Acappellafest Unites Robsham

Around 7 p.m. on Saturday, the Robsham Theater was bustling with crowds. Students, alumni, and locals eagerly arrived for the highly anticipated Acappellafest. Students waiting in line clutched their tickets, ready to walk through the door and accept their programs, taking their seats for the show. While people waited and ushers handed out programs, the 10 Boston College a cappella groups prepared for their performances.

Although it was a Saturday night and many people could have ben going out, many chose to attend. Acappellafest is a show featuring every a cappella group at Boston College, including the Acoustics, Against the Current, B.E.A.T.S., the Bostonians, the Dynamics, the Heightsmen, the Madrigals, Shaan, the Sharps, and Voices of Imani. Each a cappella group has its own unique style, from the Renaissance music of the Madrigals to the gospel songs of Voices of Imani to the popular hits that the Bostonians sing.

But Acappellafest is about more than simply bringing together the a cappella groups in one large show. This year, the Acappellafest made over $5,500, but instead of this money going to the a cappella groups or to BC itself, it was donated to a nonprofit organization known as the Morgan Center in Hicksville, NY. The Morgan Center is a preschool on Long Island for children with cancer. Children with cancer are often unable to attend normal preschools due to their weakened immune systems from their treatments. treatments. Rod and Nancy Zuch founded the organization after their own daughter, Morgan, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two and was unable to go to preschool. The money from this year’s Acappellafest will be donated to this organization and help fund the preschool. Acappellafest began at 7:30 p.m., starting out with the Acoustics. They performed Carrie Underwood’s country hit “Cowboy Casanova” before leaving the stage.

Next on were the Heightsmen, Boston College’s only all-male a cappella group, who sang “Black Balloon” by the Goo Goo Dolls. They then stopped singing for a moment, and invited Morgan Zuch herself onto the stage.

While she stood there, they sang a rendition of the Temptations’ “My Girl” to her, even twirling her around and kneeling before her. They then finished their performance with “Kids” by MGMT.

Third were the Madrigals, a group devoted to Renaissance music. They took the stage dressed in complete Renaissance attire, brightly colored and embroidered in golden threading. They performed three songs, one about springtime, another about love, and a final upbeat song in Italian.

When they were finished, B.E.A.T.S. went on. B.E.A.T.S. is a group that sings music that has shaped the black community, from jazz to hip hop. Their first song was “I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, followed by the Five Satins’ “In the Still of the Night.” They finished up, showing off their wide range of vocals in the traditional “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

Next to take the stage were the Sharps, the only all-female a cappella group at BC. They performed three songs: “Eat” by Regina Spektor, “Because” by the Beatles, and Dusty Springfield’s “Song of a Preacher Man.”

The Voices of Imani were the sixth group to perform. Voices of Imani is unlike the other a cappella groups in two ways—they sing gospel songs and they allow anyone to join. They performed the traditional “Go Down Moses,” as well as “Jesus is a Rock in a Weary Land.”

After they finished, Morgan Zuch and her family made small speeches, describing the Morgan Center and thanking everyone for coming and donating to their foundation. The Acoustics had even traveled there and performed for all the children.

The Acoustics then retook the stage and performed Fun.’s popular song, “Some Nights,” before the Dynamics arrived on stage. The Dynamics sang several songs, including “Poison & Wine” by the Civil Wars, and a mash-up of “Without You” by David Guetta and “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull.

Against the Current, the only Christian a cappella group, was next. They sang the traditional “This Little Light of Mine” and “My Redeemer Lives.”