An ICCA Encore
For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to understand why people love a cappella. Heck, even for those of us who do actively enjoy it, it can be difficult to put into words why we enjoy this art form so. While we’ll never have a truly comprehensive list of everything cool about a cappella, 200 Reasons to Love A Cappella is our best attempt at assembling a list of what makes it great.
Reason #33: An ICCA Encore
You can argue that one of my greatest failings as an a cappella critic is that, when push comes to shove, I’m not nearly as concerned about musical precision as I am about seeing entertaining a cappella. That’s not to say you can be out of tune if you choreograph well, or that you can simplify your arrangement if you’re going to give me something that makes me laugh. What it does mean, though, is that I’m going to enjoy a performance in which the group looks like it’s genuinely enjoying itself and having fun more than a performance in which the group looks like it’s afraid to fail.
This is what makes encores so fantastic. A group only gets to perform an encore after it wins a competition, which means a number of things. First off, the group is good—it wouldn’t have won otherwise. Second, it means the group has something to celebrate. Third, it means the tension of competition is over, and the group is free to cut loose. All of this is a recipe for free-wheeling, feel-good a cappella, and it’s one of the most entertaining shows you’re going to see.
I love it!