Hi everyone!
So because I love reminiscing about St Andrews, I thought I would keep up with those posts for as long as I have inspiration and that you can bare with me đ Â Today, I thought I would share one of my favourite things about St Andrews: A Cappella music.
When I got into St Andrews, I looked around the web to learn all I could learn about the university (I’m what you would call keen). I quickly found the video “Royal Romance,” made just the year before for the engagement of St Andrews alumni Kate and William, by a group called The Other Guys. I thought it was funny and, obviously, very good singing/music!
It was also around the time that their Katy Perry inspired single “St Andrews Girls” came out. It became the anthem to lots of girls who were as keen as me to move to St Andrews. It was still great music, a hilarious video and, well, St Andrews pride! It made me a fan!
When I got to St Andrews, I quickly realised that it is a huge a cappella university! It has, I believe, about 6 groups and well about a dozen shows during the academic year.
On top of groups singing at various school events, of the christmas concert and the different groups’ individual concerts, St Andrews is also the host of the Voice Festival UK, St Andrews Regional. I had (obviously) found the videos of the previous year and loved it, so I quickly bought tickets for the 2013 one when I saw it advertised. Like any other event in St Andrews, you can usually always find that half your friends are attending, so I joined up with them and we headed to the Younger Hall early to get good seats. On that particular night, people queued in the streets for what seemed like about an hour….only in St And, right?
It was a particularly good night (except for the whole ‘I forgot my student ID at the entrance and so they called me to the stage to get it’ moment…I was mortified!). I got to hang out with my friends, enjoy some awesome singing and be entertained by the St Andrews Revue.
What I love about the a cappella groups I had the chance of seeing was: they were all very very good (no negatives there!), the choices of songs were a mix of classic and contemporary and no one took themselves too seriously! The humour in their sets was contagious and I loved the mix of great music with funny moments! It makes it all the more enjoyable!
I definitely recommend checking out the youtube channel of The Other Guys! In addition to the two videos I have mentioned, last year they came up with a Christmas single and a Valentines Day single, they are both brilliant! My second favourite group was The Alleycats, the only group with both female and male vocalists. On top of their great arrangements, they definitely have the coolest dance moves!
If you are in the Edinburgh area in July/August, I would also recommend checking out the Fringe Festival for some of the St Andrews’ a cappella groups concerts! I had the chance of seeing The Other Guys last year at the Greyfriars Kirk, and it was a must see! I’m still waiting for their rendition of Golfer’s Paradise to come out online!
Lastly, I also have to give a shout out to the University of Glasgow’s Choral Stimulation (yep that’s their name…) for singing Lonely Island’s “I just had sex” (and throwing condoms at the audience) at the Christmas concert in front of a bunch of St Andrews students who were shocked and yet pleasantly entertained! They are very very good and have also won the last two years of the St Andrews Regional – which stings a bit as a total St Andrews supporter! đ
Do you like a cappella? Had you ever heard of any of those groups? Enjoy the music! xx
