An Inside Look at A Cappella at The Rock

By Shira Palmer and Kiara Alvarez
Reporters

On March 12, one of the most anticipated events of the year for choir fanatics all around took place at our very own Council Rock High School North. Ten schools joined together to create a night filled with funny moments and amazing music, also known as A Cappella at the Rock. Not only were the student performers extremely talented, but also the night was topped off with the appearance of The House Jacks, a successful band that has been featured in CNN, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times.

The show started off with our very own Rhythm of the Rocking performing “The Way You Make Me Feel,” a feel good pop song by beloved Michael Jackson. Although North Choirs performed, we were not permitted to win any awards because we were hosting the event (but don’t fret, North performances received some of the highest marks). The vocal groups were judged in categories such as tone quality, intonation, vocalization, musicality, and best solo. Especially talented singers were eligible to win awards in categories like Outstanding Male Vocalist, Outstanding Female Vocalist, Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and Best Overall Effect.

The Chamber Singers from the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush had the top overall score, a deserved placing. Judges gave their fantastic performance a 99.4 out of 100 points. North Voice attained the second best score with a 95.1 from their song “Run to You,” an outstanding piece that was also performed on the choir’s trip to England and Scotland. After the schools performed, The House Jacks sang beautifully on stage. It felt like a true concert and was mesmerizing to imagine that this was all occurring at our very own school. They sang some original songs and then allowed requests from the audience. The requests were entertaining and included songs such as “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj, songs from Hamilton (which they unfortunately were not familiar with), and “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men. However, the crowd pleaser was definitely “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. By the first chord, almost half of the auditorium was lit up by phone flashlights waving in the air. By the end, the requests piled up, so the band made some mash-ups that thoroughly entertained the audience for the remaining time.

​A Cappella at the Rock ended with a big bang. All ten schools surprised the crowd with thousands of high-school choir students onstage, singing their hearts out, as they performed “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia with the accompaniment of The House Jacks. It was a powerful and intense moment when rival schools (like Council Rock High School South) united with us to make the crowd go wild, making the event an official success. It was an event that brought together all types of music fans, whether they liked rap, Broadway, or pop. The fun wasn’t limited to just choir members, but friends and family also had a blast. We are all anticipating next year’s A Cappella at the Rock and all of the surprises and fun that will lie in store.

---