A Cappella
Warwick A Cappella Society (WACA)
A society for performing, arranging and appreciating unaccompanied vocal music.
Five individual a cappella group fall within our society each coming together to practice and share passion for music, as well as developing knowledge and skills unique to a cappella. As a society, we aim to provide a platform for new a cappella groups to form, and also amplify the voices of our groups by connecting them with performance venues, workshop providers, other universities and annual events.
Follow our society Instagram @wacasociety and feel free to message us if you have any questions!
Auditions
We hold auditions centrally for all groups during week 1 of term 1. You can sign up for a 15 minute slot using an online form - this will be released on our social media (@wacasociety). We re-open auditions at the beginning of term 2 for additional members!
Separately to our individual groups, we hold biweekly workshops called ‘All Sing’ which are open to absolutely everyone, including non-society members. It gives everyone the opportunity to meet other members in a relaxed environment, and each session focuses on a different aspect of a cappella singing to improve our skills.
Our groups (for 2024-25):
Our competition groups:
·The Leamingtones - 2 x UK Finalist in ICCAs, society founding group, established 2014
·OffScore - 2023 ICCA Quarterfinalist, established 2022
These groups rehearse typically 2-3 times a week, so require lots of commitment, but are very rewarding as performances are of a high standard and they compete in international competitions. Both of our competition groups competed at the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella last year (known as the ICCAs, and also the competition featured in Pitch Perfect).
We also have non-competition groups:
·Athena - all upper-voices group
·Schrödingers scat - Jazz group
·Top of the Pops - Pop group
These groups rehearse typically once a week, and perform in the termly WACA showcases, but have the opportunity to perform at pop-up events throughout the year.
Taste of A Cappella:
You can listen to The Leamingtones’ album 'Phoenix' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3Fwevmgis&list=OLAK5uy_n4ooTOriYZl7ijqA2tkQ5I2K0JUTmC3lE
Socials:
The society runs some amazing socials, including sober events, which include circling, trips to the student club POP!, Christmas lights switch-ons, picnics, laser tag, karaoke, Warwick Castle trips and shows in the arts centre. We continue to expand our presence at Warwick, and engage with music centre groups, keeping close ties to Opera Warwick, Chamber Choir, Musical Theatre Warwick and Improv musical.
Testimonial:
'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