All five of Geneseo’s a cappella groups came together in Wadsworth Auditorium on Saturday Feb. 21, performing in association with Circle K for Harmony for Hope 2015. All proceeds went toward local domestic violence program Chances & Changes, Inc. Geneseo’s all-girl a cappella group Hips ‘N Harmony opened the show, covering Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and Ella Henderson’s “Ghost.”
While both songs were fun to listen to, the group’s energy and volume powerfully increased for “Ghost,” giving the group a stronger sound—and also producing a livelier atmosphere.
Second to perform was Geneseo’s newest a cappella group, the co-ed Emmelodics. The group performed a crowd-pleasing version of Tove Lo’s “Habits.” Between sophomore Julie Eckert’s outstanding solo and the strong harmonies of the rest of the group, Emmelodics demonstrated strong vocal talent.
During the group’s second set, Emmelodics took on Hozier’s “Take Me to Church.” Now stripped of instrumentals, the haunting melody took on a more inviting sound.
Going in a completely different direction, Southside Boys covered Meghan Trainor’s “All About that Bass.” The rendition of this tune was upbeat and fun, but what made this piece truly stand out was the male perspective on a song normally sung by a woman.
A similar gender role shift also happened during Southside Boys’ cover of Taylor Swift’s “Red.” With some simple lyric changes, the male vocalists made the song their own but also did the original song justice. Swift was a prominent presence during the concert, as Hips ‘N Harmony later covered “Holy Ground” off of Swift’s Red album during its second set.
One of the standout performances and obvious audience favorites of the night was senior CJ Roche’s senior song. The co-ed group Between the Lines provided an entertaining and well-executed version of Billy Joel’s “River of Dreams.” Roche’s falsetto and the groups’ lively background vocals came together splendidly for an entertaining piece.
Between the Lines continued to impress in its second set with an energetic cover of the classic rock song “Renegade” by Styx. Exit 8 also covered a rock song in their second set, slowing it down with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.”
Exit 8 took a different approach during its first set with a more classic-sounding rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair/Canticle.” This was an enjoyable break from the other music that night, with the group abandoning any soloists and instead performing strong group harmonies.
All five of Geneseo’s a cappella groups gave strong and varied performances. Each group demonstrated the talent of its individual soloists while also showcasing its ability to come together.