Voces8, The Other Guys and The Alleycats make acapella history

It’s like Pitch Perfect up in here


To celebrate their four year anniversary, the St Andrews Voices Festival welcomed the professional acapella group Voces8 to take part in a concert alongside some of St Andrews’ finest groups, The Other Guys and The Alley Cats.

Voces8

The concert, led and presented by the members of Voces8 ranged from Renaissance pieces to modern pop songs. They had a captivating presence on stage, both physically and vocally, beginning with two Renaissance pieces, that demonstrated their incredible range of pitch and synchronisation with one another. Their harmonies were spot on (pretty vital for acapella), and their use of dynamics throughout their pieces kept the audience thoroughly engaged.

The mood was lifted as they moved onto some classic jazz, using this as an opportunity to introduce the group. Each member took on the role of a different instrument, as if they were an actual jazz band. It was so convincing it was hard to remember they were just using their voices.

Next was The Other Guys, legends among students for their creative a cappella mixes and charming stage presence. Expectations were high, however, their performance was disappointing compared to the high standard we’ve been treated to in the past. Potentially knocked by a shaky start with R Kelly’s Ignition, they lacked the tightness and stage presence of the by-gone legends.

They were a lot more confortable during their second song St Andrean Skies, an original composition for the St Andrews’ 600th celebration, focussing more on their harmonies than dancing. Perhaps their lack of cohesiveness and confidence was due to the very recent introduction of a number of new members.

The Other Guys

After the interval, The Alleycats took to the stage. Unlike The Other Guys, their presence was a lot more relaxed with a stronger, more rounded sound. They belted their way through Stevie Wonders Signed, Sealed, Delivered, the Jackson 5’s I Want You Back, and a brilliant electro swing rendition of Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love they performed at the Fringe festival.

The Alleycats

Following a final set from Voces8, which included a reggae style rendition of Price Tag (unusual but it worked) and an amazing arrangement of It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, St Andrews a cappella history was made as The Other Guys and The Alleycats joined forces for the first time ever, to collaborate with Voces8. Despite having very little time to practise, the three groups absolutely nailed Adele’s Skyfall, before encouraging the audience to join in Pharrell Williams’ Happy

All three groups on stage before performing ‘Skyfall’

Overall it was a fantastic concert that demonstrated a variety of styles within a cappella appealing to both students and locals. Undoubtedly, both groups learned lots from the workshops given by Voces8, and I can’t wait to hear the wonderful things they are sure to produce over the next year.