If you’ve never seen an A Capella concert, you’re in for a treat. Picture any song, and imagine all its instruments sung by a dynamic, choreographed choir. What emerges are unique combinations of sounds, a moving sense of rhythm, and often a feel-good atmosphere.
And in Retro to Remix, at the Gala Theatre on Tuesday 3rd February , four A Capella choirs will be performing a series of concerts. What sets this apart is the variety of music being performed. They’ve put together an impressive array of songs ranging from classic soul to modern pop, all presented through the unique and cohesive A Capella format. To find out more about what to expect, we spoke to the presidents of the groups who’ll be performing: Northern Lights, Full Score, Foot Notes and Durham Dynamics.
Northern Lights
As the biggest name on the set list, Northern Lights were probably our most-anticipated response. They’ve seen some pretty big success, placing third in the International Championship of Collegiate A cappella (ICCA) in New York last year. They look forward to competing there again this year. In terms of song choices they’re teasingly mysterious. They promise “songs ranging from decades ago, up to just last year”, all customarily upbeat. Variety is apparently the name of the game, mixing fan favourites with “unexpected spins on a few classics”. Their first song is reportedly a perfect introduction to the show’s theme. They also promise new arrangements and choreography, so if you saw them last year it’s still worth trying them out again.
Full Score
Full Score will be bringing the Retro to the show, with a lineup of 20th century anthems. Juno Baino commented “We’ll be starting off the concert in the 70s with ‘Mr Blue Sky’, then taking you back in time to the 1950s for some Ella Fitzerald and then ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’ from Guys and Dolls”. A nice range with someone for everyone. Juno chose ‘Mr Blue Sky’ as their favourite song. But they warned of the baritones loving ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’ especially.
We also asked about the process of developing and learning this line-up. Juno described how “It’s been a lot of fun, only a little bit stressful! One of our assistant musical directors has stepped up to conduct this term, and has done a fantastic job of teaching us all a new song in 3 weeks for this concert!”. Regardless of era, this performance definitely sounds like something new. “It’ll be so fun to watch, not least to see Full Score’s classic boater hats and braces, which are an iconic part of barbershop culture and undeniably retro!”
Foot Notes
We also spoke to Benedict Porter, the president of Foot Notes, who described “an eclectic repertoire […] focusing on jazz/pop!”. They’ve prepared a set made entirely of new arrangements, mostly of 20th century songs. This will see a shift from their normal repertoire towards pop music. They’re also pushing more of their jazzy elements in anticipation of a collaboration with DUBB this spring. Benedict named ‘And By The Way, I Love You’ as his pick for favourite song. “I think our singers also love our separate upper and lower voice pieces, as they’re quite different from what we usually perform!”.
Durham Dynamics
Durham Dynamics has performed with some of North England’s top A Capella groups. They’ll bring the remixes of the show, with “a setlist packed with early 2000s pop anthems, a Celine Dion power ballad or two, some funky R&B throwbacks, and naturally, a healthy dose of Pitch Perfect”. Of course – you can never go wrong with a mix like that. Grace Graham, the president and choreographer, named ‘Don’t stop the music’ as her favourite song. “Although some may argue Raye has overtaken Rihanna in popularity”, she added. We’ll let you fight that one out.
She also offered an insight into how the concert is developed. “Our musical director, the mastermind behind our set, makes vocal tracks for each voice part for us to learn in our own time. Then in rehearsals, we put it all together, fine-tuning harmonies, dynamics, and our overall sound. Once the singing is solid, we layer in choreography that aligns with our harmonies and the songs’ styles.” The choreography of this set is a promised energetic highlight.
