The Mandarins end on a high note at their spring invitational
The Mandarins end on a high note this semester
Audience members packed into the pews at Hendricks Chapel to support their friends and loved ones at The Mandarins‘ spring invitational a cappella concert on March 31st. Pink and red heart shaped balloons decorated the rows and stage and set the tone for the evening of music, as many of the vocal arrangements were songs about love and relationships.
As the clock struck 7 p.m, 18 women dressed in different hues of pink and red lined the stage and kicked off act one with the song “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry, which was arranged for the group by member Liv Scanzera. Nirai Kabilan wowed the crowd with her impressive solo and the audience got to see the true spirit of friendship and teamwork when Kabilan’s mic stopped working mid-solo and one of her fellow Mandarin members swiftly switched their mics mid-song, without any of the women messing up the lyrics or choreography.
“Everything I Know About Love” by Laufey was performed second with soloist Kara Mueller, arranged by Ally Pierro and Campbelle Stencel. The Mandarins displayed their dedication to the group and it was clear how much time and effort was put into rehearsing for this concert. The third song, “I Need You Now” by Lady A and arranged by Laura Alba and Sydni Tougas, featured a member of Orange Appeal, an all-boys a cappella group on campus. The audience was palpably hyped to see Christian Schmidt, of Orange Appeal and Marissa Dworken from The Mandarins sing a beautiful duet supported by vocals from The Mandarins.
The rest of Orange Appeal joined Schmidt on stage with every member wearing different multi-color ties and sunglasses as their look. The group performed two songs back to back, the first being “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic with soloist Derrick Goll and “Dreams Medley” with Christian Schmidt, Henry McKenna, Aidan Shane, Patrick Seward, Jesse Brown and Cameron Brown performing soloist. The 15-person group brought all the energy, often with the soloist singing directly toward his fellow members and engaging with one another.
During the brief ten minute intermission, audience members were directed to the lobby of the chapel where little heart-shaped note cards and pens were available to write short love letters and words of encouragement to their favorite Mandarin members, or “Mandies” as they are affectionately known.
Act two consisted of six more beautiful song arrangements. The Mandies began with “Little Black Dress” by Sara Bareilles and was arranged and choreographed by Amanda Becker. Soloist Cambelle Stencel blew the audience away with her powerful vocals. The next performance was “The Way I Loved You” by Taylor Swift which was arranged by two members, Annie Conners and Mia Rodriguez with soloist Phoebe Velez. Marissa Dworken accompanied Phoebe with her vocal percussion, which added another layer of sound to the arrangement.
The Mandarins went all out for their last two performances, singing “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, arranged by Ofentse Mokoka and Odie Redila. Redila also performed vocal percussion with Mia Rodriquez shining as the soloist. Penelope Rodriquez and Campbelle Stencel choreographed this number with dynamic moves that highlighted each and every singer. “Gaslighter” by The Chicks, arranged by Becca Friedman and choreographed by Rodriguez and Stencel, was the final performance and the Mandies definitely ended on a high note. Soloists Laura Alba, Amanda Becker and Reese Gaudelli poured their hearts and souls into the last song of the night, each taking turns singing different verses.
The crowd ate up each song and one audience member, senior SU student Zach Cohen said “It is so impressive what these people can do. To sing without any instrumental accompaniment is harder than it seems. I have so much respect for these groups.” Not only was the night of song beautiful and entertaining, but it was also a culmination of the long practice sessions and hard work that goes into putting on an event for the student body. The love and support each member has for one another is evident when they hit the stage. Another audience member, Drew Bartelstein gave a standing ovation at the end of the performances. She said “I am so impressed by what these people can do. I am so happy I decided to come tonight and it’s so clear how much work these girls and guys put into their craft.”
is a digital producer for the Infodemic project.
