University of Rochester Vocal Point 40th Anniversary Show

The A Cappella Blog will return to regular posting in January. The 2010 season will include a number of new features that are currently in the works. In the meantime, a look at special show from this weekend:

This past Saturday, October 10 saw Rochester’s Vocal Point celebrate its 40th anniversary with a memorable show over the University’s alumni weekend. Numerous alumnae were in attendance and took the stage to reprise past featured roles in the group, sharing the stage with the current incarnation of the group.

The setting was Rochester’s Alumni and Advancement center, a really nice space with great acoustics. The night opened with current group members on stage, taking on “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes. The group carried on that old-time sound with a fine cover of Stevie Wonder’s “As.”

Before long, the alumnae got on stage. There’s something refreshing about performances such as these, where not every outfit matches and few of the songs bear any choreography. It’s easy enough to pass off these observations as the signs of not having a chance to rehearse or coordinate the way members of a current collegiate group would. It’s also a cappella in its purest form, though, with talents from years and even decades past coming together, turning back time for the love of the music.

The alumnae turned in a stellar rendition of The Grateful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band,” to be followed by a fun and high-attitude interpretation of “Hit ‘Em Up Style” by Blu Cantrell. A mix of “Don’t You Want Somebody To Love” and “Paint It Black” was a true highlight, channeling all the group’s vigor from 2004, when this number served open the celebrated Swimsuit Issue CD. With a range of dynamics, relentless perc, and a strong soloist, the alumnae demonstrated they had not lost a step since their college days. Other memorable numbers included Cake’s “Love You Madly,” a well-arranged version of Fiona Apple’s “Criminal,” and a crowd pleasing performance of “Alone” by Heart.

The strongest moment of the alumnae performance may have been a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River.” The winter-time classic that opens with, “It’s coming on Christmas,” seemed especially appropriate for a chilly autumn evening in upstate New York. The seamless choral rendering went all the further to paint a scene, and put the audience in the moment, capturing the melancholy of mistakes made and time passing for a song that was uniquely poignant at an alumni-centric event like this.

The evening functioned as far more than an alumnae lovefest, though. The current members re-took the stage to sing a series of songs featuring alumnae soloists, or updated versions of songs originally arranged by past members. What had been a look back therefore became a celebration of the group in its entirety—what it was, what it is, and, perhaps most importantly of all, what it has been all along.

It’s arguable that no moment was more powerful than when the group took on Matchbox 20’s “Downfall”—a big, ambitious song that was a key component of Vocal Point’s run to the ICCA semifinals in 2008. It’s the sort of song that shows how far a group can reach, a song that communicates potential achieved and celebrates what 40 years can do.

Our hats are off to Vocal Point for a fine anniversary show. Here’s to 40 years more!

You can learn more about Vocal Point here.