By Angela Twining
Some Disney, some Lenny Kravitz and even some church music — all in one evening. All from nine guys. All a cappella.
Vocal Point, BYU”s award-winning, nine-member a cappella group, is giving its end-of-the-semester show on Saturday, April 14.
“I think this is the best sounding group I”ve had in all the years I”ve done Vocal Point,” said Jim Anglesey, director and faculty member in the School of Music.
“Their voices work together really well, so there”s a nice sound to the group, and of course they”re good energetic performers,” he said.
Anglesey said there is always a gamble in pulling together nine different people from auditions to perform, but this semester has produced a great ensemble.
“There are a lot of personality things that have got to happen. They spend more time with each other than anyone else,” he said.
But the hard work and practice, up to 20 hours a week sometimes, has certainly paid off.
“There”s always a lot of humor in the show and it”s designed to be fun,” Anglesey said of the upcoming performance.
The theme for this show is “WANTED,” and Anglesey said it stems from a “Fugitive” ideal and gives the guys a chance to poke fun at themselves.
Joe LeBaron, 23, a senior from Salt Lake City, majoring in graphic design, is a member of Vocal Point.
“BYU has such a clean-cut reputation so we obviously wouldn”t be outlaws, but it”s fun to play the part,” LeBaron said of the “WANTED” theme.
He said the hour-and-a-half show promises some interesting vocal percussion, comedic skits and a lot of great music that he has enjoyed learning.
“Once you get started in it, it”s addicting. It sucks you in. Part of it is being one-on-one with the crowd and part of it is just the sound that comes from a group of guys” voices,” LeBaron said.
Tyler Erickson, 21, a sophomore from Medina, Ohio, who has not yet declared a major, is planning on attending the Vocal Point show Saturday and has been impressed by the group”s energy and enthusiasm in past shows.
“I like the sound of men”s voices — men don”t sing as often as women, so because of that scarcity, it makes their singing more exciting,” he said.
Erickson said seeing Vocal Point at the A Cappella Jam this semester has even inspired him to start his own a cappella group.
“I think Vocal Point and other a cappella groups encourage students to expand their appreciation for different types of music,” he said. “They also require both good singing skills and the ability to please the crowd.”
Vocal Point members have been busy this year. They have toured in Indiana, Idaho, Colorado and California. They will also travel to Oregon before the semester is out.
Vocal Point competed this semester in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, a competition that involved 105 of the top groups nation-wide. Vocal Point won its regional quarter-final and went on to compete in the semi-finals.
Shows Saturday are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can do so at the Fine Arts Ticket office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or by calling (801) 378-4322.
