DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 29th season! Our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever after more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on stage and in the studio.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, this year featuring more than 700 groups and over 11,000 singers at over 85 events across North America and the United Kingdom.

Our original tournament inspired the hit movie "Pitch Perfect," based on the nonfiction book documenting the true story of rival groups competing against each other in our very own ICCA. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise remains the highest-grossing cinematic musical series of all time.

Despite the incredible growth and mainstream popularity we’ve enjoyed, our focus remains sharply on the promotion and development of the talent that crosses our stage. We believe competition fosters growth, as groups work together toward a specific goal and cultivate lifelong skills and relationships.

We provide insightful feedback from our highly qualified judges – but more importantly, our singers get to connect with a larger audience from across the country, learning from their peers and finding inspiration in other groups.  

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 29 years ago and we can’t wait to see how our 2025 competitors push the envelope. Committed to promoting our singers and energized by the incredible music they create, we look forward to another memorable season. Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

ICCA UNITED KINGDOM QUARTERFINAL

Stratford East
Saturday, January 25th, 2025

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). We also annually produce The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) compilation albums.

Our a cappella competitions give top-notch a cappella groups the opportunity to showcase their talents for an international audience and to take home valuable feedback from our qualified judges. This year, competing groups will appear in venues all around the world, offering their energetic musical performances for your enjoyment.

The college tournament takes place from January through April in nine regions across the country and around the world. Each region holds four or five Quarterfinals, and the top groups from each Quarterfinal advance to the Semifinal. The winning group at each Semifinal is named Regional Champion and advances to the ICCA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 26th.

The high school tournament is now in its 20th year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, April 25th.

 For a full tournament schedule, visit us at www.varsityvocals.com/events

ABOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW

The performance order was determined by random draw this afternoon and will be announced from stage.

Tonight’s performers will be evaluated on elements of their vocal and visual performance, which carry numerical weight. The highest and lowest score from the individual judges will be dropped for each group. Our judges may recognize exceptional performances with special awards as they see fit.

There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the final group has performed, a guest performer will entertain you while the scores are tabulated.

Because each group only has ten minutes to perform, we ask you to keep your applause to an enthusiastic minimum between songs. Please feel welcome to applaud as much as you want after each group has finished its set.

Videotaping and non-flash photography for personal use is permitted during the concert, so long as you do not disrupt our performers or other patrons. Due to licensing regulations, we do not provide a video or audio recording of this performance.

TONIGHT'S COMPETITORS

Sussinct, from the University of Sussex, is a fun-loving group in its third year of performing. They pride themselves on being an inclusive, welcoming group. This year, they wrote their three songs themselves and are so proud to share. Coming from all corners of campus, Succinct brings together a vibrant mix of voices, personalities, and backgrounds to create a sound that’s as unique as the group itself. You won’t find any over-the-top gimmicks here (except maybe for that one guy who can literally imitate a drum kit), just pure, unfiltered a cappella goodness. They’re here to leave you guessing, grinning, and probably wondering why you didn’t join an a cappella group yourself. Ready for something fresh? Sussinct is about to drop the mic (metaphorically, of course)! 

The Eustones is University College London’s newly rebranded contemporary a cappella group! Established in 2017, The Eustones are thrilled to make their competitive debut in the 2025 ICCA and hope to leave a lasting impact on the UCL music community and broader a cappella scene. Since their rebranding in October 2024, the group is proud to have built a creative, tightly woven community, featuring a diverse range of experienced vocalists, songwriters, and musical directors from around the world. With alumni from internationally recognised vocal programs at Los Angeles College of Music and A Cappella Academy, The Eustones seek to craft a fresh, dynamic sound that draws inspiration from pop and R&B influences. 

Kadence is a mixed a cappella group from King's College London. The group was formed in 2020 during the Covid-19 quarantine period and their social media presence has developed a large audience in the years since. They are best known for their TikTok covers of recently released music, which received attention from Grammy-winning artists, including Laufey and Pentatonix. This is their second year competing in the ICCA. Made up of only 10 members, Kadence is a particularly close-knit community of musicians who have bonded over a mutual love for close harmony. They enjoy pushing the range of their sound, contrasting their emotional, intimate ballads with more upbeat, soulful arrangements. Above all, Kadence treasures the open and accepting space they've created within the group and are excited to continue establishing themselves in the industry. 

Nth Harmonic is Imperial College London’s mixed variety group. Having competed in the last two ICCA seasons, they recently made their Open A Cappella Competition (OAC) debut, securing 3rd place. The group consists of medics, engineers, and scientists with a variety of musical backgrounds, all aiming to showcase their musical director’s ICCA award-winning arrangements. No rehearsal is a dull rehearsal, so if they’re not in competition mode, Nth Harmonic can be found bashing out short covers in a random stairwell on a Sunday or trying to learn busking rep for strangers in Covent Garden. Every year, Nth aims to tell a narrative with their music and they hope you enjoy their performance. 

The Rolling Tones is an upper-voiced a cappella group from King's College London, known for their tight harmonies, creative arrangements, and award winning choreography. Their many credits include 2018 ICCA Finalists, 2023 ICCA Quarterfinal Champions and U.K. Runners-Up, and 2024 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) winners. The Rolling Tones love experimenting with different genres, honouring their favourite female artists and putting creative twists on well-known classics. With powerhouse vocals and an exciting new setlist, they are thrilled to be back at the ICCA! 

The Scopes is a mixed a cappella group from Imperial. They love singing contemporary pop, although that doesn't stop them from adding a little bit of D&B to their sets at times! This is their fifth year competing in the ICCA and definitely not their last! In addition to singing, The Scopes pride themselves on their phenomenal dance moves and good vibes. If you simply cannot get enough after their performance, you can catch them busking every Saturday in Covent Garden from 1-3 p.m.! 

Hailing from Imperial College London, The Techtonics are back! Known for their trademark combination of energy and… erm… anyway, this ragtag team of scientists and engineers are taking a different approach to the ICCA this year (pause for oooos). By funnelling their busking money, they have managed to purchase time on the NASA supercomputer in order to create the mathematically perfect ICCA set. As it turns out, no amount of statistical analysis could account for what you are about to see! They do hope you enjoy and judges, please note the 10 pound note placed under each of your seats. 

The Oxford Gargoyles is the best, and admittedly, the only jazz a cappella group in Oxford! The group has been established for almost 30 years, hence why no one can remember exactly why they are called The Gargoyles. They’ve sung in a range of venues, including the Michelin star restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat'Saison, the local care home for their biggest fans, and a gig for Red Bull. They had a memorable Edinburgh Fringe run, nearly convincing Richard Osman to attend while they were out sharing fliers, but perhaps he thought it would be pointless. After placing 4th in last year’s U.K. Semifinal, The Gargoyles  hope to impress with a jazzy, jam-packed set that will have you toe-tapping in your seats! They cannot promise that you won't turn to stone, but wish everyone the best. 

RACA is a dynamic a cappella group from Uni of Reading known for blending the timeless beauty of traditional hymns with the energy and innovation of contemporary pop. Their unique fusion style brings a fresh perspective to both sacred and popular music, merging rich harmonies and modern rhythms to create a powerful, soul-stirring sound. Founded on a love for diverse musical traditions, RACA creates arrangements that resonate across genres and generations. Their repertoire ranges from uplifting gospel classics to reimagined pop anthems, all performed with the same dedication to musicality and emotion. Everyone in RACA is committed to sharing music that is both meaningful and accessible, connecting audiences through performances that celebrate unity, artistry, and innovation. Whether they’re singing in an intimate campus chapel or on a large stage, they strive to create moving and memorable experiences. With voices as their only instruments, RACA brings each piece to life through creativity, passion, and the unique synergy of a cappella performance. 

Northern Lights is Durham University’s mixed, premier a cappella group, made up of 15 talented and passionate performers. They have competed in the ICCA since 2015 and this 12th iteration of the group is excited to continue the legacy after two Semifinal titles. With eight incredible new members, they are proud to maintain their ethos of “One Entity, One Voice.” Find them on all of their socials @nlacappella to hear more about their latest music, projects, and exciting new ventures! 

Roselution is Lancaster University's one and only competitive a cappella choir. As a society, they also run an open group: a free, completely open choir where anyone of any musical background can come and sing a cappella just for the joy of harmonising. Roselution is the competitive performance group for those who can’t resist the fire and electricity of the stage! Established five years ago, the ICCA will be their first time performing both outside Lancaster and at an a cappella event! Roselution hopes to put itself on the U.K. map, make community connections, and show you what they’ve got! They also really like flowers.

GUEST PERFORMER

Based in London, LowKey is the amalgamation of established singers coming together and combining their individual talents into a collection of extravagant sounds. Though they have only been together a short time, LowKey has racked up quite a resume, performing in Germany for Black Forest Voices, selling out their debut headline show, as well as winning Best Vocal Group at The Solevoci International Festival in Italy. They were also invited to perform at the Aarhus Vocal Festival 2024. LowKey has been praised for their sound and technique, helped along with mentorship from some of the biggest names in a cappella, including Deke Sharon (U.S.), Katarina Henryson (Sweden), Kevin Fox (Canada), Liz Swain (England), Lorenzo Subrizi (Italy), and Jens Johansen (Denmark). This is just the beginning for LowKey and they are so excited for everything to come!

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Caitlyn Calfas is a multidisciplinary theatre artist originally from Los Angeles. She studied at UCLA and was part of the award-winning co-ed a cappella group, The ScatterTones. During her time in the group, The ScatterTones won 1st Runner-Up titles in the 2012, 2013, and 2014 ICCA Finals. Her work as head choreographer won her multiple awards, including Outstanding Choreography at Finals. Her theatre career has taken her from L.A. to New York and finally to London, where she is currently based. Since earning her master’s degree from LAMDA, she played Emma Hamilton in the world premiere musical, “Irrepressible,” at Edinburgh Fringe, Hector in LAMDA’s “Troilus and Cressida,” and Jocasta in “Oedipus Rex” at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus as part of the National Theatre of Greece's International Ancient Drama Workshop. Her company, CKC Productions, is focused on developing new theatre centring women’s voices. Caitlyn remains thankful for her collegiate a cappella experience, which deepened her appreciation for music and its power to bring people together.

Tom Hartley currently sings bass with the five-time Grammy-award winning vocal group The Swingles. Since joining in 2022, he has performed in Europe, North America, and Asia, and has released an EP and a full-length album. When not touring, Tom acts as musical director for London’s ChoirCo and works as a session singer, workshop leader, vocal coach, and voiceover artist. 

A long-serving member of the all-male group All the King’s Men, Rob Lindsay has been in the a cappella scene for over a decade. With multiple tours of the U.S., Russia, and France, many sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and appearances on BBC One Saturday night television, he has enjoyed flying the flag of U.K. a cappella. Rob is still active in the London a cappella scene, singing as part of Collaborate and the Wellermen. 

Duncan Parker-Payne served as primary arranger and musical director of Semi-Toned, the University of Exeter's all-male a cappella group. During his time in the group, Semi-Toned competed on two television shows on BBC 2 and Sky One, performed in three U.S. tours and five Edinburgh Fringe shows. The group also placed 2nd in the ICCA U.K. Semifinals twice. Post-university, he sang with The Great Western Chorus as tenor section leader, winning Bronze at The British Association of Barbershop Singers convention. He currently serves as the musical director of Rebound, a Bristol-based contemporary a cappella group. 

Jonny Stewart is a bass singer, an engineer for studio and live sound, an arranger, and director. To borrow a basketball analogy, the former intern for the Vocal Company is one of a growing band of a cappella triple-threats. However, other people chose to describe Jonny in the following terms: "Nicely bearded boy in lovely jumper" (The Guardian), "Best hugs (multiple sources), "Big ginger lamppost" (school rugby coach). Jonny’s arrangements and mixes have been streamed over 20 million times on Spotify, although it bears mentioning that 14 million of these were for TikTok sea shanty "Wellerman" by The Wellermen. Having competed twice at the ICCA Finals with All the King’s Men and once at the Open Final with NoVI, he is honoured to be in the Varsity Vocals judging seat. 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank emcees Jake Sauchella-Tice and Ben Morris, guest act LowKey, sound engineer Simon Allen, Stratford East, production assistant Rachel Xuereb; our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
 Executive Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Dave Rabizadeh
 ICCA Director

Emily Sucher
 Director of Publications

Lucy Jacobs
 Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA West

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
 Senior Producer, ICCA South

Arvin Zabalerio
Senior Producer, ICCA Central

Gemma Davies
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Emily Benjamin
Producer, ICCA Northeast

Adam McNeil
Producer, ICHSA Great Lakes

Valentyna Simon
Producer, ICHSA West

Ben Garza
Producer, ICHSA Southwest

Bryce McCracken
 Associate Producer, ICCA Central

Bri Decerio
 Associate Producer

Angelina Corbin
 Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
 Senior Producer, ICCA Great Lakes

Andrew Poole
 Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
Senior Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Leah Alrutz
 Senior Producer, ICCA Midwest

Alaina Wegner
Producer, ICCA Southwest

Christopher Witham
 Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Jillian Kimberlin
 Senior Producer, ICHSA Mid-Atlantic

Christopher Hoffman
 Producer, ICHSA Northeast

Jake Yoakum
Producer, ICHSA West

Nicole Palmetto
Associate Producer, ICCA Northeast

Tyandria Jaaber
Associate Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Rebecca Williamson
 Associate Producer, ICCA South

Andrea Poole
Consultant
ICHSA Director Emeritus

OUR TEAM

We have an amazing team of people who work tirelessly to make our programs so valuable for our singers and audiences alike — and they all do it while holding down full-time day jobs, too!

The top two placing groups at this event will advance to the 2025 ICCA United Kingdom Semifinal.

BRING THE HARMONY HOME

Find your favorite groups on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA), available for purchase on Apple Music and Amazon Music!

#ICCA