By Alex Kerravala, Staff Writer
On Friday, December 1st, UMass Dartmouth’s Mental Note acapella group opened up this festive month with a winter concert, featuring students performing some of my favorite seasonal songs.
The energy was high as the group performed some of the most fun Christmas carols, such as “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, as well as some more traditional ones like “Oh Holy Night”
The entire performance was nothing short of amazing, showcasing some incredibly talented vocalists. Whether you prefer the slower, more traditional Carols or the more fun pop songs, Mental Note not only met but exceeded expectations.
If Christmas Music isn’t for you, for whatever reason, Mental Note had you covered as well, performing modern pop songs, such as Sam Smith’s “Latch,” Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal,” and concluding the performance with an incredibly beautiful rendition of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.
Along with the incredible performance, there was a 20 minute intermission in the middle of the performance, including a raffle, singing telegrams for purchase, and, of course, photos with Santa to celebrate the holidays! An evening of fun, from start to finish.
The final product can only be as amazing as its performers, and the performers certainly did amaze.
Though every performer amazed, there are two that stood out as incredible, and what shocked me even more was they were first years!
The first most notable performer was Meg Sullivan, a first year Psychology major. Meg Carried herself with such incredible confidence, singing a duet with sophmore Tyler Rebello in “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
Outdoing the king of pop Michael Jackson himself in her performance of “Beat It,” and carried the beat in the Women’s performance of “Santa Baby.”
The other vocalist of note to me was the first year computer science major Will Ferrari, whose name isn’t the only cool thing about him.
This first year blew me away with his unbelievable vocal range in the Mental Note guys’ performance of “Latch,” as well as the lower part of “That’s Christmas to Me.” Ferrari dazzled the crowd with a bass range more powerful than I have ever heard, and an incredibly soft and beautiful tenor range to boot.
These two first years have proven themselves to have some undeniable talent, and certainly have a future of performing here at UMass Dartmouth.
The biggest danger of casting first years in such important roles is the risk; a director has no idea how confident the vocalist will be come performance time. These two freshmen, however, have certainly proven themselves more than capable.
Along with notable performers, there were some noteworthy performances. My favorite number was “The 12 Days Of Christmas,” without a doubt.
The group gave each day to a different person, leaving 12 performers, all with their own personalities and sense of fun, to sing each day. The cast had fun with this number, and it certainly shows.
The other Song that stands out was the closing song “Hallelujah.” Though not as fun as their performance of “The 12 Days Of Christmas” it was beautiful beyond comparison.
Each soloist sang with unmatched confidence, and the cast that didn’t take the spotlight managed to shine brightly without ever overpowering the soloist.
The whole song exemplified what Mental Note is capable of with hard work and determination.
With the incredible vocalists, fun mid-show activities, and excellent choice of songs, I believe I speak for every audience member when I say I cannot wait to see what mental Note has planned for Spring Semester.
With an unbelievable cast and a plethora of time slots, I am sure they have much in store!