During the first weekend of February, two of the four CRLS a cappella groups, Pitches and Dos and Sassafras, competed in the quarterfinals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA).
Hosted by the Varsity Vocals, ICHSA is a highly competitive a cappella competition for students from all over the country, with hundreds of groups participating in hopes of showcasing their talent on a global scale. CRLS a cappella competed in the quarterfinal rounds, along with 18 other groups in the New England Area.
Pitches and Dos performed “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan, “Linger” by the Cranberries, and “Toxic” by Britney Spears, while Sassafras performed “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, “Some Nights” by fun., and “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. This was the first time any CRLS a cappella group has competed, marking a huge milestone in the CRLS a cappella program. In addition to the unfamiliar competitive scene, groups performed college level repertoire—something they had never done before. Alaan Clarke ’25, a member of Pitches and Dos, reflected on the challenges regarding the performance.
He told the Register Forum that it was especially difficult “getting everyone to blend and create good breath support,” and “remembering [dynamics] while doing choreography.” But despite the difficulty of the repertoire, the director of the CRLS a cappella program Dr. Ivan Stefanov complimented the ability of students, telling the Register Forum how CRLS a cappella “achieved beyond [his] wildest dreams.”
Aside from the welcome meeting with all the groups, mic check, and of course, the performance, a majority of the time was dedicated to relaxing and bonding: “Talking, playing games, [and] eating food” with fellow team members were some activities Estella Lateiner ’28, a member of Pitches and Dos, emphasized to the Register Forum.
But what stood out the most to members of CRLS a cappella was the bonds they made with other groups. Unlike a lot of other school competitions, ICHSA lasted nearly 11 hours and had flexible policies, providing ample opportunity for schools to mingle and socialize.
When asked about some of the highlights of the evening, Lateiner told the Register Forum, “We made some little origami hearts for the other teams, and that was really fun.” Noemi Noblett ’26 added that they “received letters from the other groups wishing [them] luck – it felt like a big a cappella community.”
At the end of the day, Kate Wheatley ’25 from Sassafras had won the “Outstanding Vocal Percussion” award, and CRLS came out of the competition exhausted but fulfilled. Armed with new knowledge and experience from the competition, Dr. Stefanov aims for more opportunities in the future for CRLS a cappella, including “traveling more extensively and competing,” and recording each group professionally.
This article also appears in our February 2025 print edition.
