With one ensemble decked in blue sweatshirts to another dressed up in black suits, purple accessories, and red outfits, Choate’s five student a cappella groups lit up Colony Hall over Parents’ Weekend with their first performance of the year. The groups performed songs from a variety of genres and time periods, from 2000’s pop with “Rich Girl,” by Gwen Stefani, and “Valerie,” by Amy Winehouse, to more recent songs like Rixton’s “Me and My Broken Heart” and The Lumineers’ “Ophelia.”
Whether in student dorms or on stage during an all-school meeting, most of Choate’s a cappella groups perform for fellow students. In contrast, as the name suggests, parents composed the majority of the audience during the Parents’ Weekend performance. As a result, the a cappella groups had to adapt to their new audience and select songs that entertain parents as well as students.
“We sang ‘Grenade,’ by Bruno Mars, and ‘Ophelia,’ by The Lumineers. We usually do a fast and a slow song — one that has a slower beat, and that one still has energy and that we all know,” said Julia Ekholm ’20, co-president of Bellacanto. “You have to think about your song choices according to your crowd. They have to also know it and understand it, so the songs can’t be too crazy or complex.”
Lilith performed “Rich Girl,” by Gwen Stefani, and “Everybody Talks,” by Neon Trees. Co-presidents Caroline Rispoli ’20 and Jamie Shin ’20 discussed the upcoming Lilith performances over the summer and planned out the songs to sing for each program. According to Rispoli, she and Shin brought the two song suggestions to the rest of Lilith and cemented the decision.
Melatones, Choate’s most newest a cappella group, established in 2017, sang “The Kids Are Alright,” by Chloe x Halle. Co-president of Melatones Dominic Thomas ’21 hoped to expose students and parents to more diverse musical genres with the R&B song choice. “The founders of the group wanted us to only perform songs by artists of color, so we could expand the knowledge of songs on campus. At Choate, you mostly hear the same sound from the same genre from similar artists,” Thomas said. “We want to bring a new aspect of a cappella to the Choate campus.”
The performances were a success and even more impressive considering the short amount of time for rehearsals — auditions for the a cappella groups took place only a month before the concert.
“Bellacantos recruited people from all grades, and we knew what we needed. All of the groups kind of zoom in on the niches they’re missing in the groups — missing spots in vocal ranges or styles — and look for people that fill in the gaps,” Ekholm said.
As the co-president of the only all-male a cappella group on campus, Maiyeros, George Trammell ’20 noted the importance of scouting for new voices with higher vocal ranges. Trammell said singers who have higher voices and strong falsettos are valuable assets to the group, but it’s difficult to predict if someone’s voice will deepen throughout their years at Choate.
Wide singing range and pure vocal talent aren’t the only criteria for the a cappella recruitment process. According to Will Robertson ’20, co-president of Bellacanto, members need to be vocally flexible and be able to adapt their voices for songs in diverse genres and styles, from light, slow songs to grungy rock tunes.
Parents’ Weekend is the first major a cappella performance of the school year. Every year, the short time between auditions and Parents’ Weekend forces groups to have tighter practice schedules and stricter rehearsals. All five a cappella groups at Choate held one-and-a-half to two-hours-long rehearsals twice a week, with extended and more frequent rehearsals closer to the performance date.
“In a typical practice, we initially break into voice parts and individually learn our parts, then come together after. This week, as a reward for our hard work, we don’t have rehearsal on Wednesday,” said Rispoli. She and Shin make diligent efforts to balance productivity with fun in Lilith with cookies, food, and team items.
According to Robertson, many people appreciate the final a cappella performances, but don’t understand the behind-the-scenes process behind each song arrangement. Robertson shared the tool groups used to arrange and practice songs: NoteFlight.com, an online website that allows members to write and modify music directly on the sheet music.
In addition to the vocal element of a cappella, Rispoli notes other intricacies in each performance, such as costumes, choreography, placement of members, and consideration of the location. The Parents’ Weekend show was the first a cappella performance in the brand new Colony Hall, and the new location held both pros and cons for the groups. “Colony Hall has improved acoustics compared to the steps outside of the PMAC, but the stairs we performed on weren’t as wide as the PMAC steps, so positioning the members was a little awkward,” Rispoli said. “I think it’s a great performance space overall: it’s a lot brighter, and the inside is warm and well-designed.”
“The group this year has so much potential, so I am incredibly excited for what the rest of the year holds for us,” Laryssa Gazda ’20, Vice President and three-year member of the Whimawehs.
Be sure to look out for upcoming a cappella events including the holiday program, vocal concert, and Acapalooza!
