Tulips are blooming, admitted students are swarming campus, and cherry blossom pictures are flooding Instagram. Spring is in full swing. Whether you’re trying to escape the rapidly changing weather or distract yourself from the looming presence of finals, Spring Sing is the perfect event to end your year on a good note.
Georgetown’s final a cappella performance of the year—Spring Sing—will take place on April 12 in Gaston Hall. True to its name, the event aims to transport audiences to a hopeful spring wonderland through performers’ brightly colored outfits and upbeat setlists.
“The sun’s coming out, everyone’s going on the lawn and everything, and so we’re trying to play off that vibe and make it a very hopeful ‘you’re done with the school year’ type of event,” Phantoms music director Wyatt Nako (CAS ’26) said. “It’s really just like a celebration.”
Spring Sing features the Phantoms, the Chimes, the Gracenotes, and the Capitol G’s and is hosted on a rotating basis by the remaining two Georgetown a cappella groups, Superfood and the Saxatones. This year, the Saxatones are hosting.
The profits from ticket sales will go towards the Saxatones’ chosen charity, Mary House. Mary House is a metro D.C.-based charity that provides housing and support services to low-income immigrant and refugee families.
As a community service-oriented group, the Saxatones have been particularly dedicated to supporting local causes this year. The group has performed gigs at community events, like No Lost Generation’s Refugee Awareness Week Gala, and has volunteered locally.
“This year, we’ve really tried to focus on our community service, so we did a day of just service at D.C. Central Kitchen, instead of just working on our singing,” Saxatones Co-Music Director Lydia Duckworth (CAS ’27) said.
For the Saxatones, a cappella is more than just songs—it’s serving the community, helping those in need through pitch-perfect harmonies, financial assistance, and labor. To support this mission, there will be flyers at Spring Sing containing information about how to donate to Mary House directly.
The event is unique not only in its springtime theme and community service roots, but also in its inclusion of creative arrangements and exciting collaborations.
The Chimes, for example, will nearly double their typical number of performers through the inclusion of their “neophytes,” or Chimes-in-training.
“The really cool thing about that is that it allows us to do different types of music, because when you have so many more people on stage singing, it becomes more of like a choir,” Chimes Ephus (president) Robby Della Bernarda (CAS ’25) said. “It allows us to literally perform pieces we otherwise could not.”
In addition to the unveiling of the Chimes’ neophytes, the concert will feature a collaboration between Superfood and Saxatones.
Amid the excitement, Spring Sing is also the final performance for the groups’ seniors, marking a bittersweet moment for the tight-knit aca-families.
“It’s not just like a last performance with these people, but the concept of a cappella and maybe singing for some of us, which is weird to think about too,” Capitol G’s member Eric Chun (CAS ’25) said. “I think this is one of the strongest sets we’ve had. And I’m very glad that this is the note we get to end on.”
More than a creative outlet, the relationships built within these a capella groups last beyond the final concert. The Gracenotes, for example, are a sisterhood that spans generations.
“A cappella is not only a good space to switch gears and get a chance to explore more creative outlets, but also it’s been a really great alumni community,” Gracenotes music director Hope Tan (SFS ’26) said. “We’re really dedicated to supporting each other’s growth holistically.”
Spring Sing promises to be an upbeat, optimistic celebration of the growth, creativity, and joy that a cappella fosters, making it emblematic of the community as a whole. Never experienced the joy of a cappella before? Spring Sing is the place to begin.
“Spring Sing is kind of the perfect opportunity for people who haven’t been to a cappella to get their foot in the door,” Phantoms business manager Joséphine Bonnot (MSB ’27) said.
No matter what your music taste is, Spring Sing is sure to have something for everyone. Songs range from summery pop throwbacks like “Brazil” by Declan McKenna, to the Chimes’ signature barbershop fun, to a medley from Daft Punk’s classic house album Random Access Memories (2013).
“I think that’s just a really cool thing that in one night of music you can hear so many different styles, so many different interpretations, and so many different colors of sound made just by the human voice,” Superfood music director Tommy Reichard (CAS ’27) said.
And if you’re not sold on pitch-perfect harmonies or a pre-finals celebration, go to Spring Sing to support your aca-peers.
“Everyone on campus probably knows somebody that does a cappella, so you probably know someone who’s doing a cappella and you don’t even realize it,” Chimes Business Manager Aidan Metz (MSB ’26) said. “You’ll see that kid from your econ lecture get up there and kill some crazy solo, and that’s just a really cool experience to see people in a different light than you would have expected.”
