DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 30th season! After more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on the stage and in the studio, our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, currently featuring more than 730 groups and around 12,000 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 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 from other groups.  

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 30 years ago and can’t wait to see how our 2026 competitors continue to 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

The Tivoli Theatre
Saturday, January 31st, 2026

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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, now in it's 30th year, 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 25th.

The high school tournament is now in its 21st 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 24th.

 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 10 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

Aberpella is the University of Aberdeen’ premier mixed-voice a cappella group. The group has competed in ICCA since 2017, when they placed 3rd at Quarterfinals in Edinburgh. Clad in royal blue and black, the group hopes to showcase their camaraderie and the joy they get from singing together onstage. This year, Aberpella’s set is themed around The North and its associations, such as lights (and the cold!). They want to celebrate their university home, singing songs like “The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen” and “Snow on the Beach” Isn’t January a great month to sing about the cold in Aberdeen? The group is especially excited to bring “The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen” back to the Tivoli Theatre, where it was first performed in 1953. Aberpella’s set was arranged by musical director (and Aberdonian) Daisy MacCallum, who co-arranged one of the songs in the set with previous Aberpella musical director, Jonathan Love. Aberpella is excited to perform together and bring their enthusiasm to the ICCA stage. Go Blue! 

Formed in 1994, The Accidentals is the University of St Andrews’ oldest a cappella group. Known for their killer harmonies and exciting arrangements, this all-female group promotes their message of women’s empowerment by honouring iconic artists and putting their own stamp on every song they perform. Bound together by a strong sense of sisterhood and love for a cappella, The Accidentals are excited to return to the ICCA and lead the audience on a cosmic journey to the moon. 

The Alleycats hail from The University of St. Andrews. Formed in 2001 by a group of close friends, this a cappella group values having fun and truly enjoying their rehearsals and performances. The co-ed group is currently composed of 13 vocalists. The group uses their mix of musical backgrounds to its advantage, singing a range of styles and genres, including pop, jazz, classical, Arabic, and musical theatre. Although this will be some of the newest members’ competitive debut, The Alleycats are no stranger to the ICCA and they fully intend to deliver a powerful and dynamic performance. 

Cadenza is the University of Cambridge's premier mixed a cappella group, formed of 13 members. Dating back to the 1990s (the group, not the current members), Cadenza has had a long and illustrious history, winning the Voice Festival U.K. in 2011, the Cambridge A Cappella Competition in 2015, and reaching ICCA U.K. Semifinals. The last time Cadenza performed at the ICCA was almost a decade ago, so they are eager to put their group back on the map this year and show their versatility and style! You may have also spotted them at Edinburgh Fringe or on their YouTube channel, which features music videos and lockdown arrangements. Cadenza’s 2026 set focuses on the natural world and how humans interact with it. Through their songs, they hope to lead the audience on a journey through destruction, serenity, movement, and urgency as they explore different climates and forms of natural beauty. They have had so much fun creating this set and can’t wait to share! 

Cloud IX is the University of Edinburgh’s male and nonbinary competition group, and the newest group at Edinburgh. They’re excited to be back at ICCA after having a blast competing for the last several years. This year, they’re back with a new lineup, an even crazier combined vocal range, and more intricate arrangements. Following last year’s set on social anxiety, they’re back with another themed set, this one exploring the act of releasing relationships that aren’t working. If that sounds like a downer, don’t worry! Cloud IX is ready to bring their infectious upbeat energy to the stage and have a blast performing their music. They hope you enjoy!

The Hummingbirds is an all-female a cappella group from the University of St. Andrews. The group is composed of best friends from around the world, from New York City to Tokyo to Aberdeen. They are united through a shared love of music and storytelling and strive to create performances that linger with audiences, long after the final note. Last year, they had an absolute blast performing at ICCA in both Edinburgh and London. This year, The Hummingbirds return with an exploration of the quiet ache beneath ambition, the haunting beauty of always reaching for more, and the moments of stillness that remind people of what they already have. Through their set, The Hummingbirds invite you to step into that space with them, to feel the tension between yearning and peace, between light and shadow. Their music holds up a mirror to the raw, imperfect, and deeply alive human experience. The Hummingbirds hope their story stays with you, even just for a moment, and that you leave feeling something real. 

The Killer Quines is Aberdeen University’s award-winning female and nonbinary a cappella group! They had so much fun competing last year and have since upped the energy, increased their numbers, and now have two sets of sisters in the group! The 12th generation of Quines has had the best time getting to know one another, discovering their new sound, and just having fun in rehearsals together. Although they come together as a group to sing, The Quines are lucky to also be close friends and enjoy spending time together outside of rehearsals. They’ve enjoyed plenty of movie nights, post-rehearsal pub trips, and, of course, the return of the (in)famous Quines sleepover! This year’s set explores the theme of healing. Tonight, The KIller Quines want to take you on a journey through the healing process and hopefully show that there’s light at the end of the tunnel when the right support network is there. They hope you enjoy their performance as much as they have enjoyed preparing it! 

Licence To Trill is the University of Edinburgh's competitive a cappella group for women and nonbinary singers. The group proudly centres women and queer artistry in its membership and music choices, performing songs exclusively by female or queer artists. Licence is well established in the U.K. a cappella scene, qualifying for the ICCA U.K. Semifinals in 2020 and 2021. This year, they have created a set showcasing three decades of alternative pop and the boundary-pushing icons that defined them. They cannot wait to share their hard work and hope you enjoy their set as much as they do! 

Rebranded from SYE, The Stirling Stellars is an outgoing group of students who love performing together. Excited to compete in their third ICCA, The Stirling Stellars cannot wait to show what they have been working on for the past year. 

Tone Up is the University of Edinburgh's mixed-voice competitive a cappella group. This tight-knit group of 15 singers regularly performs at gigs, competitions, and showcases in Edinburgh and beyond. Tone Up are two-time Scottish A Cappella Championship (SACC) winners and took home 2nd place, as well as the awards for Outstanding Arrangement and Outstanding Choreography, at SACC 2025. You can listen to their music on all major music streaming platforms. They've welcomed seven new members this year and can't wait to perform on the ICCA stage once again.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Sophie-Lee Colchester is a choir leader, teacher, and award-winning musical director. She has been Director of Fitznells Music Centre for more than a decade, where she teaches singing, piano, and percussion, and leads both adult and children’s choirs. She was the musical director for the world premiere of “5, 6, 7, 8: A Steps Musical” at the Camden Fringe Festival in 2017 and more recently for the award-winning 2019 production of “I Love You Because” at Wimbledon Studio Theatre. Also a singer, she has performed in choirs and onstage since childhood, and has sung for Mary King, Bob Chilcott, and Sampha.

Bass-baritone Felix Dickenson is a Yorkshire-born singer, conductor, and music director based in London. A versatile musician, Felix performs with LowKey, an award-winning professional a cappella group, and has toured with them across Germany, Italy, and Denmark. He is an in-demand concert soloist and ensemble vocalist, with solo performances including Mozart’s "Requiem," Brahms' "Ein Deutsches Requiem," Handel’s "Alceste," and Horowitz’s "Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo." Also an actor and voice artist, Felix has originated characters in new works of British and American musical theatre, including "The Circle" and "FLITCH!" Offstage, he is an award-winning producer and arranger of both contemporary and classical music, garnering multiple nominations and wins at the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs). 

Will Geraint Drake is an award-winning singer, arranger, and vocal director. A Durham University music graduate (M.A.), he earned four Outstanding Arrangement awards as a member and musical director of Northern Lights, with his work featured in consecutive ICCA Finals appearances in New York and on BOCA and Voices Only compilations. Will now works extensively with professional vocal ensembles, touring Europe with Elision (2025 Vokal.Total award winners) and undertaking session work for studio albums and podcasts with Enchord. An in-demand arranger and educator, Will regularly leads workshops and writes for projects across the U.K., U.S., and Canada. His collaborations include BBC One’s The One Show, Classic FM, Deutsche Welle, Broadway Goes A Cappella, the U.K. A Cappella Society, and London Youth Choirs. He currently serves as artistic director of the Open A cappella Competition. Follow @willgdrake to keep posted on Will's upcoming work. He is so excited to see tonight’s show and what each competitor brings to the stage! 

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank 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 Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Rebecca Williamson
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

Angelina Corbin
 Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA Finals

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

McKinley Thoreson
 Associate Producer
ICHSA Great Lakes

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 2026 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