Last Saturday, the Owl Creek singers had their spring concert in Rosse Hall. The Creeks, one of Kenyon’s all soprano-alto a cappella groups, came to the stage dressed in shades of green to perform a set of songs that ranged broadly in genre but stuck to the group’s signature soprano-heavy, harmonized sound. 

To start the show off on a lively and more casual note, the Kokosingers (one of Kenyon’s all tenor-bass a cappella groups) rushed on stage, grinning and wearing formal dresses, and introduced themselves as the Owl Creek singers. They performed songs from “Pitch Perfect,” the movie that played a large role in popularizing a cappella on college campuses. The first was a rendition of “The Sign,” by Ace of Base, which quickly had the audience’s energy up. They then sat down on the stage and sang “When I’m Gone” — popularly known as “The Cup Song” — using red Solo cups for percussion, in imitation of Anna Kendrick’s iconic “Pitch Perfect” scene. 

The real Owl Creeks began their set with a stunning cover of “I Put a Spell On You” by Nina Simone, soloed by Sarah Siegel ’23. This was an immediate indication of the group’s talent, with smooth backup vocals that blended together perfectly. Siegel gave an amazing performance, with powerful vocals that showed off her wide range. Like the other Owl Creeks, her stage presence was engaging, as she moved and swayed in sync with the music. 

The next song the group performed was “Sunrise” by Norah Jones, with soloist Elena Petron ’22. This was one of the slower songs of the night, which worked well with Petron’s soft tone and mimicked the original recording. It was beautifully done; the rest of the group harmonized together, rising and falling in volume which added an emotional feel to the cover.

Another impressive piece, with soloist Zoey FitzGerald ’25, was “Street by Street” by Laufey. This piece in particular had the audience cheering. FitzGerald took on this jazz-inspired song by incorporating subtle riffs and vibrato into her singing. This was one of the Creeks’ strongest performances, as she pulled off an impressive run, and stood out from the rest of the group’s fairly simple melody. 

One of the last pieces of the night, “Something to Talk About” by Bonnie Raitt with soloist Katie Hileman ’22, was another highlight. Hileman sang with strong vocal control, and pulled off high-pitched key changes with ease.

The final song of the show, an upbeat rendition of “The Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani, did not disappoint. This last song, which featured many different Owl Creeks, was a quick, upbeat pop throwback that had the audience dancing. The group danced along with them, snapping and stomping to the beat. The audience cheered on as the Creeks wrapped up the night with enthusiasm.