North Presents 2022 A Cappella at The Rock

By Sophia Kim

North families and a cappella enthusiasts were finally able to attend the yearly “A Cappella at the Rock” festival in-person this year on Saturday, April 2. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event had been canceled in 2020 and took place virtually in 2021. This year, North’s auditorium was packed with people eager to enjoy a live performance.
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The event saw nine performances by seven student a cappella groups from schools in the area. North presented Rhythm of the Rock, its pop a cappella group, as well as NorthVoice, its select choir.

Rhythm of the Rock began the show with an easygoing and lighthearted performance of Lake Street Dive’s “Hypotheticals,” arranged by Maryanne Muglia. The group later performed an impactful rendition of “Iscariot” by Walk the Moon, arranged by Brett Kissel and edited by Ryan Carlin, and concluded the student performances with a powerful and dramatic performance of “Heavenly Father” by Bon Iver, arranged by Ryan Carlin.

NorthVoice performed an atmospheric interpretation of “We Found Love” by Rihanna, arranged by Chris Rishel. 

Hailing from Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, the String Theory Singers performed a moving rendition of “Imagine” by John Lennon. 

The Spartones from Steinert High School vibrantly sang “Electric Love” by Borns. 

From the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, the Chamber Singers performed “All for Us” by Labrinth, utilizing expressive dance to create a heavy atmosphere.

The Vocal Vikings from Atlantic City High School showcased a wide-ranging medley of “No Tears Left to Cry,” by Ariana Grande, “Some Nights,” by Fun, “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, and “All for Us” by Labrinth. 

Rhapsody from Ridley High School sang a fun and charismatic version of “Do You Wanna Do Nothing With Me?” by Lawrence, wearing onesie pajamas and dancing around a couch to capture the relaxed and cozy setting of the song. 

After a brief intermission, professional a cappella group Revoiced took the stage, first introducing their group, then demonstrating each member’s contribution to their collective sound.

​Member Chris brought up a senior audience member, Connie, from the crowd, guiding her by hand up to the stage to dance. Beatboxer Justin later engaged the crowd with a group activity, assigning specific sounds to sections of the audience and directing the sections to create a beatbox-like medley of noises. 

The festival ended with a grand finale performance involving Revoiced and all student participants of the event. The singers collectively performed “Don’t Worry Be (Happy),” a unified reminder to remain positive at this tumultuous time in the world.

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