The Lawn was filled with music and harmony Wednesday evening as 18 University a cappella groups took to the steps of the Rotunda for the University’s 38th annual Rotunda Sing. Continuing a longstanding and cherished tradition, Rotunda Sing brought together both students and performers for a night celebrating vocal excellence and the University’s diverse musical community.
Organized and hosted by the University Programs Council, the event commemorates the unique talents of the University's numerous a cappella groups, each with their own distinct style and quirks. Often their first performances of the year, the night serves as a platform for the 18 groups to not only display their skills, but also promote their upcoming auditions. This year, in addition to the music, the event was complemented by free T-shirts and food trucks from Little Manila, Kona Ice and FARMacy Café.
Putting on an event of this scale is no straightforward task, as Jastirath Singh, UPC’s director of arts and enrichment and third-year College student, attested that the planning process for the event began in April and extended over the summer. Singh further explained that this year, the UPC focused on increasing efficiency — including offering more food trucks in order to reduce lines and allow students to spend more of their evening enjoying the performances.
“Sometimes staffing events can be a little bit difficult, so kind of decreasing the amount of variables where we need people to be there 24/7 managing those spaces [works best],” Singh said. “So this year … we don't have to worry so much about the food aspect and can make sure students are enjoying the a cappella groups and the merch.”
While waiting in anticipation for the event’s start, third-year College student Michael Addai spoke about what drew him to the event, stating that he was prompted to walk toward the Lawn when he heard voices in the general area.
“I don’t know any groups, but I’m just excited to hear more beautiful music,” Addai said.
As the audience's voices lulled, the night officially commenced as the University Singers — the University’s principal choral ensemble — took the stage. Performing “Virginia, Hail, All Hail!" and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” the mixed-gender ensemble created an uplifting atmosphere through their bright energy and invigorating vocals. With resonant and layered melodies, the vocal group clapped rhythmically as they finished their performance for the night.
A couple of performances later, the University’s only Broadway a cappella group — Hoos In The Stairwell — took to the Rotunda steps and performed “Money, Money, Money” from “Mamma Mia!” Putting on a more theatrical performance, the group utilized a deep, gritty tone as they were enveloped by red lighting during the performance of their second song, “Road to Hell” from “Hadestown.”
The New Dominions, the University’s oldest all-gender a cappella group, performed “Earrings” by recent Charlottesville visitor Malcolm Todd and “Break Free” by Ariana Grande. The group executed numerous dynamic crescendos in their performance, setting an energetic tone for the night. Theo Moll, New Dominions president and fourth-year Commerce student, spoke to the excitement of performing a diverse range of music.
“I think generally we try to pick a wide variety of music,” Moll said. “So, in a given semester, we’re trying to showcase indie music, pop music, some throwbacks … We’re always trying to be able to show off, you know, different musical styles because I think that makes it more fun.”
The Academical Village People made their entrance by running onto the stage, bellowing and chanting in their usual entertaining fashion, before performing renditions of “Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani and “Take On Me” by A-ha. By dancing, asking the audience to sing along and engaging in various shenanigans on stage, AVP highlighted the fun, playful side of a cappella while still displaying their musical talents in a clearly well-thought-out performance.
When describing the specifics of their planning process, Peter Miglino, Academical Village People member and third-year College student, noted that the preparation process for Rotunda Sing is often rigorous and time-intensive given that the event occurs early in the semester.
“We basically camped out for a week and ran … six-hour rehearsals every day, just trying to get our music down, trying to plan how we want this performance to go on the stage,” Miglino said. “We kind of put all that prep work in before school even started, and that way we could be ready for when [Rotunda Sing] comes.”
For one of the last performances of the night, the Virginia Belles graced the stage with captivating performances of “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac and “Heaven Can Wait” by Michael Jackson. Their performance was melodic and musically complex, featuring several intricate vocal runs that generated particularly strong rounds of applause.
In picking their songs for the performance, Shreeya Suresh, soloist for the Virginia Belles and second-year Engineering student, highlighted the importance of selecting music that not only portrays the Belles accurately, but also brings a unique flair to the event. She explained that for Rotunda Sing, the repertoire selected was very on-brand for both the group and overall a cappella community.
“I think our songs are particularly special because they kind of just encapsulate what it means to be a Belle, what it means to be in a cappella, [and] what it means to have such a beautiful and loving community around you, which is exactly what I found with this group,” Suresh said.
After several hours of music on the Lawn, the night concluded with the Virginia Glee Club — the University's oldest musical organization — performing “Virginia, Hail, All Hail!” once again and the “Good Ol’ Song.” As the Glee Club launched into the latter, audience members quickly joined in with arms around one another’s shoulders and feet swaying to the music. Singing together, the performers and audience embodied the sense of the community built around music that lies at the heart of Rotunda Sing.
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