The voices of One Note Stand take flight in fall concert

By AMANDA MOTLEY

One Note Stand, one of the University of Mary Washington’s a cappella groups took the stage last Thursday in galactic outfits to entertain students, faculty and friends. The night started with a funny video explaining the space theme and highlighting graduating senior Keegan Cooke.

One Note Stand kept the story line up throughout the show and incorporated the

theme into their song selections.

Freshman Libby Simmons kicked off the evening with “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. Beginning a performance with a fresh voice was a bold choice for One Note, but Simmons’ performance impressed the audience with her wide range of vocal ability.

The set continued with a clever mash-up of “Feel Again” and “Dog Days are Over” by One Republic and Florence + The Machine performed by junior Xavier Griffin and fresh-man Lauren Goetz, and Bastille’s “Pompeii,” performed by grad student Bert Miller.

“The cover of Pompeii was definitely my favorite part,” said junior art and music major Margeaux Ducoing, a member of UMW’s all-female a capella group, BellAcappella. “Being in an a capella group myself, I know how much hard work this all takes, and [One Note] was so good.”

The night really heated up when junior Kevin Sol sang “Pusher Love Girl” by Justin Timberlake. The audience cheered for Sol as he hit all the notes in the right places.

After a brief intermission performance featuring UMW’s Eagle Bhangra, One Note returned to the stage to impress with a second set.

Junior Bronwyn Stokes and senior Regina Weiss opened the second half with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “Can’t Hold Us.” Normally performed by a male vocalist, this performance presented a pleasant and unique spin.

“We didn’t have a lot of time to organize this concert, due to the way this semester is structured, so it was two to three weeks earlier than it normally would be, said president Regina Weiss. “We still managed to pull together eight songs though.”

The night ended with a dedication to senior Keegan Cooke, who will graduate this December. Keegan is the first of five seniors who will graduate from One Note this year. The group expressed a heartfelt goodbye with sentiments of how much the group members meant to each other.

“We brought back a song from Keegan and I’s freshman year in One Note, so it was a really great full circle experience and kind of a throwback to an awesome time in One Note’s history,” said Weiss.

Weiss was not the only one who remembered their One Note roots during the concert.

“I tried out for One Note on a whim and found something I really enjoyed,” said Cooke. “I know this group will be my friends for life.”

As his last performance on stage, Cooke sang “I believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. Cooke’s performance brought the audience to their feet, as he showcased his broad vocal abilities and his ability to entertain.

Regina Weiss is the Sports Editor of the Bullet.