We tried out Lancaster University’s a capella society to live our Pitch Perfect dreams

If you’re at all involved in campus life in Lancaster, you’ve probably come across the A Capella Society. They have a permanent home in the arts section of the Freshers’ Fair and sometimes pop up around campus for events and performances, stood in the freezing cold and covering every Pentatonix song that ever existed.

Pretty much anyone who’s seen ten minutes of a Pitch Perfect film has wondered at some point whether university a capella societies actually work the same as the iconic Barden Bellas do. With Lancaster’s very own a capella society running open sessions every Wednesday evening, we decided to take a trip to live out our Pitch Perfect dreams and see if they live up to our expectations.

What can I expect?

The Wednesday rehearsals are open to everyone, with no auditions necessary – so no, you don’t need to start learning the Cup-Song. They’re led by the society’s musical directors, Adam and Catherine, and start with vocal warm ups selected each week by members.

The group is split into four vocal sections (sopranos, altos, tenors and basses) plus an honorary beatboxer, and spends the session learning one song. When we visited them on 23rd October, they were learning Pentatonix’s cover of I Need Your Love.

If you’ve ever been involved with a choir, the process of learning the song is similar in a lot of ways – pieces are learnt part by part at a pretty quick pace, but the group is really willing to slow down in certain more difficult sections, and leave plenty of time to go over things again so the pressure is low no matter what your vocal ability is.

What’s the vibe?

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Honestly, the Pitch Perfect vibes are SO there for LU A Capella – but without all the drama. The group are some of the most friendly, vibey people I’ve met from societies, and were very energetic even on a miserable October day.

The sessions are really collaborative, and while Adam and Catherine lead rehearsals the whole group gets involved to help each other out and make the evening as chilled as possible. The environment is so low-pressure and they’re all just there to be their aca-vibey selves – it’s clear their rehearsals are a pick-me-up for them all.

How can I get involved?

Message the society on Instagram to find out more about their open rehearsals, which typically take place from 6pm to 9pm every Wednesday in the Welcome Centre.

Featured image via @lu.acappellasoc on Instagram