Arts, On Campus

A Cappella Fest Marks a Return to Live, In-Person Music

To close out the long Labor Day weekend, the Office of Student Involvement held A Cappella Fest in the Robsham Theater Arts Center on Monday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. At the first a cappella event of the year, six of Boston College’s a cappella groups performed, singing one or two songs which demonstrated their musical skills and talent. The event was hosted by the presidents of the two a cappella groups, Lily Hicks and DJ Brown, both MCAS ’22, of The Sharps and The Heightsmen, respectively. 

First to perform were the Boston College Acoustics, a co-ed group led by Tyler Allen, MCAS ’22. They kicked off the show with “lovely” by Billie Eilish featuring Khalid, and then sang “Genius” by LSD featuring Sia, Diplo, and Labrinth. The Acoustics’ set demonstrated both the individual soloists’ skill as well as the group’s impressive talent as a whole. 

Following the Acoustics were the Bostonians, another co-ed group on campus. Their set began with a medley including “Summer Friends” by Chance the Rapper featuring Francis and The Lights. The group followed this performance with “For the First Time” by The Script. The harmonies of the Bostonians were clear and crisp, exhibiting the technical skill of all of the members. The group’s soloists continued this trend of smooth, clean singing with impressive performances. 

The Common Tones of Boston College came next. The Common Tones performed renditions of “Here Comes Goodbye” by the Rascal Flatts and “Shotgun” by George Ezra. For its performance, the group emphasized the vocal skill of its soloists while also highlighting the impressive performance of its smaller-sized group. 

Next came the Boston College Dynamics, a much larger co-ed organization. They sang “Can You Hear Me” by Amber Mark, featuring a skillful performance by soloist Delyse Howard, CSOM ’24, and a medley of “In the Name of Love” by Bebe Rexha featuring Martin Garrix, both of which showcased the dexterity of such a large group. 

The Heightsmen of Boston College followed the Dynamics, led by Brown. The Heightsmen, the only all-male a cappella group on campus, performed renditions of “Runaround Sue” by Dion and “Treasure” by Bruno Mars that were reminiscent of barbershop quartet performances. 

To close out the show, The Sharps of Boston College, the only all-female a cappella group on campus, performed “Alive” by Sia. The group’s backing vocals supported the soloist, Elisa Falanga, MCAS ’23, performance of the song. 

A Cappella Fest marked a return to live, indoor, and unmasked musical performances on campus and gave the groups a chance to perform with new members for the first time this year.

Featured Image by Stephen Mooney / For The Heights

September 10, 2021