Arts, On Campus

BC A Cappella Groups Unite in Fall Showcase

On Saturday, Nov. 2, the Robsham Theater Arts Center welcomed five of Boston College’s a cappella groups to its stage for the fall A Cappella Showcase. Despite a small turnout, the groups brought a warm, intimate energy to the theater, and the cheers of family and friends filled the space.

To kick off the evening, Black Experience in America Through Song (B.E.A.T.S.) entered through the theater’s curtains onto the stage, immediately ending conversations among the audience whose attention drifted to the first a capella group. B.E.A.T.S opened with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem. The audience stood for the piece, starting the night with a reverent moment.

B.E.A.T.S. used its set to showcase a soloist and a voice percussionist, both freshmen who delivered powerful first performances. 

The group performed “If I Ever Fall in Love” by Shai, featuring soloist Amara Hurd, MCAS ’28, and finished with a joyful and energetic rendition of “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, performed by soloist John Forry, MCAS ’26, and voice percussionist Ridge Noelsaint, MCAS ’28.

The Common Tones of Boston College, BC’s only service-based a cappella group, followed B.E.A.T.S. 

The group’s soloist Declan Donovan, MCAS ’26, opened with “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran. Then, the group followed Donovan’s performance with “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves, featuring duo Natalie Bartell, MCAS ’27, and Chuck Bacciocco, MCAS ’26. A group favorite that was also part of last year’s Spring Café, the performance was bittersweet and deeply moving.

Boston College Acoustics was the third group to perform. Soloist Tessa Burke, MCAS ’26, delivered a heartfelt performance of “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande, and soloist Shea Schindelar, MCAS ’25, ended the set with “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees. 

All three Acoustics songs featured Daniel Nam, MCAS ’27, as voice percussionist. Nam’s stage presence and percussion made the Acoustics’ set stand out, and blended with the already talented soloists’ voices for an impactful performance.

In the latter half of the night, Against The Current, BC’s Christian a cappella group, took the stage. They started off with “Never Once” by Matt Redman, performed by soloist Sunkyo Kim, CSOM ’27. Although the set began solemnly, the group quickly picked up volume and energy, singing passionately through the end of the set.

The group continued with “I See the Light” by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi from the Tangled movie, featuring soloist duo Riley Marschall, MCAS ’27, and Ryan Nam, MCAS ’25. The Disney duet was a sweet and hopeful addition to the group’s set, which ended with a heart-wrenching rendition of “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele, performed by Jayathri Fernando, MCAS ’27.

The closing act of the night was Voices of Imani, a gospel choir led by director Shannon Jacob. The group’s set only featured one a cappella song. As Jacob explained, the group’s choice to include piano accompaniment and percussion for the other two songs was deliberate, given the history of the music it typically performs.

“Because we do sing spirituals, a lot of spirituals have a very deep and heavy history,” Jacob said. “We are very careful about when we do those a cappella songs, so we have a bit of a lighter program for today.”  

Voices of Imani began with “Seteng Sediba” by Soweto Gospel Choir featuring soloist Ian Yu, LSEHD ’25, which was the group’s only a cappella song. 

The remaining two songs, “Blackbird” by Nina Simone and “Go Down Moses” by Louis Armstrong, were a powerful and energetic end to the night. The showcase ended with the choir clapping and singing joyfully along with one another, and the audience swaying right along with them.

November 3, 2024

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