CRLS A Cappella Stuns at Spring Jam
June 6, 2022
The CRLS Spring Benefit A Cappella Jam took place on Friday, April 29th, at 7pm, raising funds for the Save the Children Charity. MC’d by Antinoe Kotsopoulos ’22 and Selma Ulm ’22, the night featured electrifying performances by five a cappella groups, a celebration of the seniors, and even a promposal to cap off the festivities.
The show commenced with the group Note to Self’s mashup of “Perfect” by One Direction and “Style” by Taylor Swift. Almost instantly, the lively audience was cheering and clapping along. Following Note to Self’s performances of “Sweetest Devotion” by Adele and “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack, audiences were greeted by the Shirley Tempos’ first a cappella jam performance.
Unlike the other groups, for which prospective singers audition in the fall and spring, the Shirley Tempos are a group of students from Dr. Stefanov’s a cappella class this semester. Despite being the smallest group on stage, audiences were enthralled by their performance of “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish and “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo. Member Lainey Kerr ’22 told the Register Forum in an email interview, “I have never been part of the a cappella jam before so my experience overall is absolutely magical … I was so glad to be part of that whole performance and to be part of the Shirley Tempos.”
The all-treble group Sassafras, the third group to perform, did not disappoint with their renditions of “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele and “All for Us” by Labrinth. Neither did Fermata Nowhere, a group formed just two years ago. Fermata Nowhere member Sabrina Shing ’22 reflected on the group’s performance of “Somewhere Only We Need” by Keane, “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic, and their mashup of “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga and “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Shing told the Register Forum, “Myself and the two other seniors were sad that the group came to an end, but we were very happy to hold this unique experience!”
The night ended on a high note with Pitches and Dos, who first performed a mashup of “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC and “No Scrubs” by TLC. Welcoming Note to Self back to the stage, the two groups joined together for a captivating rendition of “Green Light” by Lorde, before Pitches and Dos concluded the show with “Creep” by Radiohead.
Despite the intense practice and preparation required for everyone involved, performers across groups agree that it paid off. Pitches and Dos leader Farah Coplon-Newfield ’23 emphasized to the Register Forum, “It consisted of a lot of early morning rehearsals and practicing at home but it was all worth it.” Looking toward the future, Note to Self member Julia Teller ’24 told the Register Forum, “Next year, I hope that the a cappella family will grow and that new people will join!”
While it was the last performance for this year’s seniors, the Spring A Cappella Jam made for quite the sendoff. As Kotsopoulos put it to the Register Forum, “The energy was electric!”
This piece also appears in our May 2022 print edition.
