The Scottish A Cappella Championship: A Preview

The Stand caught up with The A Cappella Society to talk championships, Take That and embarrassing musical choices.


We sat down with Joanna Burns (of The Accidentals) and Mark Gregory (of The Other Guys) to chat about their upcoming event – the inaugural Scottish A Cappella Championship. The St Andrews A Cappella Society are presenting the championship following the decision of Voice Festival UK to scrap their regional rounds in favour of video auditions which, although providing an exciting opportunity for the groups to get creative, would have meant St Andrews would miss out on all the fun!

But, never fear, the society didn’t want to deprive us of our a cappella fix so, this Friday at 7pm in Younger Hall, seven a cappella groups from across Scotland will compete for a £1000 prize against a panel of three judges (two seasoned a cappella-ers and a professional opera singer – a tough crowd indeed). The competition will involve a twelve-minute set from each of the performers, with The St Andrews Revue providing the entertainment. The night is clearly an exciting new opportunity for the society to conduct a competition on their own terms, with Joanna and Mark eager to try out a new judging system which they believe will make the decision process and the feedback easier and more comprehensive.

We all know St Andrews is the undisputed capital of a cappella – but why? Mark is quick to blame (attribute this to) Americans, noting that The Accidentals, The Alleycats and The Other Guys were all founded by them. However, they also believe a cappella has a knock-on effect (it’s one of those things that when you hear it, you want to share it with your friends) and are also quick to acknowledge the importance of movies like Pitch Perfect in the recent popularity boost. Mark and Joanna agree that for them, the appeal of a cappella is the satisfaction of constructing a complete replica of a song with only the voice – and, of course, the fun, friends and social aspect of it!

And, lastly, why should people come to The Scottish A Cappella Championship? Mark is quick to reply and claims that the championship will be the “biggest musical event of the St Andrews calendar” – I guess we’ll just have to go to see whether he’s correct…

The Scottish A Cappella Championship looks like a wonderful opportunity to go along and support the amazing St Andrews a cappella talent – expect laughter, tears and a 100% chance of a fabulous evening. The Stand will see you there.

Quick Fire Questions

What’s your favourite song your group performs?

Mark: Coldplay – Fix You.

Joanna: A Black Eyed Peas medley.

Which track is guaranteed to make you sing along?

Mark: Anything from Frozen, or Take That.

Joanna: Anything by Journey.

What’s the most embarrassing track on your iPod?

Mark: One Direction – Best Song Ever.

Joanna: Selena Gomez – Come & Get It.

 

The Scottish A Cappella Championship will take place on Friday 18th of April, 7pm at Younger Hall. Tickets are being sold on Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th – 10-4pm outside the Library, and final sales on the door. Check the event page for further details.