Two Saturdays in a row, Georgetown’s six a cappella groups gathered on the stage of Gaston Hall to mark the exciting start to another year of singing. From Car Barn to Southwest Quad, DC A Cappella Fest is an opportunity to feature the best of a cappella in the District—at least west of Wisconsin Ave.
“I feel like it’s a great time to bring the groups together, get reintroduced to what the groups look like this semester, and how they sound,” Superfood Co-President Margaret Tracey (CAS ’25) told the Voice. “It’s also the first concert to be able to showcase the three new people we took into the group this semester, so it’s their first performance, which is always really exciting.”
The evening’s sets showed the sonic range of Georgetown’s a cappella groups, both within each group and across the community. As the only community-wide a cappella performance in the fall, each group takes the stage to share their arrangements. DCAF, among other things, proved that college may be like the movies.
“It’s kind of like how you go to an ice cream store and there are 50 million flavors,” Gracenote’s President Kaya Barnes (SFS ’26) said. “That’s what I feel like a cappella is.”
The Gracenotes performed the opening and closing numbers for the second night of DCAF, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
“We have a lot of tear-jerkers, a lot of unrequited love, a lot of heartbreak, typical Gracenotes fashion,” said Barnes. The Gracenotes set included many fan favorites, with powerful performances of Billie Eilish classics such as ‘What Was I Made For,’ ‘Birds of a Feather,’ and ‘Ocean Eyes.’ Chiara Volpi (SFS ’28), one of the newest members of the GraceNotes, blew the audience away with her two solos, showing off her vocal range in the group’s performance of Hozier’s ‘Too Sweet.’ I like to think of this as her ‘cup-song moment,’ and it was iconic.
“Musically, we’re really proud of how this set has turned out,” said Tracey’s co-president Yana Gitelman (SFS ’25). “Hopefully that sets the tone both in terms of the arrangement quality, creativity, and also just how we sound on stage.”
With an eclectic selection of outfits and sounds, Superfood undoubtedly delivered the most unique set of the evening. From bird noises to beatboxing, their renditions were layered and distinct, pairing well with their alternative music selection. This distinctive quality was exemplified in their performance of Lorde’s ‘Ribs,’ a unique yet authentic rendition of the song. In short, I left DCAF a Superfood super-fan.
The Capitol G’s were quite literally singing to the choir when they sang my personal song of the summer: ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries. With the same passion as my summer camp co-counselors and me, but with the talent of a well-practiced musical group, their rendition was both genuine and thrilling. The group’s chemistry was clear on stage and the arrangement worked well with their characteristically low range.
Beyond making a bold statement on whether or not navy and black are complementary colors–spoiler, that was their outfit scheme—the Phantom’s performance was a dazzling centerpiece to the evening’s festivities. Seeing as Adele and a cappella are practically synonymous at this point, the Phantom’s selection of ‘Love in the Dark’ was the undeniable peak of their performance, demonstrating the group’s skill through complex harmonies. The Phantom’s polished set showed off each member of their group, complimenting their strong soloists.
In one of the more laid-back performances of the night, Saxatones took the stage in a medley of blue-toned outfits. Their stand-out piece was a rendition of SZA’s “Saturn”, which was beautifully remastered, layered, and performed.
The Chimes closed their set with an attempt at comedy, introducing La La Land (2016) as their favorite horror film. Their rendition of the soundtrack had the emotional flow of the movie itself, making for a truly memorable arrangement. Further, the inclusion of two soloists in the collection of songs added an exciting on-stage dynamic, fit for the passionate film they riffed on.
Seeing as each a cappella group has latched onto a distinguishing superlative to differentiate themselves from others—a la Chimes being the oldest, The GraceNotes being the group for women and gender minorities, and Saxatones’ focus on community service—I have decided to weaponize my prolific high school yearbook career to give each group their indisputable DCAF Superlative. I will take no feedback.
Most likely to be the best member of your group project… The Gracenotes
Best Depop and Spotify profiles… Superfood
Most likely to listen to CoffeeHouse Radio with my dad… The Capitol Gs
Most stand-out sound… The Phantoms
Most indisputably epic vibes, energy, etc.… Saxatones
Most likely to have a Ryan Gosling shrine in their room… The Chimes
There is something special about the energy around student performance on campus. It is the excitement of seeing flyers posted in your dorm, passing the groups tabling on the way to class, and convincing your friends to all buy tickets—replacing Ticketmaster with CampusGroups. Arriving at the show, Gaston’s ambiance is inarguably special, though unmatched when compared to the joy of recognizing familiar faces on stage and then hearing them sing your favorite song.
In this way, DCAF was a delightful display of Georgetown’s a cappella community. On campus, it is easy to get lost in personal worlds, whether that be a challenging course load, club sport, or writing for Georgetown’s best bi-weekly news magazine. DCAF is a poignant reminder of the dozens of Hoyas whose world is hours of weekly rehearsals, assembling arrangements, and perfecting their sound. It was truly a wonderful world to enter, if only for an evening.
