On Saturday, April 7th, the Kentettes and Kentones, Kent’s female and male A cappella groups, travelled to Millbrook School to compete in the Golden Lips A Cappella Competition. The competition was fierce, however the Kentettes blew the judges from Berklee College of Music away and won first place.

The Kentettes performed “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan  and “I Lived” by OneRepublic, both arranged by Deke Sharon. Co-head Gabrielle Cator ’18 sang a short riff at the end of “Turn the Beat Around,” captivating the audience with her powerful soprano, while Lucy Zhang ’18 and co-head Gretchen Christophe ’18 kept the Kentettes on beat.

Christophe attributes the group’s success to the diverse background of its members, the support of the Kentones, and the comfortable group dynamic. She comments, “I used to watch ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) videos and study how they moved, so Gabby and I tried to be funny and over-exaggerate our actions to make people comfortable during rehearsals. The bond we developed through those quirky moments led up to a really special performance.”

The Kentones performed “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “I’ve Been Working the Railroad” also arranged by Deke Sharon. Simon Green ’18 and Dylan Stewart ’18 both performed solos for “Brown Eyed Girl.” Audience members were captivated by Stewart’s authentic Morrison impression, and Green’s charming tenor brought the group’s performance to life.

Both of these groups will be performing at the 2019 Wyvern Invitational A Cappella Festival in Kingswood Oxford, West Hartford, CT.