler, music and lyrics by Ray Leslee. The musical style of the show's score was primarily Doo-Wop as the plot revolved around Doo-Wop group singers of the 1960s.

Question: How many works of a cappella in musical theater have been successful in Off-Broadway productions?
Answer: four

Question: What was the name of the a cappella musical that first opened 28 January 1994?
Answer: Avenue X

Question: What time period was Avenue X set in?
Answer: the 1960s

Question: What was the final number of performances in Avenue X's original run?
Answer: 77

Question: Who was responsible for the lyrics of Avenue X?
Answer: Ray Leslee
Title: A_cappella

The a cappella musical Perfect Harmony, a comedy about two high school a cappella groups vying to win the National championship, made its Off Broadway debut at Theatre Row’s Acorn Theatre on 42nd Street in New York City in October, 2010 after a successful out-of-town run at the Stoneham Theatre, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Perfect Harmony features the hit music of The Jackson 5, Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Marvin Gaye, Scandal, Tiffany, The Romantics, The Pretenders, The Temptations, The Contours, The Commodores, Tommy James & the Shondells and The Partridge Family, and has been compared to a cross between Altar Boyz and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Question: What Off-Broadway theater did Perfect Harmony open at?
Answer: Theatre Row’s Acorn Theatre

Question: Before coming to New York, at what theater had Perfect Harmony previously been successful?
Answer: Stoneham Theatre

Question: Perfect Harmony has been called a combination of which two musicals?
Answer: Altar Boyz and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Question: In what month was Perfect Harmony's Off-Brodway debut?
Answer: October

Question: What genre best describes Perfect Harmony?
Answer: comedy
Title: A_cappella

The fourth a cappella musical to appear Off-Broadway, In Transit, premiered 5 October 2010 and was produced by Primary Stages with book, music, and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth. Set primarily in the New York City subway system its score features an eclectic mix of musical genres (including jazz, hip hop, Latin, rock, and country). In Transit incorporates vocal beat boxing into its contemporary a cappella arrangements through the use of a subway beat boxer character. Beat boxer and actor Chesney Snow performed this role for the 2010 Primary Stages production. According to the show's website, it is scheduled to reopen for an open-ended commercial run in the Fall of 2011. In 2011 the production received four Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Outstanding Musical, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations, as well as five Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical and won for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.

Question: What is the name of the a cappella musical that debuted Off-Broadway in the same year as Perfect Harmony?
Answer: In Transit

Question: Where does most of In Transit take place? 
Answer: the New York City subway system

Question: What a cappella vocal style is implemented in many of In Transit's songs?
Answer: beat boxing

Question: How many Lucille Lortel Awards was In Transit nominated for?
Answer: four

Question: What is the name of the actor who played the subway beat boxer?
Answer: Chesney Snow
Title: A_cappella

Barbershop music is one of several uniquely American art forms. The earliest reports of this style of a cappella music involved African Americans. The earliest documented quartets all began in barbershops. In 1938, the first formal men's barbershop organization was formed, known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A), and in 2004 rebranded itself and officially changed its public name to the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Today the BHS has over 22,000 members in approximately 800 chapters across the United States, and the barbershop style has spread around the world with organizations in many other countries. The Barbershop Harmony Society provides a highly organized competition structure for a cappella quartets and choruses singing in the barbershop style.

Question: What type of a cappella music is specific to American culture?
Answer: Barbershop music

Question: What did the a cappella organization founded in 1938 change its name to in 2004?
Answer: Barbershop Harmony Society

Question: How many people currently have membership to the BHS?
Answer: over 22,000

Question: What racial group was primarily involved in babershop a cappella in its earliest days?
Answer: African Americans

Question: What were the initials of the BHS before it changes its name in 2004?
Answer: S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A
Title: A_cappella

In 1945, the first formal women's barbershop organization, Sweet Adelines, was formed. In 1953 Sweet Adelines became an international organization, although it didn't change its name to Sweet Adelines International until 1991. The membership of nearly 25,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the fifty United States as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Wales and the Netherlands. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the organization encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.

Question: What is the name of the first female barbershop organization?
Answer: Sweet Adelines

Question: When did the Sweet Adelines change their name to acknowledge their international reach?
Answer: 1991

Question: How many women are members of the Sweet Adelines?
Answer: nearly 25,000

Question: Where is the Sweet Adelines HQ?
Answer: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Question: In what year did the Sweet Adelines become an international group?
Answer: 1953
Title: A_cappella

The reasons for the strong Swedish dominance are as explained by Richard Sparks manifold; suffice to say here that there is a long-standing tradition, an unsusually large proportion of the populations (5% is often cited) regularly sing in choirs, the Swedish choral director Eric Ericson had an enormous impact on a cappella choral development not only in Sweden but around the world, and finally there are a large number of very popular primary and secondary schools (music schools) with high admission standards based on auditions that combine a rigid academic regimen with high level choral singing on every school day, a system that started with Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm in 1939 but has spread over the country.

Question: What is the name of the Swedish man known for being a large influence to a cappella across the world?
Answer: Eric Ericson

Question: Which music school began the implementation of high musical standards?
Answer: Adolf Fredrik's Music School

Question: What portion of the Swedish population engages in a cappella singing?
Answer: 5%

Question: Who describes the many reasons for Sweden's heavy involvement in a cappella?
Answer: Richard Sparks
Title: A_cappella

It is not clear exactly where collegiate a cappella began. The Rensselyrics of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (formerly known as the RPI Glee Club), established in 1873 is perhaps the oldest known collegiate a cappella group.[citation needed] However the longest continuously-singing group is probably The Whiffenpoofs of Yale University, which was formed in 1909 and once included Cole Porter as a member. Collegiate a cappella groups grew throughout the 20th century. Some notable historical groups formed along the way include Princeton University's Tigertones (1946), Colgate University's The Colgate 13 (1942), Dartmouth College's Aires (1946), Cornell University's Cayuga's Waiters (1949) and The Hangovers (1968), the University of Maine Maine Steiners (1958), the Columbia University Kingsmen (1949), the Jabberwocks of Brown University (1949), and the University of Rochester YellowJackets (1956). All-women a cappella groups followed shortly, frequently as a parody of the men's groups: the Smiffenpoofs of Smith College (1936), The Shwiffs of Connecticut College (The She-Whiffenpoofs, 1944), and The Chattertocks of Brown University (1951). A cappella groups exploded in popularity beginning in the 1990s, fueled in part by a change in style popularized by the Tufts University Beelzebubs and the Boston University Dear Abbeys. The new style used voices to emulate modern rock instruments, including vocal percussion/"beatboxing". Some larger universities now have multiple groups. Groups often join one another in on-campus concerts, such as the Georgetown Chimes' Cherry Tree Massacre, a 3-weekend a cappella festival held each February since 1975, where over a hundred collegiate groups have appeared, as well as International Quartet Champions The Boston Common and the contemporary commercial a cappella group Rockapella. Co-ed groups have produced many up-and-coming and major artists, including John Legend, an alumnus of the Counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania, and Sara Bareilles, an alumna of Awaken A Cappella at University of California, Los Angeles. Mira Sorvino is an alumna of the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones of Harvard College where she had the solo on Only You by Yaz.

Question: What is the previous name of oldest recorded college a cappella group?
Answer: RPI Glee Club

Question: What prominent composer was once a member of The Whiffenpoofs?
Answer: Cole Porter

Question: What is the name of the a capella group that was a parody of The Whiffenpoofs?
Answer: the Smiffenpoofs of Smith College

Question: What is the name of the college a capella event that's been held since 1975?
Answer: Georgetown Chimes' Cherry Tree Massacre

Question: What well-known musician was once part of the college a capella group The Counterparts?
Answer: John Legend
Title: A_cappella

A cappella is gaining popularity among South Asians with the emergence of primarily Hindi-English College groups. The first South Asian a cappella group was Penn Masala, founded in 1996 at the University of Pennsylvania. Co-ed South Asian a cappella groups are also gaining in popularity. The first co-ed south Asian a cappella was Anokha, from the University of Maryland, formed in 2001. Also, Dil se, another co-ed a cappella from UC Berkeley, hosts the "Anahat" competition at the University of California, Berkeley annually. Maize Mirchi, the co-ed a cappella group from the University of Michigan hosts "Sa Re Ga Ma Pella", an annual South Asian a cappella invitational with various groups from the Midwest.

Question: Whas is the name of the ethnic a capella group founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996?
Answer: Penn Masala

Question: Among which group is a capella becoming more prominent?
Answer: South Asians

Question: What is the name of the first South Asian a capella group to accept both men and women?
Answer: Anokha

Question: What a capella competition is hosted at UC Berkeley?
Answer: Anahat

Question: What group hosts the a capella competition "Sa Re Ga Ma Pella"?
Answer: Maize Mirchi
Title: A_cappella

Increased interest in modern a cappella (particularly collegiate a cappella) can be seen in the growth of awards such as the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (overseen by the Contemporary A Cappella Society) and competitions such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella for college groups and the Harmony Sweepstakes for all groups. In December 2009, a new television competition series called The Sing-Off aired on NBC. The show featured eight a cappella groups from the United States and Puerto Rico vying for the prize of $100,000 and a recording contract with Epic Records/Sony Music. The show was judged by Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman, and Nicole Scherzinger and was won by an all-male group from Puerto Rico called Nota. The show returned for a second and third season, won by Committed and Pentatonix, respectively.

Question: What popular a capella competition is not specific to college groups?
Answer: Harmony Sweepstakes

Question: Aside from the monetary reward, what was offered to the winner of The Sing-Off?
Answer: a recording contract with Epic Records/Sony Music

Question: What is the name of the group that won The Sing-Off?
Answer: Nota

Question: Who won The Sing-Off final season?
Answer: Pentatonix

Question: In The Sing-Off, where did the groups not from the United States come from?
Answer: Puerto Rico
Title: A_cappella

In addition to singing words, some a cappella singers also emulate instrumentation by reproducing instrumental sounds with their vocal cords and mouth. One of the earliest 20th century practitioners of this method were The Mills Brothers whose early recordings of the 1930s clearly stated on the label that all instrumentation was done vocally. More recently, "Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited was sung a cappella to the instrumentation on the comedy television series Tompkins Square. Another famous example of emulating instrumentation instead of singing the words is the theme song for The New Addams Family series on Fox Family Channel (now ABC Family). Groups such as Vocal Sampling and Undivided emulate Latin rhythms a cappella. In the 1960s, the Swingle Singers used their voices to emulate musical instruments to Baroque and Classical music. Vocal artist Bobby McFerrin is famous for his instrumental emulation. A cappella group Naturally Seven recreates entire songs using vocal tones for every instrument.

Question: What do some a capella groups do other than sing words?
Answer: emulate instrumentation

Question: What a capella group is credited for being one of the earliest to adapt instrumental emulation?
Answer: The Mills Brothers

Question: What types of music did the Swingle Singers implement instrumental emulation for?
Answer: Baroque and Classical music

Question: What is the name of the ABC Family show whose theme is entirely a capella?
Answer: The New Addams Family
Title: A_cappella

The Swingle Singers used nonsense words to sound like instruments, but have been known to produce non-verbal versions of musical instruments. Like the other groups, examples of their music can be found on YouTube. Beatboxing, more accurately known as vocal percussion, is a technique used in a cappella music popularized by the hip-hop community, where rap is often performed a cappella also. The advent of vocal percussion added new dimensions to the a cappella genre and has become very prevalent in modern arrangements. Petra Haden used a four-track recorder to produce an a cappella version of The Who Sell Out including the instruments and fake advertisements on her album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out in 2005. Haden has also released a cappella versions of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller". In 2009, Toyota commissioned Haden to perform three songs for television commercials for the third-generation Toyota Prius, including an a cappella version of The Bellamy Brothers' 1970s song "Let Your Love Flow".[citation needed]

Question: What did the Swingle Singers primarily use to emulate musical instruments?
Answer: nonsense words

Question: What is another term for beatboxing?
Answer: vocal percussion

Question: What was used to make an a capella recording of The Who Sell Out?
Answer: a four-track recorder

Question: What car manufacturer hired Petra Haden to perform a capella songs in commercials for their car?
Answer: Toyota

Question: On what website can many a capella groups' music be listened to?
Answer: YouTube