By Ehlayna NapolitanoNEWS EDITOR
Sigma’capella, an a cappella group at Hofstra, took the top prize at the International Championship for Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) held in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse on Feb. 14.
The competition hosted eight groups from several schools from the New York area. The competition hosted a cappella groups from Stonybrook University, Columbia University and Queens College, as well as two groups from Fordham University and New York University. The NYU N’Harmonics and the NYU Mixtones placed second and third, respectively. The Hofstra Dutchmen hosted the competition.
Groups were judged on 10 to 15 different categories. These can include soloists and choreography judgments, all of which factor into the groups’ overall scores. These scores then determine the rankings of the groups at the close of the competition.
Sigma was established 15 years ago, making it the oldest Hofstra a cappella group. They performed last, after the order was decided in a meeting in the early afternoon on Saturday, according to Sigma president Hanna Knuuttunen, a senior TV production major.
Sigma practiced more than four hours a week in preparation for the competition. They had to work on vocals and choreography in order to perform a full set, which ran about 10 minutes, according to Sarah Herron, the music director and senior music education major.
“We had so many rehearsals and dedicated members of the group, so we spend long hours slaving over a long music set,” said Deanna Giulietti, public relations chair and senior drama major.
The 10-minute set was a medley entitled, “Voices in My Head.” Sigma was the only group in the competition to perform solely a medley. The group thinks that the uniqueness of their set was part of what made them stand out.
“Every song followed a very specific theme and I think that’s what helped us stand apart from the other groups,” Knuuttunen said.
The group qualifed for the quarterfinal competition for the first time, according to Knuuttunen. Winning was a “complete honor,” according to Giulietti.
“Performing was a blur because we were so excited,” Knuuttunen said. “Once we all got offstage, we were so happy with how we thought it went, but we never expected to win because this was our first time in this competition and some groups have done it multiple times.”
Sigma also won “Most Outstanding Arrangement” for their set. The co-ed group suggested songs and voted on their favorites to form a cohesive medley of songs that fit with a specific theme.
“Of course we were nervous, going against some of the best groups in our area. But at the end of the day, we have an incredibly talented group with dedicated members,” Herron said.
The group will be moving on to the semifinals, which will be held at the Boston Symphony Hall on March 22. They are hoping to see Hofstra faces in the crowd at that performance, which will be very similar to the set that won them first place, according to Giulietti.
The group is not discussing the setlist, in an effort to conceal their plans for the upcoming performance. If they win at the semifinals, they will move on to the championship on April 18, at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan.
The group spent the moments before their winning performance focusing on remaining calm in spite of their nerves. They had to “get focused and bring all of [their] energy into one place,” Giulietti said.
“When they called our name for first place, we all screamed and cried and hugged. It was such an amazing moment,” Knuuttunen said.
