Warwick A Cappella Society is a society for performing, arranging and appreciating unaccompanied vocal music.
It is an umbrella for all a cappella groups within the university to centralise our shared passion for music as well as to develop our knowledge and skills relating to the art. It is a platform for all a cappella lovers at the university to come together and appreciate a cappella music. No one should ever have to suppress their need to sing and make music, and this society aims for members to express their musical abilities freely!
We aim to be a platform for new a cappella groups, provide motivation for them to compete, and be an access point to the outside world. WACA holds events, competitions, contact performance venues, and reach out to other universities – amplifying the voices of these groups. The society simply gives the opportunity for rehearsed groups to perform through a unified, recognised, established and professional society.
We hope to pave a way forward, leaving a legendary mark and a legacy for the University of Warwick.
We hold auditions for all our groups at the beginning of the academic year primarily but we do re-open auditions at the beginning of term 2 for additional members!
Separately, we hold a bi-weekly session called ‘All Sing’ which is open to absolutely everyone, and members of other groups are encouraged to come along to meet each other and sing in a relaxed environment. Each session has a different theme and focusses on a different aspect of a cappella singing.
We also hold group specific workshops to develop and improve various a cappella skills such as arranging, dynamics, blending, beatboxing, tuning and many more aspects. We’ve even invited many well-known musicians in to work with us such as select members from the likes of the Sons of Pitches and the King Singers, as well as other people well-known to the a cappella community.
For four years, Warwick University hosted the Open A Cappella Competition (OAC), providing groups from all across the country an opportunity to perform in a competition environment outside of the International Competition for Collegiate A Cappella (ICCAs). It was named society event of the year in Warwick SU’s end of year awards in 2020. Since it’s founding, we’ve hosted some of the best a cappella groups from around the country such as Northern Lights, Axiom, Algorhythm, Elision, Aquapella, The Decibelles, The Rollingtones and Techtonics to name just a few.
In 2023-2024, the society includes six groups! These are:
- The Leamingtones - the founding pop competition group
- OffScore - a pop competition group (featured in the image above)
- Athena - all upper-voices group
- Top of the Pops - the new pop group
- Schrödingers scat - the jazz group
- Barbershop - the barbershop singing group (not quartet)
Warwick’s first a cappella group ‘The Leamingtones’, was the first step into the a cappella scene. It was formed in 2014 (Before the society itself!). They are an auditioned a cappella group who have performed at many events since their founding including, TEDx Warwick conference, open mic nights, the MTW showcase, the International female barbershop convention held at Warwick Arts Centre, Leamington band stand, Tonight Belongs to You fundraiser and even busked in the streets of Coventry and Leamington Spa. They also revel in their annual ‘barn trip’ which is quite the bonding experience! Rehearsals are typically 2-3 times a week.
You can listen to their new album 'Phoenix' here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3Fwevmgis&list=OLAK5uy_n4ooTOriYZl7ijqA2tkQ5I2K0JUTmC3lE
'Offscore' is WACA's newest competition group - characterized by its unique and vibey arrangements from a variety of genres and a range of artists. They are also an auditioned a cappella group, but set themselves apart by combining a high level of musicality with a relaxed and enjoyable vibe! 'Offscore' competed at the ICCA quarterfinals for the first time in January this year, and are performing nine songs with full choreography at 'UNSION' in June at the Warwick Arts Centre! Rehearsals are typically twice a week, or three times during the lead up to competitions and shows.
'Athena' is our all upper-voices a cappella group (think Barden Bellas!) They bring a great energy to the a cappella scene at Warwick and are perfect if you are looking for a fun and chill group to join! From performing at open mic nights alongside other groups at Leif Tearooms and the end of terms showcases, they impress with their dynamic arrangements of popular songs like 'Unwritten' and ‘Señorita’.
'Top of the Pops' is our newest a cappella group - started in 2023. This is a great group to join if you are new a cappella, and would like a fun and supportive environment! They have performed at our termly showcases, with popular songs such as 'Cardigan' and 'A Thousand Years'.
'Schrödinger’s scat' is WACA's resident jazz group! They sing everything from popular jazz to barbershop tags with a whole lot of fun choreography and props. In their words, they are 'arguably the most iconic WACA group' and have wowed audiences with their heart-warming and amusing performances. From singing ‘autumn leaves’ to ‘clouds-on-fire’, they continually leave us in awe with their jazzy dissonance and harmony!
Our Barbershop group is another relatively new group to the WACA scene - made up of singers who have a passion for close harmonies! Don't be fooled though, the group isn't a quartet! Their performances at showcases are always highly anticipated, with comedical songs and choreography.
The society has bounced back well from a break during lockdown, sending 'The Leamingtones' to the ICCAs for the first time in Warwick history in 2022: placing 4th in the Quarter final! In both 2023 and 2024, 'The Leamingtones' became Quarter-final champions, and also placed well in the UK finals.
The society runs some amazing socials including nights out to the well-loved POP! and circling, Coventry’s Christmas Lights switch on, our annual Christmas Carolling, and attending various shows in the arts centre. We also look to continue expanding our presence at Warwick in every way we can by better incorporating with the music centre and engaging in more inter-society events such as those with Opera Warwick, Chamber Choir, Musical Theatre Warwick and Improv musical.
If you want to start a new group, WACA can support you! Our past groups have included:
- Our very own barbershop quartet "The Undercuts" who sang all the classics. Although our smallest group, they still produced a rich ringing sound synonymous with the barbershop style. They competed in the 2020 OAC and held their own despite being half the size of the next smallest group.
- The "Practical Folkers", formed in October 2019 and specialised in performing folk songs. They had a busy first year, recording several arrangements, performing in Warwick blackout, and competing alongside 9 other groups in the OAC just 5 months after forming. Despite most of them having graduated, they still stay in touch and release occasional recordings of new arrangements.
- We also had a musical theatre a cappella group 'Be More Trill', which was great fun! Something we would definitely like to start up again!
Here are a couple of testimonials:
‘Over the past few months becoming a member of WACA has become a significant part of my life at Warwick. It is simply great to meet people with the same passion for singing every week and work hard for collective achievements such as new songs, choreography and great performances. Being on stage with an amazing bunch of talented people and seeing everyone having a fantastic time is one of the best feelings you can have as a musician and performer.' -Kathy
' Being a member of WACA has been a core part of my university experience - if you enjoy singing, I can’t recommend it enough. From performing in the ICCAs, to having a ton of fun and banter in rehearsals, so many of my favourite memories from uni have come from being a part of the WACA community. If you’re also looking for a bit of creative freedom, you can become a musical director of one of the groups. Leading a group in this way is so rewarding and gave me the opportunity to create my own a cappella arrangements!' - Sophie Spratt, Schrödingers Scat MD 2022/23