By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
On Sunday, May 21, Dover-Sherborn High School presented a fun and energetic A Cappella Showcase, featuring groups from Needham and Dover-Sherborn. The singers delivered an exciting show filled with well-chosen, lively pop tunes, animated performances, and rich harmonies.
The first group to sing was a boys group from Needham High School called: Subway Dwarves. They got the groove going with an arrangement of “Money, Money, Money” by ABBA. Their second piece was a heartfelt arrangement of “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, and their third piece was a fun arrangement of the hit 80s song “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone. The Subway Dwarves sang with enthusiasm as they skillfully blended their parts to make a complete performance.
The second group was a boys and girls group with a clever name, A Choired Taste, from Dover-Sherborn Middle School. They took the stage confidently and treated the audience to arrangements of “Build Me Up Buttercup” by the Foundations and “Centuries” by Fallout Boy. This group is well on the way to becoming great high school performers!
The third group, Counterpoint, featured boys and girls enthusiastically singing great pop songs with beautiful tone and very tight group work. Their first song was an arrangement of “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees, the second was a stirring arrangement of “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, and the third song was a lively arrangement of “Forget You“ by Cee Lo Green.
An Intermission followed during which group members presented artwork created by talented students. The artwork was offered for sale to support the groups. Some was being offered for the benefit of an Ugandan charity. The beautiful artwork included earrings, necklaces, pottery, and paintings.
After Intermission, a boys and girls outside group, Harmonic Imbalance, came on to sing close barbershop harmony, a very different style of music than what the other groups sang. They did a great job with difficult arrangements of “Ice Cream,” from the musical The Music Man and “Edelweiss,” from the musical The Sound of Music. A clever addition to their act was wearing white hats with black bands, reminiscent of the straw hats worn in the olden days by barbershop quartets.
Next, the girls group Fermata Nowhere, from Dover-Sherborn High School, sang arrangements of the swinging “Made You Look” by Meghan Trainor, soulful “Perfect Storm” by Taylor Swift, and “Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles. The group blended their voices, harmonies, and rhythms well and performed with confidence.
Finally, boys and girls group Noteworthy A Cappella, from Dover-Sherborn High School, finished the afternoon with arrangements of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse “Dandelion” by Ruth B., and “Misbehaving” by Pentatonix. They claimed the stage with spirit and showed off their tight harmonic work. Their soloists beguiled the audience with heartfelt, soaring melodies.
It was a joy to be entertained by students with such musical talent doing the hard work of learning to sing difficult harmonies and rhythms in unified, spirited groups. Their joy in performing is clear.
