Eight a cappella groups graced the Concert Hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center to compete in the Intercollegiate Championship of A Cappella Quarterfinals on Saturday night. The event was one of many “RPI firsts,” as it is the first time for an ICCA competition to be held on the Rensselaer campus, as well as the first time that the EMPAC Concert Hall was graced with so many different a cappella groups—the Rensselyrics and competition hosts the Rusty Pipes included. Winning groups included University of Maryland’s PandemoniUM, Rutgers University’s Deep Treble, and SUNY Potsdam’s Pointercounts.
For the competition, each group was allowed a total of 12 minutes of performance. If groups went over the 12 minutes allotted, they were dropped down one spot in ranking. To begin the evening, RPI’s very own Rusty Pipes entertained the audience performing “Many the Miles” by Sara Bareilles (with soloist Michele Viani ’09), “Wine Red” by the Hush Sound (with soloists Taylor Pruitt ’10 and Greg White ’12), and “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men (with soloist Shawn Jiles ’09). On their home turf, the Pipes garnered a standing ovation. They now also boast an award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion, given to Poorna Shankar ’10.
All-female and all-male groups alternated afterwards, with SUNY Potsdam’s A Sharp Arrangement performing musical numbers that promised to bring up the temperature, starting with Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn.” While the group’s performance may have been slightly dull during its rendition of “Mamma Who Bore Me” from Spring Awakening, it more than made up for it with renditions of Duffy’s “Mercy”—which even included a step number near the end of the song.
Drew University’s 36 Madison Avenue changed it up by starting with a rendition of ’N Sync’s “It’s Gotta Be Me,” complete with choreography that could have probably passed as a boy-band routine. The songs “She Runs Away” by Duncan Sheik and “Place Your Hands” by Reef were also performed, though most of the enthusiasm for the group died down a bit after the first song.
Not to be outdone by A Sharp Arrangement, Binghamton University’s Harpur Harpeggios walked onto the stage in dazzling pink and black, beginning with “Gossip Girl” by Mika. A notable performance was the group’s arrangement to “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
First runner-up Deep Treble—a co-ed a cappella group from Rutgers University—also garnered the Outstanding Arrangement award, with songs including Rufus Wrainwright’s “Beautiful Child,” Stars’ “Your Ex-Lover is Dead,” and the rather impressive medley finale, which drew from Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” OneRepublic’s “Apologize,” Rihanna’s “Unfaithful,” and a selection from the Beatles. Deep Treble will be competing at the Semifinals in Rutgers University.
PandemoniUM, University of Maryland’s co-ed group, garnered the second runner-up position with renditions of “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, “Greatest Fan of Your Life” by Edwin McCain, and “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey. Meanwhile, Buffalo University’s Buffalo Chips serenaded the audience with songs such as “Watch Over You” by Alter Bridge and “Lady” by Styx.
The champion of Quarterfinal 4 in the Mid-Atlantic region of the ICCA—and the final group to perform—was SUNY Potsdam’s Pointercounts. The group promised humorous and high-energy performances, in which they absolutely delivered. By beginning with Kenny Loggins’ “Return to Pooh Corner,” the Pointercounts already elicited laughs from the audience, while their finale was to sing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” an arrangement that even included the title’s classic dance moves. The Pointercounts also received the Outstanding Soloist award for Jordan Davidson’s solo in “Return to Pooh Corner.”
Guest group and RPI’s own Rensselyrics entertained the crowd while the judges deliberated on the ranks. Yet even with the waiting time the event was quite successful, and it was certainly a wonderful way to put EMPAC’s acoustics to good use.
