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By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
The Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Auditorium at Wellesley High had another packed house Friday night for the annual Acastock a cappella concert. The enthusiasm for a cappella groups at the high school has grown significantly over the last several years, as what started as one small group of students has grown into over 80 students in four different groups, each with their own style and sound. Entirely student run and managed, these students meet outside of school hours to practice and hone their performance.
At 7 p.m. sharp, Wellesley High Director of Choral Activities Dr. Kevin McDonald took the stage for a few words before beginning the concert. He spoke of the time, effort and commitment the student a cappella groups have put into working towards excellence in their performances.
“The students work together and use skills like mathematics and problem solving that they learned in the classroom in making the musical compositions that they perform.” McDonald also spoke of the history of past performers saying “Many of these singers will leave this stage when they graduate and move right onto the stage at the university or college they attend.”
These former singers who moved on to performing in college include Allison Kannam, formerly of Ladies First, who performed with Tufts Ladies of Essence and Tyler Jung, who performed with the Tufts sQ’s.
People came out in droves to support the student’s efforts and enjoy an evening of a cappella music. They were not disappointed. The first group to perform for the evening was Wellesley High’s A Cappella Anonymous. They set the bar high with an excellent three-song set ending with their version of the Duffy song Mercy. Senior Jess Dalrymple sang the lead vocals that brought the audience to their feet in a standing ovation.
The energy of that first set was maintained throughout the evening with strong performances by Wellesley High a cappella groups, Renegade A Capella, Inchordination and Ladies First, with guest performances by Tufts sQ’s, Tufts Ladies of Essence and the MIT Logarhythms.
For a schedule of other future performances by the Wellesley Performing Arts Department, check out the POPS website at www.wellesleypops.org or the performing arts calendar at www.wellesley.k12.ma.us.
Lisa Moore is a Correspondent at Hometown Weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].
