Nine high school a capella groups competed in the Wyvern Invitational A Capella Festival (WIAF) on Jan. 24 from 6:30 p.m.-9:35 p.m. in Roberts Theater to help raise money for Team Tobati.
The festival featured Crimson 7 and the Oxfordians from Kingswood Oxford, Onomatopoeia and Peanut Butter & Jelly from Lexington High School, The Grapes from Ethel Walker, Unlike the Rest from Wilton High School, Revolution from Springfield Conservatory of the Arts, Be S#arp from Conard High School, and The Perilhettes from Miss Porter’s School.
Senior Leo Kollen won the Outstanding Male Vocalist award for his solo in “Valerie.” The overall winner was Peanut Butter & Jelly from Lexington.
WIAF brought together student performers for a night of competition and music. Spanish teacher Ron Garcia emceed the event and told stories between performances. Each group performed two songs and was evaluated by a panel of judges, including the Iris Vocal Trio, who were also the opening act. The Iris Vocal Trio performs a cappella music and has served as the opening act and judges in the past. Crimson 7 performed “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse and “Grease Got a Hold” from “The Outsiders,” while KO’s Oxfordians performed “Thank You for the Music” by ABBA, and “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac.
For the performers, the event was the result of many weeks of rehearsal. “We mainly drilled the songs over and over and found out how we fit all the voice parts together,” sophomore Oxfordian Lilly Jacobson said. “We also made choreography, but we didn’t have time to do that for ‘Silver Springs’…I think we felt proud of ourselves because we didn’t know if we were going to be ready in time.”
Junior Crimson 7 singer Marco Ramirez has been a part of WIAF for three years and said that he enjoys meeting people from the other schools and seeing how the group evolves from year to year. “We do get the score sheets back at the end,” said Marco, “so it’s good feedback definitely to improve on for the future.”
The festival required months of planning to organize. Preparations began when Band and Orchestra Director Todd Millen sent out invitations and began coordinating logistics, including reserving spaces on campus, arranging judges, and organizing technology and livestreaming.
Tickets for the event cost $20, and the proceeds went to Team Tobati, which supports projects and service trips in Tobati, Paraguay. Mr. Millen said the festival continues to focus on community and collaboration. “I love that it’s still at its core,” Mr. Millen said. “It’s just about getting together to make music, and it helps people in need.”
