Super Storm Nemo caused the annual A Cappella Fest to be cancelled on February 9, and the possibility of rescheduling the event in April is up in the air.
Seven college a cappella groups were scheduled to come: The Amherst College Bluestockings, The Middlebury College Dissipated Eight, The Tufts University Jackson Jills, The Tufts sQ!, The MIT Logarhythms, The Trinity College Pipes and The Yale University New Blue.
Head of Student Activities Sam Bicknell contacted 30 groups that had attended in the past and had Deerfield Alumni. All groups were paid.
“I really wish A Capella fest will happen again,“ Ju Hwan Park ’14 said. Park, who sings in the Mellow-D’s, said last year’s festival helped bring the school together.
“Even people who were not interested in music were asking me questions and telling me that they want to sing in a group,” he said. “We tend to think that colleges like MIT are full of stereotypical engineering students. However, it was surprising to me how schools like MIT showed such a great performance still. It shows how music is a universal language and something that everyone can enjoy.”
Catt Wyatt ’14, a member of the Rhapso D’s, reflected on her experiences at a cappella fest last year.
“As a completely new member to the group and a capella, last year, I can remember being stunned by the incredible talent that visited Deerfield on the evening of the fest,” she said. “I learned an incredible amount by watching other groups, and translating what we could into our own performances.”
Similarly, Hyun Yang ’13, captain of the Mellow-D’s, stated nostalgically, “A Capella fest is the best time for the DA community to appreciate the level of music these groups can provide, while having fun. It was amazing—the festival inspired me try out for the Mellow-D’s the next year.”
As Mr. Bicknell mentioned, some of the performing a capella groups include Deerfield’s very own alumni, who were able to experience being an audience member as well.
Becca Cooley ’12, currently studying at Tufts, recalls, “I am a huge a cappella nerd, and the a cappella fest was always something I looked forward to, especially having been in the Rhapso-Ds, and sharing the stage with such great college groups. Being in a college group now, it’s always fun to perform at high schools, especially places like Deerfield, where a cappella is already a part of the school, allowing performances to be always appreciated.”