Hamilton students, parents, and alumni filled the chapel on Friday and Saturday nights for the annual parents weekend a cappella concert featuring all five groups: The Hamiltones, Duelly Noted, The Buffers, Tumbling After, and Special K. Each group had spent the past two months for the largest a cappella event of the semester. This concert was also the first major a capella concert featuring each group’s newest members.
Hamilton’s all female a cappella group, Special K, opened Friday’s concert with their marvelous rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.” Soloists Marina Hartnick ’18 and Sara Jadbabaie ’21 captured the song’s upbeat energy, and their voices complemented each other in harmony. The group then introduced their newest members, Jadbabaie, Josie Blatt ’21 and Eva Lynch-Comer ’19. They also invited alumni on stage to join them for the next song, “Widows” by Sufjan Stevens. Following two enchanting group songs, “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti” and “Because” by the Beatles, Special K closed their set with one of the highlights of the entire concert: “Too Close” by Alex Clare. Soloist Lynch-Comer’s voice was so powerful and jaw-dropping that the audience erupted into applause at several points before the end of the song.
Next, Hamilton’s all-gender a cappella group, Duelly Noted, took the stage. They began their set with Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.” Soloist Sarah Hoover’s ’18 peppy vocals and the group’s superhero choreography infused this number with pure fun. Duelly Noted introduced their newest member, Jake Lanning ’21, and on Saturday called up alumni to sing a “Duelly Classic” with the group: “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” by The Teenagers. Other highlights of their set included the solos of Caitlin McQuade ’18 on Sara Bareilles’ “Brave” and Adam Stern ’18 on My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade.” McQuade’s beautiful high range and Stern’s powerful tenor belt were a joy to listen to. Overall, Duelly Noted entertained the audience with their imaginative choreography, enthusiastic facial expressions, and strong vocals.
Hamilton’s other co-ed group, The Hamiltones, performed next. Their newest members are Kelly Collins ’21, Morgan Perry ’21 and Hudson Smith ’21. The Hamiltones’ first song on Friday, The Beatles’ “Oh! Darling,” featured Collins and Peter Briccetti ’19. Their voices worked together beautifully and their individual belts on the bridge of the song were incredible. The voices of the group’s soloists were all remarkable, including the smooth stylings of Julia Smith ’18 on “Honeymoon Avenue” by Ariana Grande, the pretty vocals of Julia McCusker ’20 on “Underground” by Cody Fry, the fun duet of Annie Sher ’18 and Olivia Melodia ’18 on a medley of NSYNC songs, and the strong lead of Caroline Sullivan ’20 on their alumni song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2. Lastly, another notable member of The Hamiltones was beatboxer John Dorer ’19. Dorer perfectly beatboxed all four songs, a feat that requires much breath power and stamina, whereas other groups alternated beatboxers throughout their sets.
Next was Hamilton’s other all female group, Tumbling After. They opened with a jazzy song, “Heard it Through the Grapevine.” Soloists Hannah Meisels ’18 and Tori Stapleton ’19 delivered the song with great energy that made the audience eager for the rest of their set. Then, the group slowed it down with Coldplay’s “Fix You” sung exquisitely by soloists Clare Curran ’20 and Joyce Lee ’20. They then took on the Amy Winehouse’s bluesy “Back To Black.” Soloists Isabel O’Malley ’18 and Annie McClanahan ’20 each had a raspy tone that fit the song well. On Friday, they invited alumni on stage to sing “Not Ready To Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks. Tumbling After’s newest members are Olivia Kessler ’21, Mian Osumi ’21, and Sam Zachar ’21. Tumbling After’s combination of pretty and bluesy voices made for an excellent sounding set.
The Buffers, Hamilton’s all male a cappella group, took the stage last. The Buffer’s four soloists were superb. Tim Henderson’s ’18 rendition of Robin Thicke’s “Lock the Door” showcased his powerful voice. Carter Sanders’s ’18 falsetto on “What Goes Around Comes Around” by Justin Timberlake was impressive, and Matt Leboitz’s smooth voice on “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel was a pleasure to listen to. Another highlight of the entire concert was the Buffers’ performance of Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” Soloist Chris Victor’s ’21 range and vocal ability was astounding.
Not only were the Buffers’ voices great, but also was their comedy. For a Buffer tradition, during each set, the group members take turns singing what they would be “If They Were Not a Buffer.” Some notable lighthearted moments were jokes about the cups in Commons that always stick together, and Henderson pretending to be a sloth. However, some more controversial statements were made. A few Buffers joked about administrators locking the Co-Op basement and Trump throwing paper towels in Puerto Rico for hurricane relief. Some other risqué moments included jokes about sex, drugs, and alcohol that caused a few gasps from parents. On Saturday the Buffers introduced their new members: Victor, Andrew Projansky ’21, Gus Gonzalez ’21, and Kenny Letts ’21. Overall, the Buffers’ set kept the audience laughing and smiling.
