Geneseo acapella groups deliver powerful performances in Fa-La-La-Capella winter concert

On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Geneseo acapella groups took to the Wadsworth Auditorium stage to deliver their annual winter performance, aptly titled the Fa-La-La-Capella Concert. The performances, which included the groups Exit 8, Between the Lines, Hips and Harmonies, Emmelodics, and South Side Boys, brought some much-needed joy and entertainment before finals as they showcased their ongoing dynamic talents. 

Each group performed four songs, with two songs in each set. Throughout the night, there were a variety of genres and songs to appease any audience, featuring arrangements of anything from timeless 2000s classics like “She Will be Loved” by Maroon 5 to newly-released power ballads such as Lizzy McAlpine’s “Erase Me.”

As someone who has been to many of the acapella concerts on campus, it is safe to say that it wouldn’t truly be a Geneseo acapella concert without the microphones immediately malfunctioning. Nevertheless, the groups showed just how well-prepared and professional they are by continuing on as expected. The South Side Boys fearlessly led the way through the opening songs of the concert, powerfully projecting through their rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” despite the technical difficulties. Luckily, by the end of the Boys’ first set, the microphones proved to function once again, and things went smoothly from there. 

Throughout the night, all of the groups and soloists truly blew the audience away with their outstanding talent. No matter who was singing, it was clear how hard each group worked to put on an amazing show. 

With this being said, there were a few standout performances by individual soloists and groups alike. One particularly unique and entrancing arrangement was done by Exit 8 singing a whole-group arrangement of “Hide & Seek” by Imogen Heap. Rather than featuring a soloist, as most of the arrangements do, the group worked together to create mesmerizing harmonies that moved from a soft beginning to a powerful crescendo ending. 

Another notable arrangement was delivered by the South Side Boys performing “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. The soloist, sophomore musicology major Bradley Adams truly got the audience moving, and he earned a well-deserved standing ovation from several audience members for his vocal skill and tangibly energetic stage presence. 

The most amazing moment of the show, however, was when all of the groups came together to sing a combined arrangement of “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes. It was truly impressive how well the groups coordinated with one another, as their hand pats and voices were all synced in rounds of harmonies. Only true musicians and talented vocalists would be able to pull off such a feat, and it proved how strong the acapella program is on our campus.

The entire setlist featured several senior songs, each being introduced by a fellow group member through a heartwarming speech dedicated to the featured senior. These outpourings of love and well-wishes—one of which was even delivered via voice-memo by senior French major and Between the Lines group member Mckenzie Flynn, who is currently studying abroad—added a sentimental element to the night and made the performances all the more moving. 

Senior English and adolescent education major Julia Yakownya, a fellow BTL member who delivered her own senior speech for senior math major Peep Dhamoon, described how meaningful it was to show her love and appreciation for him before his solo. 

“Being asked to write a senior speech for my friend Peep was a huge honor,” Yakownya said. “It was pretty awesome being included in his special night, and I loved getting to see him have his moment on stage.” 

All around, this was definitely a concert to remember and was a testament to how much talent Geneseo students have to offer. Though we won’t see the groups performing all together again until the spring semester, we can only anticipate more impressive arrangements and talented vocalists from Geneseo’s acapella community in the future.