By Jennifer Andelin
Brigham Young University‘s Vocal Point has been selling out shows in Provo since the group first performed in 1991. It all started with two BYU students, Dave Boyce and Bob Ahlander, who heard some contemporary a cappella while visiting the East Coast and came back wanting to create a group of their own. Along with their first artistic director, Jill Petersen-Lex, they held auditions and formed BYU’s first nine-member a cappella group: Vocal Point. The group was student-run for three years before being adopted into BYU’s School of Music. The group’s members may change from year to year as does its artistic directors, but Vocal Point has maintained its popularity these 18 years.
That popularity is palpable at performances. The group’s fervor combined with the excitement of the audience creates a magnetism that allows laughter, tears, enthusiasm, and awe to flow. The choreography adds a lot to the energy the audience feels as the group performs. Vocal Point, under the artistic direction of McKay Crockett, features this line up this year: Beat Boxer Matt Newman, Bass Cabe John, Tenor James Thorup, Tenor Jantzen Dalley, Tenor Jason Bromley, Tenor Josh Dalley, Baritone Yaphet Bustos, Baritone Nathan Cazmersen, and Baritone David Steele. Each member receives a little bit of the spotlight, from Thorup’s soprano solos to Newman’s beatboxing lessons. While a tad long, the audience particularly loved the beatboxing lessons, giving Newman his own standing ovation.
The group also allows the audience to get to know them through little vignettes they each give between songs. The members share stories and testimonials of service, endurance, family, and God. They often follow up these types of stories and learned lessons with inspirational songs. The concert also includes a lot of fun moments too from a dad joke battle to three truths and a lie. I particularly liked the social media contest that encourages the audience to take photos throughout the performance and post them to social media sites with #byuvocalpoint. During intermission Vocal Point chooses one captioned photo from Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and gives a prize to each winning audience member. I loved how Vocal Point involves the audience throughout the performance.
As for the visual effects, there is a creative use of multimedia during each song: music videos, various lighting, smoke, personal photographs, and colorful background displays. However, Vocal Point’s performances really stand out when the multimedia is turned off and the group is only lit by white light. The focus is on them and the incredible feat of aligning their voices together to create powerful, moving a cappella renditions of beloved songs. Such was the case with my favorite songs of the night: the Christian hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” and Billy Joel’s “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel).” The group’s harmony shone with these two songs.
I also enjoyed the mashup of 60s music which included songs like The Temptations‘ “My Girl.” What is significant about the songs they chose to sing from that era is that they are all licensed under Universal Music, which have now signed Vocal Point to record under their label Decca Gold. Congratulations, Vocal Point!
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Vocal Point continues to have concerts throughout the year, so be sure to see them perform at one. Their shows are family friendly, which only adds to their popularity, so get your tickets fast to one of their future shows before they’re sold-out—which is likely.
Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications, School of Music presents Vocal Point
Brigham Young University Provo, Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, UT 84602
Tickets: $11- $13
Contact: 801-422-4322
BYU School of Music Facebook Page
BYU Vocal Point Facebook Page
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