On April 27, 10 a capella teams fought for the ICCA (International Collegiate A Cappella Championship, in an exhilarating and aurally pleasing final competition. Hosted by Varsity Vocals, the ICCA championships, which took place in the Town Hall at Times Square, featured the top 10 a capella teams chosen from a series of regional competitions.
A capella, “without accompaniment,” is a term for a multipart musical work without musical accompaniment. At the competitions, each team has exactly 10 minutes to show off their skill in a medley of group songs and soloists, usually amounting to 3 songs: a pop opener, a more emotional second song and a show-stopping conclusion. A cappella singing allows true vocal power to shine through; without the cover of an accompaniment, singers rely on their sense of pitch and rhythm to stay on target. It also requires a collaborative effort, as each singer must work to blend and complement each other.
Over two hours, teams vied to wow the judges with their singing, dancing and visuals. While all teams performed beautifully, the winning team delivered a particularly electrifying and dynamic performance. “Bloom,” an all-gender group from Utah Valley University took home the trophy. Wearing elegant outfits in various shades of gray, Bloom stunned the judges with a set containing arrangements of “Is There Someone Else?” by the Weekend, “Fallen Alien” by FKA Twigs, and “Blue Wine” by Nao. It was not only Bloom that shined; each group more closely resembled professionals than college students, and when the judges announced awards, it was impossible to predict the winner.
The host punctuated each set with short monologues, entertaining the audience with funny stories while we waited for the competitors. Each performance contained elaborate costumes, excellent sound systems, coordinated dances and professional lights; the end result looked remarkably like a performance of Pitch Perfect’s Barden Bellas. Occasionally, the team’s repeated songs; while the same song appearing twice did not distract from the experience, hearing Reneé Rapp´s “Snow Angel” repeated four times with varying degrees of success – some singers screamed more than sang – quickly got old.
Regardless, I left the competition with a newfound zeal for competitive singing. As a proud High School Chorus member, I asked my fellow singers about their thoughts on a capella. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with many students desiring a Fieldston team. “It would allow me to experience music in a competition setting. I want an a capella team, it would be like AVT but…more,” says Arden Seghal (Form III). While Fieldston’s Advanced Vocal Techniques (AVT) class allows for more complex harmonies and more intimate group singing than the larger chorus, the added responsibility of a capella competitive singing is lacking at Fieldston.
However, numerous obstacles are standing in the way of a Fieldston a capella group. Chorus teacher Dr. Kathleen Hayes, over her years teaching, has been an advisor to an a capella group, “probably seven or eight times.” The school club system is not conducive to the hours of practice needed for a successful group, and all past attempts have failed. Hayes shared, “People try to do it during activities periods, and they get excited and make the first three periods, but after that it falls apart.” A capella involves tight harmonies, where one wrong note can lead to jarring dissonances, and any unintended pause can destroy the rhythm of the entire performance. This requires many hours of rehearsal, which is impossible to squeeze in amidst the chaos of Tuesday afternoon. Without a better system, students must obtain their a capella fix by watching Pitch Perfect on repeat or attending the competitions. Between the gorgeous sounds, elaborate dances and effects and the excitement of finding out the winner, the ICCA does not disappoint.
