Courtesy of Minnie Madden ’25
On Sunday, September 10th, Connecticut College’s a capella groups came together to perform at their annual Fall Showcase in the Harkness Chapel. The chapel was packed with students eagerly awaiting the evening’s entertainment, and the ensembles brought their singing ‘A-game’ with the hope of attracting new members this season.
The a capella group council opened the night introducing the seven groups: Conn Chords, Williams Street Mix, Shwiffs, Vox Cameli, Co Co Beaux, Miss Connduct, and Conn Artists. Josh Moylan began the night by welcoming the class of 2027 to the a capella scene and introducing the audition process for this fall.
The first singers of the event were the Shwiffs, the oldest a capella group on campus, which originated in 1944. The group arranges every piece they do by ear alone. For tonight’s performance they pulled out an arrangement of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac that the Shwiffs arranged last week. Lucie Bernheim ‘24 soloed the piece to tightly blended vocals from the group.
Second to perform was Williams Street Mix, the oldest gender-inclusive a capella group on campus. Decked out in matching green, Stella König and Jason Pittner introduced the group’s arrangement of Billie Eilish’s “When The Party’s Over.” The soloist Imogen Morehouse ‘24 opened the piece with her rich lower register. This arrangement was characterized by crisp harmonies, and the performance was made by the lovely vocals and the silences between them.
Singing third was Vox Cameli, cheering themselves to the stage from the chapel stairwell. This co-ed group is known for its themed performances and they did not disappoint. In honor of their rendition of “Linger” by The Cranberries, they performed as Vox Cran-eli. Their outfits were red with Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. labels stuck onto their clothes. Madelyn Fisher ‘26 soloed over a lovely building of “do-doos” as other voices slowly joined in one-by-one swelling into background harmonies.
Next up was Miss Conduct who entered coordinated in denim and white. The all-treble group was introduced by Jilly Pearson ‘25 whose talent shone through in her vibey arrangement of “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse. Sophia Ethington ‘26 sang the melody as the group’s voices built to an epic beatbox entrance from Jilly Pearson herself.
The Conn Chords followed, performing in dreamy floral outfits. In unison, their co-pitches Kelley Wilson ‘25 and Katherine Rubel ‘24 introduced the inclusive treble group that has been running since 1946. Miranda Ma ‘24 excelled singing “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley with Caroline Skrebutenas ‘25 on beats and the group accompanying. The seamless pre-chorus dynamic build and quiet bridge that erupted into the final chorus were exceptional. At the conclusion of the piece, one audience member was heard exclaiming, “Wow! They were so so so good!”
Co Co Beaux – running since 1978 – followed Conn Chords. They are the only tenor bass group on campus. In khakis, blue shirts, and ties, the group pulled out an original number celebrating Co Co Beaux itself. Moving around the solos so every group got a moment to shine, their sound relied on a signature Beaux chorus: “Smith Burdick, I’ll take you baby / Back to Cummings, to Palmer, come on, pretty mamma / In the chapel, in Harris, you can be embarrassed by the Co Co Beaux.” The iconic group was thoroughly enjoyed by the chapel crowd.
The Conn Artists took the stage for the night’s final performance. With a Capri Sun in her pocket, Natalie Chace ‘25 introduced the ensemble. The group ended the night with “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” by Kylie Minogue with Joshua Moylan ‘24, Brielle Blood ‘24, and Hannah Calaman ‘24 each soloing separate pieces of the song. Terrific runs were heard from the lead vocalists as the audience clapped along to their “la-la-la” harmonies.
Whether you loved attending the a capella showcase or were sad you missed it, don’t worry. There is a whole year of a capella concerts to look forward to.
