A Capella Assembly
Students were eager to grab front row seats in the Assembly Hall this Tuesday, April 24. With excited chatter and smiles, the audience clapped as student performers walked on stage.
The much-anticipated annual a cappella assembly featured five groups on campus: Sans Hommes, PEADS, Exeteras, In Essence and Fermatas. The groups practiced for months to perfect each piece and were excited to have the opportunity to share their creations with the student body.
“My favorite part [of performing in this assembly] has to be finally performing a piece to the community after practicing it and perfecting it in the prior weeks,” said lower Sam Chang, a member of the all-male group Exeteras and co-ed group PEADS.
Like Chang, the dedicated members of these a cappella clubs met multiple times a week since the beginning of the school year to share in preparation for performances like this assembly, serenades on Christmas and Valentine’s Day and the opening of the Main Stage musical.
To prepare for the a capella assembly, the co-heads of each club consult with each other and their members to choose an arrangement. Each singer is responsible for memorizing their own part. Following the directions of the co-heads, the singers will then adjust their tempo and rhythm to give the best performance that they can.
Though many performers are known for their dedication to the arts, these multifaceted Exonians are often known for other aspects of student life. “We have so many incredible students who are known for various things and it’s always cool for someone, whether it’s a cappella or something else, to see them on stage and be like ‘Wow, I didn’t know this person could sing,’” said senior Olivia Lei, a co-head of In Essence.
With the variety of talent at Exeter, the assembly is an opportunity for the singers to showcase their hard work to the entire school. “I think it’s great that we have an actual slot of time where everyone in the entire school is going to be there,” said Lei. “To be able to share [the music] with my friends in the audience and people that I know: that’s my favorite part.”
Faculty adviser and Music Instructor Kristofer Johnson also loved hearing the school’s excitement for student performances. “I hope that students hear this and think that they could get involved in one of these clubs, a choir or voice lessons themselves,” said Johnson.
Assembly attendees were impressed and surprised at the wide variety of groups and the amount of classmates who participated. “I didn’t realize there were so many a cappella groups here on campus,” said lower Olivia Lazorik.
With the addition of the new a cappella group, Acapulco, even seniors were pleasantly surprised at the variety. “I’ve seen some of the groups perform multiple years, and it was really fun to see the new group that performed, Acapulco. I thought they added something new to the show this year,” said senior Julia Goydan.
Featuring songs such as “Feel It Still,” “Any Way You Want It” and “Mamma Mia,” the a capella assembly offered students a break from the typical assembly cycle. Students enjoyed the chance to enjoy music and cheer on their fellow Exonians.
“They’re worth coming to. I enjoyed seeing some of my classmates and friends up on stage and showing off their amazing voices,” said prep Christina Xiao. “There were a couple people I knew that had solos, and it was really fun cheering for them and yelling their names.”
The a capella assembly provides an opportunity for performers and audience members to come together. “A cappella is very much something that’s supposed to be fun and it definitely connects people and connects our community,” said Lei.