Three exciting acappella groups who gained national attention on NBC's "The Sing Off" will share their unique styles as they launch the 2012 summer season at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre in Orem. The Memorial Day concert, May 28 at 8:00pm, will feature the television show's reigning champs, Pentatonix, as well as the powerful all-female group Delilah and the local boys gone big time, BYU's Vocal Point, who both made it to the show's final few competitors.
"What a great opportunity this is to see in person three groups that made such an impact on 'Sing Off,'" says Adam J. Robertson, SCERA President & CEO. "Utah County loves our acappella and this show combines the best of the best."
General admission tickets are $20 for adults, and $15 for children (age 3-11), seniors (age 65+) and students (w/ID). They are available from 10am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays from 12Noon-6pm at the main office of SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 South State, Orem, online at www.scera.org, by calling (801) 225-ARTS or at the Shell gate 90 minutes prior to the performance.
Five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas, comprise Pentatonix. They won the third season of the "Sing Off," which aired on NBC this past fall, capping their win with an acappella arrangement of "Eye of the Tiger," and other viewer and voter favorites including "Video Killed The Radio Star," "Love Lockdown," "Dog Days Are Over," "Let's Get It On," "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart," "Born To Be Wild," "Stuck Like Glue," "Forget You," "Since You've Been Gone" and many more. For their win, they received $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony.
Their start came when a local radio station hosted a competition to meet the cast of Glee. Three friends, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoving submitted a tape, and although they did not win, they began performing regularly. They added Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola before auditioning for "Sing Off." The group cites pop, dubstep, electro and hip-hop as their influences, and their intricate five-part harmonies reimagine pop songs and shatter every preconception of just how cool acappella can be as they make awe-inspiring sounds with just their voices.
The ladies of Delilah bring a sassy flair to contemporary acappella with their edgy and soulful sound. They represent a variety of singers, many of whom performed with other groups on the first two seasons of "Sing Off." Two singers are from BYU's Noteworthy female acappella ensemble. Others were members of Pitch Slapped (Berklee College of Music), Divisi and 11th Hour. They recently completed a tour in Hong Kong. Still on their wish list is triumphing on the "Sing Off" stage, although their musical highlights on this season won't soon be forgotten, especially their version of Bruno Mars' "Grenade."
One of Delilah's featured singers, Amy Whitcomb, has a SCERA tie. Not surprisingly, she won SCERA's 6th annual Celebrity vocal competition last summer. On "The Sing Off," Amy was frequently praised by the judges for her powerhouse vocals, and Rolling Stone Magazine specifically mentioned her, saying, "Somebody give this girl a recording contract."
The nine-man group known as Vocal Point became an instant hit on the BYU campus and has retained a large and fierce following. The group was adopted into the BYU School of Music in 1994, which assured its longevity. In addition to dozens of campus performances, they have performed at the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, for the Utah Jazz, in Nauvoo, Illinois, New York City and other sites across the country.
Vocal Point had won the regional semi-finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella more than once, but did not perform at nationals because its competition fell on a Sunday. In 2006, when the finals were held another day, Vocal Point captured first place honors and were crowned international champions. The "Sing Off" judges were wowed by their signature ability to entertain and inspire, which carried them far in the competition.
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