The 2008 ICCA and ICHSA Finals
Mike Chin checking in here after the ICCA and ICHSA Finals, which took place in Avery Fisher Hall at The Lincoln Center in New York City. A lot of folks in attendance, but the crowd seemed a little on the old side—very parent and alumni heavy, in my estimation. I was expecting to see more representation from NYU students, who would have a relatively short commute to come support The N’Harmonics, but it doesn’t seem like it was to be.
For this show, we’ll be going with a he said-he said style, with both my own commentary, and the words of ACB Production Manager Mike Scalise.
Mike S: The venue this year was Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, a change from last year in Alice Tully Hall. While I liked the seating arrangement last year, this year’s venue seemed significantly larger. We sat in box seats on the first tier, and it was a very good view.
Mike C: One of the great things about this show was that it started right on time, and kept moving from there. At the risk of sounding snarky, that can be a real rarity at ICCA shows. I know a lot of unexpected issues can come up, but this is one area where I’d really like to the tournament grow more consistent.
Duwende, a professional group, based out of NYC got things rolling. Interesting group set up, with six men, one woman. They performed an original called “Free Your Mind.” Good, upbeat song, for a fun start to the evening.
The evening was slated to start with the four high school competitors. After that, the first two collegiate groups would perform, followed by intermission, then the last four college groups. Plenty of a cappella ahead.
The ICHSA West champions, Cheyenne Mountain Crimson, out of Colorado Springs, CO started off the competition. They were seven young women, all in red and black. It was a good look, but I would have liked to have seen them make it a little more uniform—a few group members had red tops and black bottoms, some all black with red flair, and so on. It made for some visual symmetry issues for me.
The first song was Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” Not a great choice for an opener in my mind, as it just isn’t the kind of song to grab the audience. To the group’s credit, and specifically the credit of the soloist, they did well with it. I can only imagine the sort of butterflies flying around the stomachs of a college performers, having to open a show at The Lincoln Center. The girls hardly showed any nerves at all. Good solo, good VP. There were some interesting things going on visually, with the group starting in a triangular formation, then flattening to a straight line at times. All in all, not a bad start.
Mike S: Crimson’s red and black attire made for a very cool look. The girls started with their backs to the audience and I was hoping for a fun, energetic and upbeat song to get the crowd going, as opposed to a slower song. The choreography to “Killing Me Softly” was OK, with swaying back and forth and formations of a “V” at certain times throughout the performance. The solo was good too, but nothing that blew me away. I have to say, though, there were obvious technical problems during the song, so I would blame some of the problems on that.
Mike C: Second up was “From a Distance,” most notably by Bette Midler. This song seemed to veer from contemporary a cappella convention, with more of a traditional high school chorus arrangement to it. The soloists were pretty great on it—perfect for the parts, but in letting them sing alone, the rest of the group didn’t have much to do for too much of the song. I didn’t love the movement here. A lot of side to side swaying, some theatric raising and dropping of arms—I would have just as soon seen the girls be still for this one. Pretty, choral ending.
Mike S: As far as slower songs go in the a cappella world, I like the choice of “From a Distance.” The soloists were very good, and the sound problems seemed to be dwindling away as well. The choreography was also pretty good, with various hand movements both with and without the mics in hand.
Mike C: Third was “I Wanna Live Easy.” OK sound on this one. The soloist demonstrated very good stage presence, but seemed to be slipping into her head voice a little too often for my tastes, to even out to a pretty average solo. The visual presentation was probably the best part of this number, with some interesting, well thought out and diverse configurations on stage.
Mike S: The group continued their set with “I Wanna Live Easy.” An earlier incarnation of Crimson got this song onto the BOHSA CD in 2005, so I expected a very good performance – and that’s just what I got. The solo sounded very good to me. Backing vocals and VP were also impressive. I really liked the choreography for this song with various hip rotations, foot stomps and bends forward and backward. All in all, great performance.
Mike C: Crimson went for one more song, singing Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” Now this was a lot of fun. I really liked the attitude and spunk from this soloist. The choreography, if not perfectly crisp, was really ambitious, and entertaining, especially at a moment late in the song, in which the girls returned to their triangle formation, placed hands on each others shoulders and did sort of a skipping move. A guys group will never get away with that. Heck, I’m not sure a female collegiate group could either. Here, it worked quite well. I couldn’t help wondering how many of the Crimson girls were with the group last year, and may have been inspired by seeing Noteworthy’s rip-roaring version of this song in Alice Tully Hall. In any case, a very good, high energy close to the set. Overall, a very good outing for the group.
Mike S: Most a cappella groups I’ve seen in competition perform three songs in their set. Therefore, I was a little surprised to see a fourth song about to start. I have heard “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” a cappella many times and it is definitely a good choice for this competition, given that it’s fun and energetic (not to mention some of the pretty cool choreography I’ve seen complement the vocals) Unfortunately, I thought the choreography of this performance was the only piece that was competitive, with hand movements up, across, and down. The solo sounded forced and it felt almost like screaming. Although a good set for the group overall, I would have closed with the third song.
Set Summary:
“Killing Me Softly”
“From A Distance”
“I Wanna Live Easy”
“Signed, Sealed Delivered”
Mike C: Second up was Leon High School’s The Mane Event, out of Tallahassee, FL. The first thing I noticed about the group—and, indeed, the only thing I could really register for much of the set—was just how many of them there were. I think I counted 24 faces out there. Good look, with black dudes on everyone, white suspenders on the guys, white undershirts on the girls.
The Mane Event started its set with a cry of “Let’s get ready to rumble,” segueing into 2 Unlimited’s “Get Ready for This.” Very fun, and energetic, but not particularly musical, and not remotely visually appealing. Outside the context of a high school dance, I don’t think I want to see this many high school kids freestyle dancing. Too many of them, and not enough attention to the music here.
Mike S: Mane Event’s opening saw began with a shout of, “Let’s get ready to rumble”, reminiscent of Michael Buffer’s famous announcing tagline. The song that followed featured some hand movements that flowed really well with the vocals.
Mike C: Next was Bonnie Raitt’s “Let’s Give Them Something To Talk About.” Good, strong solo here—quite impressive at certain moments. Very good perc on this one. Again, I found myself distracted with the sheer quantity of performers, but the movement at least seemed more coordinated here.
Mike S: The solo for the second song was very impressive, as it was full-sounding and sounded great. The choreography was a good mix of various side-steps, knee rotations, and swinging hand movements. The group also formed together and dispersed, which looked good. Another interesting note is that the VP remained at the back of the stage with his back to the audience throughout the whole song.
Mike C: Third out of the chute was Imogen Heap’s “Hide & Seek.” Well, 75 percent of collegiate groups have done the song. I suppose it’s time for it to trickle down to the high school ranks. There was some very good movement here, in the form of subtle repositionings, that worked with the song. What didn’t work for me were the ridiculously theatrical moment the group threw in, specifically with one girl giving the most elbows out, melodramatic stretch of her life to the line “rub my eyes.” All in all, I would have been happier if the group stayed still more, and the let the song speak for itself. The sound was actually very good—the blend particularly impressive given the size of the group. The one odd thing that really stuck out to me here was that the vocal percussionist was completely removed from the song, standing still with his back to the crowd. Just really odd to see.
Mike S: The third song of the set was “Hide & Seek” by Imogen Heap. Not a bad song choice. The choreography was what stuck out the most to me, given that there were so many different movements, all across the stage. The group put their hands in the air, to follow promptly by pulling them down to their sides followed by in-synch fast and slow turns and steps to either side of the stage. They even threw in hand movements that reminded me of “the wave.” This was also the only group to sing with half of the members sitting on the floor.
Mike C: Last up was “The Way” by Fastball. This song was big when I was in high school, so it’s sort of interesting to hear today’s high school kids take it on. So-so solo—I felt bad when the guy’s voice cracked. Pretty good sound overall, and the movement was above average. The group threw in some theatric air guitars leading into the instrumental close of the song. It was fun, but drew too much attention to what was, in my mind, the most boring part of the song, and which went on too long to be all that interesting. Good showing for the group, but not quite all that I would have hoped for.
Mike S: “The Way” was a really good song choice. While not an exceptional song, it is very catchy and if arranged right, could prove to be a great piece to perform. The Mane Event did a great job. The solo was very good with a clear sound. The choreography consisted of some random dancing in the back, which was OK. The guitar playing and sinking motions were a cool addition, and the VP was also very good. Not a bad way to round out the set.
Set Summary:
“Get Ready For This”
“Let’s Give Them Something to Talk about”
“Hide and Seek”
“The Way”
Mike C: The next group was DeKalb’s Fly Check, out of Dekalb, IL. They were a crew of fourteen guys in brown blazers and jeans. I think this was the same group known as Guys A Cappella in last year’s competition, but I could be mistaken. In any case, the guys started by explaining their name to the crowd—how every guy has the experience, at one point or another, of going out in public with his fly unzipped, and so, prior to each performance, these guys always do a fly check. It was cute and funny, but I couldn’t help thinking that it was also a waste of stage time, and that the shtick didn’t really fit at the finals.
The first song from Fly Check was Ben Folds’s “Annie Waits.” Good solo, good perc, good sound all around. The main problem here, was that you could tell the guys weren’t 100 percent into it. For those familiar with this song, you’ll know that the hand claps are supposed to be powerful and rousing. The guys seemed much more concerned with synching up their claps than delivering them with conviction. Indeed, the only time it looked like they were 100 percent into it was at the end, when they got the crowd clapping.
Mike S: Fly Check arrived in jeans, white shirts, and beige sports coats – a classy, almost trendy look. The choreography to “Annie Waits” consisted of a lot of claps, which actually worked fairly well. Other than that, not a whole lot of movement. The solo sounded full and clear, as did the backing vocals. Overall, it was a pretty solid performance.
Mike C: Second was “McDonald’s Girl.” This was a fun, comedic song. Good stage presence from the soloist, and you could tell the guys had fun with this one. Honestly, I’d really like to see the guys perform this song at their school, in front of their friends, families and fans, especially in the context of a more traditional high school concert. In that setting, I’ll bet the guys bring the house down. In this setting, the song was just sort of there—harmless fun that wasn’t going to turn any heads.
Mike S: I really wasn’t a fan of the song choice for the second number. It was a very high school oriented song, which isn’t competition material, despite the group consisting of HS students. The solo was good, but could have been a little more full-sounding. The group formed a semi-circle in the back, and utilized some finger snapping and hand waves, which was pretty good. I like the idea of grasping the audience’s attention with some comedy, but the group could have probably approached it at a different angle and won a few more people over.
Mike C: Next was “MLK” by U2. It’s a great idea for an a cappella song, and the guys sounded good for most of it. Not an overly complex song, but the guys were executing it well, and I liked that they kept it simple, standing in arc behind the soloist. Things sort of fell apart when they reached out for a four part harmony, though. The highest and lowest parts each sounded borderline comedic, which just wasn’t what you wanted for a song that’s supposed to be as emotionally powerful as this one.
Mike S: “MLK” was a really good song choice. The visual presentation consisted of the group forming a semi-circle, and not a whole lot more, but the vocals were very good. However, they could have been a little louder and more full.
Mike C: I figured the set was over, but Fly Check had one more card up their sleeve, breaking out Counting Crows’ “Accidentally In Love.” There was a false start when the perc guy started to count off the song before the pitch pipe was blown. These things will happen, but it’s unfortunate that the guys had to have a moment like that at the finals. Nothing bad, nothing great about this one. Some nice movement with a slick slide move toward the end, but otherwise, it wasn’t too noteworthy. Uninspired end to a good, but not particularly memorable set.
Mike S: Prior to “Accidentally in Love,” I noticed one of the judges held up the 3-minute warning sign, and I felt like the group was rushing this song a little. The VP was setting the pace very well, for being a little faster. The solo and choreography were good, but not exceptional. Overall, a good set, but it could have been much better with a few changes.
Set Summary:
“Annie Waits”
“McDonald’s Girl”
“MLK”
“Accidentally In Love”
Mike C: Last up were the reigning high school champions, Cherry Hill High School West’s Men of Note. They came out in light blue dress shirts, untucked with the sleeves rolled up, khakis and mostly dark blue ties. Honestly, the look was a little sloppy for my tastes. There wasn’t much time to dwell on appearances though, as, from the moment they stepped on stage, the guys were exploding with energy, running dancing, practically buzzing before the first song began. It’s a good thing these guys were the last of the high school groups because, to be frank, nobody else had a chance.
The guys opened with a Temptations medley. “I Can’t Get Next To You” was the first song, and man was that soloist good. From there, it was on to “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” with powerful stomp-clap perc, before they closed out the tune with “My Girl.” “My Girl” was strange as no individual piece of it—the solo, the back up sound, the movement—seemed all that great, and yet the sum of all those pieces some how made for a really entertaining performance. I think this has more than a little to do with really smart song selection than anything the guys did on stage. When someone starts singing my girl, I think the better part of the crowd actively wants to like it.
Mike S: For the opening medley, the solos and backing vocals sounded really good. Couple that with choreography consisting of finger snapping, stomps, claps, and leg crossing turns, and you have a great performance. I was impressed.
Mike C: Next was Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.” Beautifully done, sung chorally, with one soloist taking it away for certain key points in the song. I’m not a big fan of choral music in contemporary a cappella, but I’ve seen this song done this way several times, and each time, it just seems to work.
Mike S: The solo on the second song was right on, and sounded clear and full. Periodic finger snaps throughout the song were a well-placed addition to the performance.
Mike C: On to The Nylons. Men of Note continued with “Bop Til You Drop,” which transitioned into “Kiss Him Goodbye.” Outstanding solos here, and a lot of fun hand drive action going on the background, before the guys got the whole crowd clapping with them at the end. Simply outstanding stuff for a high school group. Heck, I’d argue that this set was good enough to be competitive in most collegiate semifinals. Simply great stuff, and the guys brought it all home by leaving the stage, clapping their hands with every bit as much energy as they had come out with ten minutes before.
Mike S: The vocals for the closing number were nothing short of great. Equally as impressive was the choreography--jumps, finger snaps, crouching, turning, and shoulder shrugs, all of which fit in perfectly. Without question, the group would be competitive at the college level.
Set Summary:
Temptations medley
“I Can’t Help Falling Love With You”
“Bop Til You Drop”/”Kiss Him Goodbye”
Mike C: With the high school groups done, it was on to the collegiate level. It’s a testament to the Men of Note that, even as a collegiate group, I’m not sure I’d want to have to follow them. Nonetheless, The Western Europe champs, all-male Out of the Blue, were up to the task. The guys came out with a relatively formal look, highlighted with blue blazers, but the crowd would soon learn that this would not be an uptight performance.
An interesting thing about Out of the Blue’s set was that they made some major changes from the earlier rounds, switching both the order and one of their songs. The opener on this evening was Jimi Hendrix’s “Crosstown Traffic.” While the sound on this didn’t wow me, I couldn’t help being impressed with the energy. Great charisma from the soloist, and a lot of fun movement that the guys were all selling full tilt. Better yet, the movement completely fit the song, as their back and forth strutting really seemed to represent traffic.
Mike S: “Crosstown Traffic” was not a bad choice. I was surprised by the energy the group had, with car-driving movements on stage in addition to various crouching, turning, and wave-like pointing. The solo was good, but sounded almost like talking rather than singing. It was still a good way to start the set.
Mike C: Next was India Arie’s “Kissing You.” Very interesting choice for an all-male group, and a bit of a gamble in competition. The thing with a ballad like this is that you’re either going to awe the audience with the beauty or emotional intensity, or put them to sleep with your long, slow song. Despite being musically sound, with a pretty fantastic soloist, this song erred on the latter side—a relatively boring ballad, which marked an unfortunate drop off in crowd excitement and engagement with this set. I probably would have cut a verse or sampled a better known ballad to keep the crowd in it, but that was not to be.
Mike S: The next song was “Kissing You” by India Arie. While I normally prefer faster and more energetic songs in competition, slower songs do have their place. The vocals for this performance were good. The VP was also good. My only gripe is that this may have been a little too slow for the audience.
Mike C: Out of the Blue was far from done, as they transitioned into “Shake Ya Tailfeather.” Man, was this ever fun. The soloist demonstrated explosive energy, and the guys went all out with the plethora of old school dance moves the song called for. And then, I’m sure that there were many, like myself, who have always wondered ‘what would “Hey Ya” sound like, if sung with a British accent?’ Wonder no more, as the guys included a hilarious sampling of the OutKast hit. It wasn’t great, but had this certain fun, almost comedic novelty to it that really won me over. Excellent way to wrap up the set.
Mike S: Wow. The group began by completely surrounding one of the members, and broke out into some crazy singing and dancing. This was cool to watch and the choreography was a mixture of claps, hand movements, air waves, twists, and even swimming gestures. The solo was good, but at times sounded a little like screaming. All in all, a really good way to end the set.
Set Summary:
“Crosstown Traffic”
“Kissing You”
“Shake Ya Tailfeather”
Mike C: Second was Northwestern’s Purple Haze. The mixed group came out clad in all purple and black, looking pretty good. They opened with “You’re All I Need To Get By.” Sick perc on this one. The group was all clustered around the soloist, which was sort of interesting, but the group just seemed too visually contained for my tastes. In terms of sound, I couldn’t help thinking the blend wasn’t so smooth on this one. An unexpected rough start for this group.
Mike S: Purple Haze arrived wearing black pants and purple shirts. Not a bad look, but not as uniform as I would have liked to see. The opening solo and backing vocals were good. The choreography was a little lacking with minimal movements.
Mike C: Next up for Purple Haze was “Samson” by Regina Spektor. Things picked up well here. Though I wish they would have mixed up their visual presentation some, the sound was pretty great, with some really good choral stylings and a really emotional solo. There are soloists who are good singers, and soloists who can genuinely communicate the emotion of a song. This one was an emotional tour de force.
Mike S: In terms of vocals, the “Samson” performance was impressive. The solo was clear and full. The VP sounded really good. The choreography, however, was a little lacking again. There was some disbursement between group members as well as a few hand movements, but not much more than that. Good, but not the total package.
Mike C: To wrap up the set, the group took on N’Sync’s “Tearing Up My Heart,” with a sizeable sampling of “Bye, Bye, Bye.” Very good soloists here, and it was good to see the group break into some pretty slick movement. At the close, the group actually synched up both of the songs, to some pretty neat results. It wasn’t the earth-shattering closer I might have hoped for, but fun stuff nonetheless.
Mike S: I thought this was a good selection to round up the set. The soloists did a phenomenal job. The choreography was a cool mix of in-synch movements, similar to the music videos, in addition to various hand movements and jumps. This was a very good way to end the set.
Set Summary:
“You’re All I need To Get By”
“Samson”
“Tearing Up My Heart”
On to intermission. No BOCA, which was oddly disconcerting.
Mike C: Back to the show, and the NYU N’Harmonics were to bat. Sharp look with dark formal wear all around for the mixed group. The group was sporting a really odd pitch pipe, which featured a small electronic keyboard. They opened with Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Silky smooth solo, and all around, a good, off beat opener. One issue I had here, though, which continued for the entire set, was that they were conducting every piece right on stage. There are worse sins, but I have to say that this is distracting and off-putting to me.
Mike S: “A Change is Gonna Come” was a decent song choice, but the solo could have been a little better. The backing vocals and VP sounded very good. The choreography consisted of dancing, crouching, and various hand movements. Not a bad start to the set.
Mike C: Second was Radiohead’s “High and Dry.” As good as this was, I have to question the song selection, because they just kept with the slow intense stuff. As much Radiohead is obviously quite different from Cooke, I needed more of an emotional difference, and just didn’t get it here. Very good VP on this one, and a good soloist, though I think he lost some of the notes when he went to his falsetto. Problems with crackling microphones didn’t help matters.
Mike S: “High and Dry” was an OK song choice. I thought the solo was executed very well. It was a good, full sound and the backing vocals were also very clear. The choreography was OK, with some dancing and hand movements. This was a good performance, but nothing that would turn heads.
Mike C: Last up was “Whipping Post” by The Allman Brothers. Very good intensity here, with an insane soloist and the whole group moving, feeling the song. Again, it was quite good, but again, they didn’t show a lot of emotional range. This group portrays intensity very well, but there is a place for something different in a set. In addition, this song underscored my biggest issue with the N’Harmonics, which was that their dynamic range only went from ‘loud’ to ‘super-duper-loud.’ It’s impressive that they can pull off this kind of volume, but it would be all the more impressive if we weren’t getting them full blast for the full set.
Mike S: The solo for “Whipping Post” was excellent. In fact, I placed it as a contender for outstanding solo. The backing vocals also sounded great, accompanied with some impressive vocal percussion. The choreography was also a nice mix of dancing in place, hand gestures towards the audience, and leg raises. Really great way to end the set, especially after a rocky start.
Set Summary:
“A Change Is Gonna Come”
“High and Dry”
“Whipping Post”
Mike C: The third collegiate group was Ithaca College’s Ithacappella, making their ICCA Finals debut. The men of Ithacappella came out in their signature blue blazers, khakis and ties, a sharp look for sure. They opened with “Get Ready” by The Temptations. I have to admit that I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a smarter opening song for an ICCA set. It’s upbeat, fun, lyrically applicable to the start of a set, and the guys pulled it off well. There was plenty of movement, though the choreography grew a bit repetitive for my tastes. It was well-executed and entertaining nonetheless, and the sound was good. A little bit of a micing issue, as the VP guy in particular sounded altogether too loud at the start, and the guys in the background weren’t coming through quite as clear as I would have liked, but I don’t think any of this was really the fault of the performers.
Mike S: “Get Ready” is not my favorite song, but a really good choice. The choreography was a combination of turns and steps around the stage which matched the vocals to a T. The sound was full, yet not so much as to drown out either of the soloists. For a song I’m not too fond of, I was entertained.
Mike C: The guys opted to talk between songs, introducing the next number and soloists—a quirky, interesting choice. Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” was the second number. I would have liked to have heard more of a change in tempo, but I can also respect the decision to buck tradition, and not turn to a ballad in the middle of the set. Another, good, high energy performance, featuring a few fun syllable choices, and a choral sampling of “Basket Case,” which I really enjoyed. Good stuff, all around.
Mike S: Prior to the start of the second song, one of the group members asked if the audience liked Green Day. This made me wonder if they had a medley planned. Luckily I like Green Day. Sure enough, they began singing “Welcome to Paradise.” Interesting song choice, which wouldn’t be the first song I’d think of to perform a cappella, but the group did a great job. The solo sounded really clear and was the right volume level. The choreography featured a plethora of movement, including head tilts, hand-to-ear gestures, and, of course, pelvic thrusts. The group also interjected “ooga-chaka” a few times throughout the song, eventually followed by a transition to “Basket Case.” I thought it was all really good.
Mike C: Convention has your last song be your highest energy one, but it was tough to believe they’d have much left in the tank after the first two, and they hadn’t yet pulled at the heartstrings much. Introducing, Nate Tao as Stevie Wonder. You’ve gotta love the little Asian guy, and man could he sing. Fantastic solo, for a great combination of beautiful music and fun theatrics from the group. Ordinarily, I don’t like for a group to try to be funny during a ballad, and this song was just enough of a ‘tweener that the group could afford a mix of emotions. Solid, solid set, and in my mind, the best of the night to that point.
Mike S: The final song was “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. Perfect song for this competition if performed and choreographed right. I have to say, the group made the right decision picking the soloist and choreography for this arrangement. The solo was dead on. The choreography was just right for the song, with a mixture of finger snaps, arm extensions and retractions, and various head movements. I thought this would win best solo. All in all, it was a stellar performance.
Set Summary:
“Get Ready”
“Welcome to Paradise”
“Isn’t She Lovely”
Mike C: Next up was Florida State University’s All-Night Yahtzee. This mixed powerhouse was making its third consecutive trip to the finals. They opened with Gloria Estefan’s “Turn the Beat Around.” Sensational solo. Sensational perc. The song was this close to greatness, but made a big mistake in doing a long sampling of the Austin Powers theme song toward the end. The interlude did give the group a good opportunity to showcase their percussionists some more, but it was altogether too long and too silly to make much sense, and took away from what could have otherwise been the best song of the night up to that point.
Mike S: All Night Yahtzee’s group of 18 arrived in black, looking classy. Both the solo and VP sounded good on “Turn the Beat Around.” The choreography was a cool mix of hand motions up and down and toward the audience, side steps, and turns. I thought it was a good start to the set.
Mike C: ANY’s second song was Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man.” Another simply amazing solo. I didn’t personally care for the song itself, but the group executed it to a tee, even breaking out some pretty good movement on stage—a quality that really demonstrates the way in which this group has developed over the years.
Mike S: “I’m Your Man was a much slower song than the previous one, but I thought it was executed well. The solo had a great sound and hit every note. The choreography consisted of several turns and steps across the stage. The group also formed together and dispersed a few times, which worked really well. I really liked the fact that I was beginning to see consistent, competitive performances, which I expected to see at this level.
Mike C: The group closed with Queen’s “Somebody To Love.” Before I get too far into this particular song, I feel compelled to say a word about All-Night Yahtzee’s soloists. The “Turn Beat Around” solo was competitive for best solo of the night. The “I’m Your Man” solo was a nudge better, and won Outstanding Solo honors in the quarterfinals. This final soloist was just outstanding in her own right. I’d put her somewhere in between the other two stellar soloists, but to her own credit, she took home Outstanding Solo honors in the semifinals. When I’m writing notes during the show, I’ll put a little note in the margin if I think a song is worth considering for a superlative at the end of the night. I marked every one of this group’s soloists for award consideration as the set went on. Truly impressive stuff. Anyway, great solo, great use of dynamics, and some very good movement on this one to tie up the new best set of the night to that point.
Mike S: All Night Yahtzee finished the set with “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Again, this song is a bit on the slow side, which is not what I like to see a group ending on. However, the solo and the backing vocals were both solid. The choreography was about right for the song selection, with hand movements in the air, swaying side to side, crouching, turns, and group members facing each other at times. Really good set overall, my only criticism is that I would have liked to see more energetic songs and choreography.
Set Summary:
“Turn the Beat Around”
“I’m Your Man”
“Somebody to Love”
Mike C: There was a good bit of hype surrounding The Univesity of Southern California’s SoCal VoCals. Their 463 point performance in the quarterfinals was the highest score in the tournament this year. They emerged from an ultra competitive West region. They topped the reigning international champions, Noteworthy on their way to the finals (not to mention, the previous year’s champions, Vocal Point, and five other groups of the highest calibar). But could they live up to the buzz around them? In three words: oh, hell yes.
The SoCal VoCals made some interesting choices in attire—men in black slacks, and vests, white dress shirts and blue ties; women in blue shirts, black sashes and black bottoms. Each group looked very good, but the trouble was that they didn’t look like they were a part of the same group. A minor issue for me. The performance to follow more than made up fro this quibble.
The group opend with “Feeling Good.” What can I say? Fantastic solo. Even better movement, with some really innovative stuff, highlighted with the entire group forming two lines, which the soloist ran through to wonderful dramatic effect. The movement was just so crisp, and the sound so clean. Simply wonderful way to start the set.
Mike S: Let me say, the cliché “save the best ‘till last” has never been so true. The VoCals began with “Feeling Good.” The song started with all of the members formed together and quickly dispersing, mixing turns with swaying and weaving front to back. Aside from the choreography, the vocals were truly excellent. By the end of the song, I was still amazed at the choreography with line formations and wave-like hand movements. Great way to start the set.
Mike C: Next was “All the Things You Are.” The movement wasn’t quite as fluid here and, ordinarily, I don’t care for choral music in collegiate competition. With all of that being said, the sound on this song was simply outstanding. Beautiful blend, great use of dynamics. It wasn’t what I wanted, but boy was I glad I got to hear this.
Mike S: For the second song, the vocals, again, were nothing short of excellent. The choreography was also very impressive, with constant movement across the stage and hand raises toward the audience. Really good mix here and it sounded great.
Mike C: Things got very interesting when the SoCal VoCals ended their set on “Somebody to Love.” I have to imagine that most any group in the world who had to follow All-Night Yahtzee on this song would have to be pretty nervous. And yet, as great as the first performance was, I have to say that this one was that much better. The movement was great. The energy was excellent. The soloist was insanely intense and sounded absolutely amazing. The group went with a very small sampling of “Killer Queen.” I could have done without it, but it was short enough to be harmless. As I was taking in the final minute of this song, I actually put my pen away, because I didn’t want to miss a thing.
Mike S: “Somebody to Love” turned out to be a good choice to end on. The choreography consisted of a lot of hand movements up and down, followed by waving in the air, and strumming of a guitar. Members dispersed throughout the song, forming mini groups and rejoining later on. The vocals sounded solid, even when several members were on their knees for a portion of the song. All in all, an outstanding performance.
Mike C: Unless I had friends I was there to root for, I’ve never given a group a standing ovation at an ICCA show. I simply couldn’t help myself on this one. Much like half of the other spectators at Avery Fisher Hall, I needed to get up and give this group their just due. This was the fourteenth ICCA show I’ve seen—more than many, far less than those who have been involved in the a cappella community for years and years. With that being said, for however much it may be worth, this was the best competition set I have ever seen. Period.
Set Summary:
“Feeling Good”
“All the Things You Are”
“Somebody to Love”
Mike C: The judges went back to deliberate, and Duwende returned to the stage. They performed a lot of original material, and a really fun rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.” I think my favorite piece of their work, though, was a simple joke: ‘What’s the difference between high school and collegiate a cappella, and professional a cappella? When you’re in high school and college, your parents are proud of you.’
I took some time working out my rankings and picks. For placement, I was, of course, sure that I was placing the SoCal VoCals first. All-Night Yahtzee were an easy pick for a second. It wasn’t quite as easy, but I was pretty content putting Ithacapella at third. From there, things grew much trickier, as I tried to pick between the intensity of the N’Harmonics and the fun of Out of the Blue. It’s hard to place Purple Haze last, given that they were quite good. The whole set just didn’t stand up to the competition, though, in my mind. Trickier yet was picking best soloist. As I referenced earlier, I make a note whenever I think a song makes a compelling case for an award. In this show, I made such a note no less than nine times for soloists—and every single group was represented on that list.
Similar to the collegiate competition, it seemed clear enough that the final high school group, Men of Note, was taking first place honors. I placed Crimson in a second, and Mane Event at a close third.
Deliberations were pretty quick given the number of groups in the show. Nothing too shocking in the awards or placement. I was surprised to see Ithacappella take home two awards, but happy about it, as I thought they were a bit slighted in not earning placement. The only choice that had me scratching my head was All-Night Yahtzee getting recognized for choreography. They did some good things visually, but this was actually the only category in which I really didn’t think they made a strong case for getting an award. Men of Note cleaned up on the high school side, and I don’t think anyone could argue against those decisions.
Mike S: Despite this show having a mediocre start, things really picked up toward the end. Overall, it was not as impressive as last year, taking all the groups into consideration, but individually speaking, there were a few truly exceptional performances.
Mike C: All in all, I didn’t find this show to be quite as impressive as last year’s finals, where there legitimately four groups who I could have seen taking first place honors. Regardless, it was a good show in its own right, and I was glad to have seen it. The VoCals closed the night with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on stage, and then a modified version of their alma mater out in the lobby, with alumni joining the group. Fun stuff, and fine way to end another year of competition.
Mike C’s ICCA Picks
Overall Placement:
1. The University of California SoCal VoCals
2. Florida State University All-Night Yahtzee
3. Ithaca College Ithacappella
4. Oxford University Out of the Blue
5. The New York University N’Harmonics
6. Northwestern University Purple Haze
Outstanding Soloist:
1. The SoCal VoCals for “Somebody to Love”
2. All-Night Yahtzee for “I’m Your Man”
3. Ithacappella for “Isn’t She Lovely”
Outstanding Choreography:
1. The SoCal VoCals for “Feeling Good”
2. Out of the Blue for “Shake Ya Tailfeather”
3. Ithacappella for “Get Ready”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion
1. All-Night Yahtzee for the full set
2. Ithacappella for the full set
3. The N’Harmonics for the full set/The SoCal VoCals for the full set
Mike S’s ICCA Picks
Overall Placement:
1. The University of California SoCal VoCals
2. Ithaca College Ithacappella
3. Florida State University All-Night Yahtzee
4. Oxford University Out of the Blue
5. The New York University N’Harmonics
6. Northwestern University Purple Haze
Outstanding Soloist: Ithacappella for “Isn’t She Lovely”
Outstanding Choreography: The SoCal VoCals for “Feeling Good”
ICCA Official Results:
Overall Placement:
1. The University of California SoCal VoCals
2. Florida State University All-Night Yahtzee
3. The New York University N’Harmonics
Outstanding Soloist: Ithacappella for “Isn’t She Lovely”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: Ithacapella for the full set
Outstanding Choreography: All-Night Yahtzee and the SoCal VoCals
Outstanding Arrangement: The N’Harmonics for “High and Dry”
Mike C’s ICHSA Picks
Overall Placement
1. The Cherry Hill High School West Men of Note
2. Cheyenne Mountain High School Crimson
3. The Leon High School Mane Event
4. DeKalb High School Fly Check
Outstanding Soloists:
1. Men of Note for the Temptations medley
2. Crimson for “From A Distance”
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: The Mane Event for “The Way”
Outstanding Choreography:
1. Men of Note for the full set
2. Crimson for “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”
Mike S’s ICHSA Picks
Overall Placement
1. The Cherry Hill High School West Men of Note
2. The Leon High School Mane Event
3. Cheyenne Mountain High School Crimson
4. DeKalb High School Fly Check
Outstanding Soloists: Men of Note for the Temptations medley
Outstanding Choreography: Men of Note for “Bop Till You Drop” and “Kiss Him Goodbye”
ICHSA Official Results
Overall Placement:
1. The Cherry Hill High School West Men of Note
2. The Leon High School Mane Event
Outstanding Soloists: Men of Note for the Temptations medley
Outstanding Arrangement: Men of Note for “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”
Outstanding Choreography: Men of Note for the full set