From upbeat pop hits and soulful ballads to international songs, Washington University’s a cappella groups showcased their range and versatility on February 11. 

This year’s Midwest International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) Quarterfinals was held at the 560 Music Center. Nine a cappella groups from three universities competed. Each team had a ten-minute performance. Teams were evaluated on both their vocal skills and visual performance. 

After Dark was the first Washington University group to perform. They are a non-themed, all-gender a cappella group founded in 2001 that navigates everything from pop to indie. They kicked off their performance with “Send Them Off” by the British indie pop band Bastille, transitioned into “Normal Girl” by SZA, and finished with “Art of Survival” by Bishop Briggs. Dressed in black and white, After Dark’s choreography timed hand motions with bursts of soaring sounds. Freshman audience member Athena Nguyen described their choreography as “illuminating,” and said that “their presence was felt.”

The crowd was still in awe when the Amateurs entered the stage with another electrifying performance. As another all-gendered a cappella group with many albums and concerts under their belts, the singers moved fluidly around the stage, each new voice adding depth and complexity. 

Their songs of choice, “Intro” by Chloe x Halle, “Bass Song” by Eryn Allen Kane, “Woods” by Bon Iver, and “Ride” by Lana Del Rey, fused together nicely, building towards a climax as the entire group came together in perfect harmony. The Amateurs finished in second place, and junior Kaitie McGary won Outstanding Soloist for “Bass Song.”

The Sensasians, WashU’s next group, came out dressed in lavender outfits. They performed new renditions of songs in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Sensasians’ seamless transitions between different languages brought out loud cheers from the audience. They were transformers on stage; one second they huddled into the shape of a piano, and the next they were in a crisscrossing formation. 

The competition ended with the Mosaic Whispers, the winners of the ICCA Quarterfinal. They put on an elaborate story of love, loss, grief, and acceptance. Senior Noah Maguigad, a music minor, created the arrangement from scratch after dropping out from last year’s ICCAs. The prolonged winter break last year limited practice time for the Mosaic Whispers, and they decided to focus their energy on this year’s competition instead.

“We wanted to do more than just a traditional set. We [wanted something] that spoke to the people,” Maguigad said.

The choreography transitioned through representations of a drained relationship to flashbacks of happy memories to a stage of grief.

 “Each person has their own story to tell, but [the synergy] was transformed into something communal,” Maguigad said. 

Their song arrangement was an intricate one. Mosaic Whispers started out with over 100 song choices and narrowed it down to three: “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” by Harry Styles, the bridge of “The 30th” by Billie Eilish, and “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine. Together, the group wove the bridge of “The 30th” into “Ceilings,” so the lines responded smoothly with each other. 

Once the champions were announced, the Mosaic Whispers, Maguigad said, were “overjoyed but not surprised” by their victory. Both the Amateurs and the Mosaic Whispers are getting ready for the semi-finals, which are on April 1.