Impromptu performs in their winter concert

A cappella group features an eclectic collection of songs

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Photo by Deanna Kolell

The opening strains of Panic! At The Disco’s “Death of a Bachelor” filled Schofield Auditorium as seven black and red clad singers took the stage, each taking a turn to exhibit their talents.

Impromptu’s winter concert took place last Saturday night featuring an eclectic variety of songs from across genres, from the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away” to Pentatonix’s arrangement of “Carol of the Bells.”

Junior music education student Ali Abraham, who has been a member of Impromptu for three semesters, said this concert was different because of the new talent which has been added to the group.

“At the end of last year we lost over half of our group,” Abraham said. “What was so different about this concert was that I had to help be a leader this time around and help ease the four new voices that we added to our stage.”

Abraham said Impromptu is now the only co-ed a cappella group on campus, which allows for a fuller range of sound.

From beginning to end it was obvious that Impromptu members had fun with each other and their fans. The singers constantly played off each other’s energy, goofing around while performing.

Impromptu also called for audience participation during the concert. Members were invited to the stage for an Impromptu-style mannequin challenge.

Abraham said while the group is always looking for ways to boost attendance for their concerts, the fans who have continuously supported Impromptu are special to them.

Halfway through the concert, Impromptu also called for alumni in the audience to sing onstage with them. Three former members of the group joined them to sing “Gold,” a slow, sweet ballad from the movie “Once.” Abraham said “Gold” has been their alumni song since 2014 and each semester it becomes more special to her.

Freshman communications student Emily Shepardson said “Gold” was one of her favorite pieces of the night.

“It was really unique how they were able to connect within one another,” Shepardson said. “Even though some of them were alumni, they all had this vibe within each other with the music and what they were doing.”

Abraham said two other songs were particularly special to her. The first one was “My Eyes,” which she sang as a duet with Matt Miller.

“My Eyes” was sung between the characters Dr. Horrible and Penny from the miniseries “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” The song demonstrated the different ways they viewed the world; Impromptu emphasized this by displaying flame graphics when Miller sang and displaying beautiful oranges and pinks when Abraham sang.

The second song came after calls for an encore. When the audience began chanting “Pokémon!” a few moments later, Impromptu returned to the stage to sing a Pokémon mashup.

“We’ve been avid Pokémon Go players and we thought it would be crazy fun to do a sick mashup of several known themes,” Abraham said. “It’s arguably one of our hardest arrangements and the dedication we put into it really paid off. Also it’s just so much fun to sing and we love to be goofy.”

Abraham said the group hopes to participate in another free a cappella showcase in the middle of next semester and Impromptu’s next concert will take place April 24.

To keep up with Impromptu, check out their Facebook page.