The Simmons Sirens gathered in the packed Linda K. Paresky Center for their end-of-year spring concert, alongside other a cappella groups including Emmanuel’s For Good Measures, Northeastern’s Unisons and Suffolk’s Ramifications on April 27.
The concert opened with the Sirens singing “OUCH!” by Nxdia, a powderful and catchy ballad that had audience members swaying along. They moved onto a Chappell Roan medley bouncing from “Red Wine Supernova,” one of Roan’s top pop hits, to “California,” leaving a hush in the room as audience members leaned in to hear the quieter melodies.
Hale Kütük, the junior president of the Sirens, welcomed and acknowledged the large crowd for a “small liberal arts group.” In an interview with the Voice, Kütük reflected on her time as president and how the group has grown.
“There have been a lot of changes to how we function,” she said. “I was able to mandate DEI commitments and procedures. We have multiple members who have not been accommodated in the past and that has always been sort of ignored. My biggest mission was to make sure people could get to venues and were…surrounded by love and commitment.”
The Suffolk Ramifications, an all-gender a cappella group, followed the Sirens. Their set went from grunge, starting with a growling “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar, to haunting ballad, ending with “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish.
Intertwined throughout the concert were the traditional “senior solos,” highlighting the various graduating members. Jenny Ciarletto, a film major from MassArt who joined the Sirens as a freshman, was the first of three “senior solos.” Ciarletto softly, yet powerfully sang “Guilty as Sin” by Taylor Swift on the piano. She reflected before singing that a goal of hers had been to “learn piano and perform with one.”
The Unisons, Northeastern University’s only fully lower voice all gender a capella group, took the stage performing “First Light” by Hozier, encapsulating a full-blown production without any instruments, highlighting a skilled beatboxing section. Their second song, “Sanctify” by Years and Years, highlighted their ability to showcase a lower range without losing power.
Eric Chen, a Berklee graduate and member of the Northeastern University Unisons, reflected post performance, emphasizing that it was “so fun to have the opportunity to perform with and watch other groups.”
Lili Malatinszky, a Simmons biology major, sat up front with a guitar, joking that she was breaking the “cardinal rule” of a cappella. Her unique guitar rendition of “Vienna” by Billy Joel, typically played on piano, was heartwarming as the smile on her face grew, concentrating on the notes strummed.
The final guest group, Emmanuel College’s For Good Measure, a higher ranged a cappella group, brought a dreamlike energy to the stage, singing floating harmonies in “Age of Worry” by Yerba. They closed their performance with “Rumor Has It” by Adele, showing more attitude with a “HEY!” directed to the audience.
Senior solos wrapped up with Jessica Federico, a nursing major from Emmanuel, joined on stage by Ciarletto and Malatinszky. Pulling out her speaker, the three seniors sang along to “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader. The crowd giggled and clapped for the onstage performers, encapsulating a sentimental sleepover karaoke experience.
The final official performances of the night were the vocally strong “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and the bouncy “Troublemaker” by Olly Murs and Flo Rida, which began with a comical false start and backwards baseball caps.
Following sentimental goodbyes to each of the seniors, per tradition, they finished out with “Take Me Home” by Jess Glynne, an emotional ballad regarding connections. A 2018 cover is also streaming on all platforms that the Sirens are on.
With a standing ovation surrounding them, Kütük and Ciarletto, alongside other members, tearfully embraced at the end.
