On Saturday, November 30th, CRLS students, teachers, and parents filled the Fitzgerald Theater for this year’s winter A Cappella Jam. The night started with a performance by the wonderful Pitches and Dos, who sang “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan and “Linger” by the Cranberries, finishing with an entertaining rendition of “Toxic” by Britney Spears.
Emcees Lucca Olivet ’25 and Kate Wheatley ’25 brought terrific energy to the show, telling jokes and engaging audience participation. “We thought participation would help the audience be more hyped for every set,” Olivet explained.
The next group to perform was Sassafras, CRLS’s only all-female group, featuring pink outfits, fun choreography, and, of course, beautiful vocals. A standout from their set was “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, soloed by Leila Nur and Sola Minotti, the CRLS a capella program leaders.
Another highlight from the evening was the beatbox battle, featuring a beatboxer from each CRLS a cappella group, and a surprise performance by Mr. Nolan. Wheatley won the night after an epic showdown. A shout-out also goes to Al Pirani ’26 of Fermata Nowhere, who was a close second in the beatbox competition (based on the highly scientific method of comparing cheer volumes).
Next in the program was Fermata Nowhere, performing just two pieces. Dosia Fennell ’25 explained to the Register Forum that Fermata Nowhere ended up having to cut one song for the final performance. Still Fennell said she was happy that they could focus on the two songs they performed, and make them even better. In fact, a standout from the evening was Fermata’s rendition of “Send by Love” by Adele, arranged by Fennell ’25 and soloed by Fiona Litman ’26.
CRLS’s last a capella group to perform was Note to Self, with renditions of Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” and Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated.” Their performance of “Love” by Keyshia Cole was a fantastic finale to their performance, featuring engaging choreography and beautiful harmonies.
Last but not least were the all-male Harvard Krokodiloes. Some were genuinely scared when they showed up for their performance with only two suit and bow-tie-clad men and claimed the rest had been run over by a train! However, to the audience’s relief, more Krokodiloes rolled, danced, and flipped onto the stage. With their 1960s music and single tuning note from a harmonica, the Krokodiloes were undoubtedly unique, and they put on a delightful show with their dancing, impressively in-sync snapping, and harmonious singing. The Krokadiloes ended the evening by telling us to follow them on TikTok, @theKrokTok, so for those who couldn’t make it to the jam, be sure to follow them so you know what you were missing out on!
Overall, the jam was a tremendous success, which MC Lucca Olivet attributed to the preparations of each group, saying “it was successful because all of the groups were really strong, making it more fun and stress-free.” Fennell looks forward to the Spring Jam, noting that she is “excited to see new people solo and hear new voices shine,” so if you couldn’t make it this time, be sure not to miss the spring A Cappella jam!
This article also appears in our January 2025 print edition.
