Hamilton students and faculty filled the chapel on Friday night for the annual January Orientation a cappella concert featuring all five campus a cappella groups: The Hamiltones, Duelly Noted, The Buffers, Tumbling After, and Special K. The groups spent the last week tuning up their repertoires in preparation for the concert, which was targeted at recruiting Jans, transfer students, and other possible new members.
Hamilton’s all-female a cappella group, Tumbling After, started the night off strong with “I’m Not Ready to Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks. The group’s passion shone through in this opening number. Next, they performed “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse. Soloists Isabel O’Malley ’18 and Annie McClanahan ’20 each had a bluesy tone that fit the song well. Tumbling After ended their set with “One and Only” by Adele featuring Angelica Coutinho ’20, and Sam Zachar ’21. Coutinho’s smooth riffs and Zachar’s powerful belt made for an excellent closing to their set.
Next to the stage was Duelly Noted, Hamilton’s all-gender a cappella group. They began with “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance. Soloist Adam Stern ’18 was remarkable. Their second song was “Past Lives” by Børns. Duelly Noted’s clever choreography during “Past Lives” was a crowd pleaser. The audience also loved their final song, a medley of television theme songs, including fun throwbacks from Drake and Josh, Spongebob Squarepants, Friends, Zoey 101, Kim Possible, and Pokémon.
Up next was Special K, Hamilton’s other all-female group. Their first song was a beautiful rendition of “Blue Ridge Mountains” by Fleet Foxes. The group’s dynamic contrast was wonderful, and soloist Maddie Rodden ’20 had a smooth tone. Next, they covered “Because” by The Beatles, a group number with enchanting harmonies. Special K closed its set by tackling an intense Beyoncé song, “Daddy Lessons.” The group’s energy was infectious, and soloist Anna O’Keefe ’18 was impressive. Moreover, all members of Special K wore all black and many wore stickers that said “#Time’sUp”, showing their support for the movement against sexual assault and misconduct.
Hamilton’s second all-gender group, The Hamiltones, performed next. They opened their set with “Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child. Soloists Annie Sher ’18 and Morgan Perry ’21 each put their own excellent twist on this catchy song. The smooth stylings of soloist Julia Smith ’18 on their second song, “Honeymoon Avenue” by Ariana Grande, were a joy to listen to. Throughout all of their songs, the Hamiltones had a perfect blend of voice parts and were all wonderfully in tune with each other. This was particularly noticeable on their final song, a tricky group number, “Iscariot” by Walk the Moon.
The Buffers, Hamilton’s all-male a cappella group, provided a strong finish for the night. First, they performed Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around Comes Around.” Soloist Carter Sanders ’18’s falsetto was extraordinary and the higher harmonies of Gus Gonzalez ’21 complemented Sanders’ voice well. Next, Matt Lebowitz ’18 debuted his senior solo,“Keep Me in Mind” by Zac Brown Band, as part of an a capella tradition wherein each senior in every group gets to select a song on which to solo. Lebowitz’s energy and strong vocals were a crowd pleaser. Finally, The Buffers performed Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” which show- cased soloist Chris Victor ’21’s range and vocal ability.
Overall, the first a cappella concert of the semester was an entertaining and enjoyable way to end the first week of the semester. The audience’s loud cheering and applause reflected its approval. All five groups advertised their auditions during the concert, and are hoping they succeeded in attracting potential new members.
