The ICHSA and ICCA Finals

Event: International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and International Championship of High School A Cappella Finals
Date: April 21, 2007
Location: New York, NY
The Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall
Official Results: See end of article

This past Saturday night marked my first time seeing a high school a cappella competition, much less the ICHSA finals. In addition to that, it was my first time checking out the collegiate finals. Needless to say, this was a very special night for yours truly no question it was the best night of a cappella action I've had the privilege of attending.

Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York was an ideal venue. It's decently sized, has great sound, and is a formal space that really added to the big show atmosphere.

Julia Hoffman had emcee duties for the night. Hoffman certainly had the credentials to serve in this role, as a former producer for the West region, and a current member of the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America Board of Directors, who heads up the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards. She also appeared right at home on stage. Unfortunately, Hoffman seemed to get a little caught up her own shtick over the course of the night, changing her outfit between most of her introductions, and telling a story about each one. Not a horrible concept, and some folks in the crowd seemed to eat up, but for me, it felt like more of a distraction from the show, and most of the humor didn't strike me the right way. This may be one of the very few areas in which I'm a traditionalist, but nine times out of ten, I would prefer a straightforward emcee, just reading the group bios and introducing the acts, without trying to be the entertainment.

Before we get into the competing groups, a quick note--I heard mixed information about whether cameras would be allowed into the show. In the end, I decided that rather than risk having mine turned away, I wouldn't bring it. For anyone who cares, cameras were allowed at the finals. Sadly, I will not have pictures to share from this event, but I understand that a gallery will be posted at http://gallery.rossmedia.com/icca.

As we get into the competing groups, a reminder of my scoring model, based purely on my own subjective opinion. The basic breakdown:

* = Not so good.
** = Okay
*** = Good
**** = Stellar
***** = Simply Outstanding

After some consideration, I have opted to score the high school groups on a separate scale. The idea of rating college and high school groups on the same scale sounds messy and unfair, so please note that I am rating them differently here.

The high school competition came first, and the Northeast high school champions, The Cherry Hill High School West Men of Note, out of New Jersey, opened. These guys were the defending ICHSA champions, and boy did they come to play. As I've said, this was my first experience with high school competition, and I wasn't sure what to expect. These guys set the bar very high from the get go.

The Men of Note were clad in blue and white, and red and white striped polos, and jeans, a simple, fun choice for attire. They opened with the teme from "Growing Pains." Lots of snapping, a really tight sound, for a good opener. Next up was James Taylor's "Lonesome Road." The soloist's voice was a little classical for the song, but still quite good. Impressive dynamics on this piece, and some pretty sick bass at the end. Third came a song that I can only assume was a tribute to their own high school, as the boys implored the audience to "cheer for good old Westside High." Nice show of tradition, but I wasn't wild about the song choice here, as it seemed a little out of place in the middle of the set, and was a slow follow up to "Lonesome Road." Nonetheless, the song was strong on its own merits. Fourth was The Beach Boys'" Good Vibrations." Fun movement on this one, and a set of strong soloists. Five songs in 12 minutes? Some might balk, but the Men of Note were up to the task, closing with "Mary, Don't You Weep." Great charismatic, soulful soloist here. Some neat choreography on this one as well, with a snap, slide and rotate move. All in all, a very impressive set from this group. 4.25/5 stars.

Set Summary:
1. "Growing Pains" Theme
2. "Lonesome Road" by James Taylor
3. Westside High Song
4. “Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
5. "Mary, Don't You Weep"

Next up were DeKalb High School's Guy's A Cappella, out of DeKalb, Illinois, the Midwest high school champs. The guys wore brown blazers, black button ups and jeans. They sort of looked like mini-Crosbys. Sort of. Some of the jackets were a little big, but otherwise, it was a sharp look.

A member of Guy's A Cappella introduced each of the songs, each time sounding a little nervous. I can't blame the kid for that, standing in front of a crowd Lincoln Center, but that's all the more reason not to offer those introductions at all, and let the music speak for itself. The Guys opened with The Impressions' "It's All Right." They had a good, powerful sound on this, with a smooth soloist and some nice harmonies. They also did well getting the crowd involved, clapping their hands. Of course, by the time they got the crowd going a second time, the song was starting to get a little old. Worse yet, the last chord of the song was pretty ugly, a poor ending to an otherwise strong opener. Next up was "Yellow" by Coldplay. Through the count off and opening instrumentation of the song, the soloist was moving a mic into position seemed like there was a miscommunication there. The sound on this one wasn't so clean. I wasn't wild about the soloist, and while there was a valiant attempt at perc with some cymbals, it wasn't quite up to snuff. Last up was Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." Good soloist, good sound. I would have liked to have seen more movement. Also, as with their previous two songs, the guys assumed a curious formation on stage, with a few guys in a row, a small arc and the soloist off to the side, making sort of a rearranged question mark. All in all, it was a good set, and I can't reiterate enough how impressed I am that high schoolers are accomplishing this level of performance. Nonetheless, Guy's A Cappella wasn't on the same level as Men of Note. 3.25/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"It's All Right" by The Impressions
"Yellow" by Coldplay
"Brown Eyed Girl"by Van Morrison

Hoffman returned in a pink dress. Well all right then.

Third up were the West high school champions, Cheyenne Mountain High Crimson out of Colorado Springs, CO. This was an all-female group, clad in all black and red. It was pretty cool to see a group of seven young women take the stage and produce all the sound of the other groups.

The girls opened with "Don't Know Nothing." Good soloist. Good sultry hip sway, and some really neat, subtle movement that resulted in a lot of interesting formations throughout the piece. Impressive perc here too--not entirely polished, but it had a good, strong sound. The second song was one I didn't recognized, likening being in love to heaven. This one didn't wow me. Good soloist, good sound, but not a song that really stuck out. Last was Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools." The solo was decent--good stage presence, but not a fantastic sound. The girls sampled En Vogue's "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It), then intermixed the two, which was fun, but also ran a little long. On a minor, but classy note, the girls returned all of the microphones to their original positions after the set. Good stuff overall. 4/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"Don't Know Nothing"
Unknown song
"Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin

Wrapping up the high school competition, came the South high school champs, Cypress Center for the Arts A Cappella Group, out of Florida. And man were there a lot of them--20 young men and women by my count. Good for their leadership for getting that many students involved. Sharp look for the group too, in all black, with purple ties for the boys. The A Cappella Group opened with Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." There was just more for this group to do than the DeKalb squad, given the number of performers and mix of genders. I liked the soloist a lot. Not sure this was the best song for his smooth vocal stylings, but good stuff just the same. The vocal percussionist opted to double fist the microphones--odd choice, but he sounded pretty good. Next was "Hands" by Jewel. Really good sound on this soloist too, who genuinely sounded like Jewel. I wasn't wild about the arrangement--too fast and upbeat on the chorus, and just too much going at the most poignant parts of the song. Next was an Animaniacs variation on the "Can-Can," listing ice cream ingredients. Fun song, and the group had all of its members in motion for a heck of a visual. This was a fun little song that I think a college group would have trouble pulling off, but was fitting for a high school squad. Last was Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious." Outstanding stage presence from the soloist, but the vocals didn't live up to it. I was more impressed with the girl who sampled Alicia Keys's "Karma." Fun, energized closer for a good set. 3.75/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
"Hands" by Jewel
Animaniacs song
"Superstitious" by Stevie Wonder

The college groups were up next, starting with the Midwest champions, University of Nebraska Rocktavo. The guys were looking sharp in dark suits and different colored shirts.

Rocktavo started with a variation on "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma!. Powerful, smooth, polished sound from the guys on this one, featuring some very strong solists. They sampled "The Sound of Music" at the end. Next up was a strange, highly entertaining interpretation of "Figaro!" starting with one member singing about the merits of opera, then arguing with an other member who supported rock and roll, before still another member put on a Kermit the Frog puppet and sang the praises of The Muppets, while another endorsed Neil Diamond, before the whole group got behind the musical stylings of Aaron Neville, sampling "Don't Know Much." Funny song, and it sounded great. I wondered if it was all original, or an interpretation of someone else's work. Rocktavo finished the set with "I've Got a Life." Some very nice bass here, and killer blend again. Good soloist, but not quite up to par with the preceding tunes. Still, amazing sound for just nine guys, and a good end to the set. 4.25/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma!
"Figaro!"
"I've Got a Life"

Hoffman came out clad in a jean jacket, with the word "Bedazzled" embroidered on the back. Super. Next, please.

I'm not sure it's possible for a group to take the stage with more energy than the New England champion Amherst Zumbyes. They came out running, jumping, and rolling. And, to the delight of many (and the chagrin of a few), one member came clad in a banana suit. The other guys wore blue blazers, button downs, and for a few of the guys, various hats.

The Zumbyes opened with Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Though the Grapevine." The soloist's voice was a little clean cut for the song, but I thought he sounded sensational anyway, and really nailed the power pieces of the song. I would have liked to see more movement from the group as a whole, and a little more fire in the performance, but it was a good opener nonetheless. Next tune was The Beatles' "Blackbird." They sang it chorally, with a rich blend, beautiful sound, and very nice dynamics. The one problem was that the banana suit become problematic here. While it didn't really fit into "Grapevine," it was actively distracting in this more solemn tune. I was hoping for a big banana climax at the end to justify it, but it was not to be. Still, what followed was something else--a magnificently choreographed version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Cool stuff from the start, as the guys counted off, and a group member collapsed, before other group members (banana included) went into full zombie mode. The moves seemed to be right out of the video. Good stuff visually, but unfortunately, the guys didn't seem too concerned with their sound, and it didn't sound so good musically. I'm as big a fan of full force choreography as anyone, but not at the expense of the music. Good closer, but not as good as you might hope for. Still, a very strong set overall. 4/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
"Blackbird" by The Beatles
"Thriller" by Michael Jackson

Intermission time. For the number of groups performing, this show was moving really quickly.

The West champs, Brigham Young University's all-female Noteworthy, were next. Having defeated the defending champs, BYU Vocal Point on their way to the finals, you'd better believe the expectations were high coming into this set. The women looked sharp in black button ups, green ties (tucked in at the start) and jeans. They took the stage with authority.

Noteworthy opened with a song I wasn't familiar with, and without any English lyrics. It sounded like a Native American chant to me, but I could very well be mistaken (edit: a visit to RARB revealed a post from Noteworthy's director, indicating the song was actually Bulgarian folk music). I had mixed feelings on this. On one hand, they had awesome volume, and looked supremely confident. On the other hand, I almost felt like I was being yelled at--it didn't seem as musical as I would have hoped. Next was John Legend's "Don't You Worry." Nice movement--very well synchronized, and they were all selling the choreography full tilt. It was interesting that the group showed some range in dynamics, but that range was from loud to super loud! with nothing softer. The women calmed a little with "How Great Thou Art." Great choral sound, and a beautiful solo here. I wasn't wild about all of the movement on this one, though. The song built toward the end, and I was OK with the bigger moves then, but earlier in the song, the choreography seemed a bit gratuitous. Last up was Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." What can you say about this one? Power solo. Out of this world choreography. Having seen the Crosbys set before, and having watched the Zumbyes go all-in with "Thriller," I never would have thought Noteworthy would pull off the best visual performance of the night. By the time these women were done, complete with a stomp routine and lift at the end, there was no question that they were the masters of movement. Absolutely sensational closer, solidifying their place among the top groups of the night. 4.25/5 stars.

Set Summary:
Unknown song
"Don't You Worry" by John Legend
"How Great Thou Art"
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder

Traveling from across an ocean, the Western Europe champions, The Oxford Gargoyles were on next. They came dressed to impress, with the guys in tuxes, and the women in black dresses.

The Gargoyles opened with Nina Simone's "My Baby Jus' Cares For Me." Really good musically, though I wish the group had either customized the mic placement, or that the soloists had walked up to the mics. The second song, The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations/God Only Knows" was a mixed bag. One very strong soloist, one who was just OK. Some members really selling movement, some more or less standing there. I liked the movement here in terms of formations, shifting several times throughout the song. The group wrapped up with a jazzy tune I didn't recognize. Good formations and a good soloist here, and some fun visuals with the members gesturing the trumpet parts they sung at certain points. It wrapped up with some decent scatting and some always-fun jazz hands. All in all, a very good outing. As I'll openly admit, I'm partial to pieces that really entertain me. As clearly talented as the Gargoyles were, they didn't really grab me the way a lot of the other competitors did on this evening. 3.75/5 stars.

Set Summary:
"My Baby Jus' Cares For Me" by Nina Simone
"Good Vibrations/God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
Unknown song

Representing the South region, Florida State University's All Night Yahtzee were next. Black and red duds for the mixed group.

All Night Yahtzee kicked off its set with Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk." Good tune with a strong soloist, whose rich voice really stood out. Some good, precise movement here, but it was interesting how tightly packed together the group physically appeared for most of the song--and most of the set for that matter. The other trend that began here and continued through the set was the out of this world vocal percussion. Travis Smith, my hat's off to you for the best perc I've heard all year in collegiate a cappella. Next up was "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks. Very good solo and well planned, appropriate movement here. I was especially impressed with the end of this one, nailing the brand of poignancy the song should have had. Last up was a really interesting rendering of "Such Great Heights," starting with the slow, sweet Iron & Wine version, transitioning into the Postal Service's faster pace. It was a rough transition from the powerful, solemn Dixie Chicks song, into the slow start of this one. It didn't help that the soloists weren't fantastic here. What was fantastic was the vocal percussion, specifically at the end. I also thought this arrangement was a really neat idea, and it's too bad the execution wasn't quite as sharp as it should have been. Still, a good finish to a very good set. 4.25/5 stars.

Hoffman came out in a Santa outfit that was… minimalist. I began to wonder where she could really go from there.

The Mid-Atlantic champions, Rutgers Deep Treble, were next. The mixed group looked good in black and red. The group started well with Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun." It's a really different song choice, and the group played it well, though it didn't seem to pack quite the same punch it had in the semifinals. The soloist was still top notch, with a voice that reminded me of Tina Turner, and she continued to have good stage presence. Cool visual at the finish with the group taking a collective puff on their air cigarettes to end it. Next up was The Fray's "How To Save a Life." The soloist sold it really well, putting in the proper vocal and physical emotion where he needed it. The song was kind of boring to me, and there were some serious cuts to the choreography--most notably losing the slide move I had noticed closely resembled that of fellow Rutgers group, Casual Harmony. Deep Treble launched into a military count off and march next, leading into "Rhythm Nation," by Janet Jackson. I wasn't wowed by this one in the semifinals, and in the finals setting, this just sounded pretty ugly. Massive feedback at the start, and the soloist didn't get much better. Good rhythm, at least, with two members on perc. There seemed to be cuts in the choreography here too. All considered, it's a good set, but doesn't quite measure up at this level of competition. 3.5/5 stars.

Hoffman's last new get-up for the night was her wedding dress.

The final competitors for the night were the Binghamton Crosbys, out of the Northeast region. Good look with blazers, dress shirts and jeans.

The group started with The Who's "Pinball Wizard." Really good sound, impressive movement, though the energy level didn't seem quite as high as it did when I caught the act in the quarterfinals. Still, a good opener. Next was Pink Floyd's "Hey You," sampling "The Wall." The body perc was off the charts here, powerful, well diversified, and perfectly in sync. This was the piece where the men really made their case to be world champions, showing a brand of intensity only Noteworthy really touched that night. The set ended with "I'm A Man," including samplings of the Spiderman and Pink Panther themes. I guess there was some sort of man motif going here, but I still didn't quite get it. Good movement and sound throughout this one, before the guys opted to throw the choreography into overdrive. Full-fledged step routine toward the close, and then an impressive finish that featured four guys lifting one Crosby up in the air, arms stretched wide. It seemed like they had cut something, or maybe just shortened the step routine, because it didn't seem like quite the spectacle it had been in the first round, but was still pretty darn impressive. The main criticism I would still offer the Crosbys was the lack of diversity in the set (it could have used something more contemporary, maybe a ballad?) but it was still a great showing, and, in my mind, the guys just squeezed out the best set of the night. 4.25/5 stars.

Summary:
"Pinball Wizard" by The Who
"Hey You" by Pink Floyd
"I'm A Man" by Spencer Davis Group

The seven man professional group Firedrill! entertained the audience during deliberations, with songs including "Chain of Fools," "Just the Two of Us," and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree." Awesome sound, awesome energy--truly a class act. They wrapped up their set with a fun rendition of Phil Collins's "Easy Lover" during which all the competing groups returned to the stage, many of them dancing or clapping along to the music. Fun moment, not to mention an efficient way to get everyone back on stage for the announcement of awards and placement.

All throughout Firedrill!'s set, I was ranking and re-ranking my picks for overall placement. I felt as thought the high school competition was fairly clear cut, with The Men of Note's polished set being the best of the night, closely followed by Crimson, followed by The A Cappella Group, followed by Guy's A Cappella. Where I had much more trouble making a decision was for the collegiate finals. Just reviewing my subjective scores, I gave Rocktavo, Noteworthy, All Night Yahtzee and The Crosbys all scores of 4.25 stars (note, prior to this show, 4.25 stars was the highest score I had given out this year, and I only gave it out once--to The Crosbys). What this meant was that at least one of the absolute best a cappella groups I had seen this year wasn't even going to place. I put the Zumbyes a notch below these four, as I alluded to before, for having too much focus on showmanship, and, specifically in "Thriller," not paying enough attention to the music. Conversely, I was looking for a little more spice out of The Gargoyles. Perhaps if they had traded in one tuxedo for a banana suit I would have bumped them up to 4 stars (just kidding probably). Anyway, my choices for 5th-7th place were relatively clear cut, but boy was 1-4 rough. In the end, I found Rocktavo a little classical for my personal tastes, and I wasn't wowed with their last number. Outstanding set, but one of my favorites couldn't be placed, and I chose them. All Night Yahtzee had such a smart set, and such great intensity, but, percussion aside, "Such Great Heights" wasn't quite up to snuff, so I knocked them down to third. At their best, Noteworthy were the best. I loved how well the group sold its choreography, how confident the women were, the volume they produced, and the absolute masterpiece that was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Still, there was some over-choreographing (specifically in "How Great Thou Art") and I didn't find the first piece aurally pleasing. Looking at the sets as a whole, I ultimately had to put my support behind The Crosbys. No, they didn't deserve any special awards, and no, they didn't really have a blow away moment to match the innovation of "Figaro!" the perc on "Such Great Heights," or the total package that was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." However, it was a solid set, top to bottom, they boasted some sick intensity on the Pink Floyd song, and choreography at the end of "I'm A Man" was still great. There's my rationale--The Crosbys were my top pick for the night.

I was a little disappointed with the high school awards. I would have liked to have seen The A Cappella Group walk away with something for its awesome choreography on the Animaniacs song. In addition, I would have liked to have seen The Men of Note's "Mary, Don't You Weep" soloist get some props. Alas, it was not to be. Crimson won outstanding choreography, and took home second place honors. The Men of Note repeated as world champions. On the college level, it was nice to see All Night Yahtzee take soloist and VP awards--especially when they ended up not placing. Rocktavo took honors for the arrangement of "Figaro!" Again, I'm not sure if this was a purely original work, or an arrangement of something that's been done before. In the former case, no question they earned it. In the latter case, I wouldn't be as sure. Not my area of expertise, either way, though. I was a little surprised to see The Zumbyes finish third. It's hard to argue against a group as good as they were getting some recognition, but I wasn't keen on them finishing that well at the expense of others. Rocktavo took second, which wasn't my pick, but, again, I can't really argue with it. Great set. First place went to Noteworthy. Ditto on this one. It was a great set, and though they weren't my choice for first, the women were certainly world class performers. In addition, it was neat to see an all-female group walk away as the international champions, even if I was sorry to see The Crosbys leave empty handed.

Noteworthy encored with Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten." Not really at the same level as the group's competition material, but who can blame them? This wasn't in the rehearsed set, and they'd just earned the right to say they're the best collegiate a cappella group in the world. Who would perform their best under those circumstances? My hat's off, once more, to Noteworthy.

A Cappella Blog ICHSA Picks:

Overall Placement:
4. Guy's A Cappella
3. The A Cappella Group
2. Crimson
1. Men of Note

Best Choreography:
2. Crimson, entire set
1. The A Cappella Group, Animaniacs "Can Can" song

Best Soloist:
2. The A Cappella Group, "Hands"
1. Men of Note, "Mary, Don't You Weep"

Best Vocal Percussion:
2. The A Cappella Group, entire set
1. Crimson, entire set

Best Attire:
2. Guy's A Cappella
1. The A Cappella Group

Best Overall Song:
3. The A Cappella Group, "Brown Eyed Girl"
2. Crimson, "You Don't Know Nothing"
1. Men of Note, "Mary, Don't You Weep"

ICHSA Official Results:

Overall Placement:
1st Runner Up: Crimson
1st Place: Men of Note

Outstanding Choreography: Crimson

A Cappella Blog ICCA Picks:

Overall Placement:
7. Deep Treble
6. The Gargoyles
5. The Zumbyes
4. Rocktavo
3. All Night Yahtzee
2. Noteworthy
1. The Crosbys

Best Choreography:
3. The Zumbyes, "Thriller"
2. The Crosbys, "I'm A Man"
1. Noteworthy, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

Best Soloist:
3. Noteworthy, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"
2. All Night Yahtzee, "Not Ready To Make Nice"
1. The Zumbyes, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"

Best Vocal Percussion:
1. All Night Yahtzee, Travis Smith

Best Attire:
3. The Gargoyles
2. Noteworthy
1. The Zumbyes (I needed to recognize the banana somewhere…)

Best Overall Song:
3. The Crosbys, "Comfortably Numb"
2. All Night Yahtzee, "Not Ready To Make Nice"
1. Noteworthy, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

ICCA Official Results:

Overall Placement:
2nd Runner Up: The Zumbyes
1st Runner Up: Rocktavo
1st Place: Noteworthy

Outstanding Soloist: All Night Yahtzee, Christopher Diaz for "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk"
Outstanding Vocal Percussion: All Night Yahtzee, Travis Smith
Outstanding Choreography: Noteworthy
Outstanding Arrangement: Rocktavo for "Figaro!"