Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a HUGE a cappella nerd. I’ve loved a cappella with a burning passion since I watched Out of the Blue’s “Don’t You Want Me Baby” on YouTube at 14, back before it had any semblance of coolness. Back before Pitch Perfect, and before Pentatonix hadn’t even appeared on NBC’s The Sing Off yet, let alone released their cover of Somebody that I Used to Know (I’m an a cappella hipster. Bite me).

Getting my aca-fix from House Singing competitions and my school close harmony group, I was merely biding my time for the climactic moment that I could join a proper university a cappella group. I’d even mapped out my top five UCAS choices via a cappella before realising that was a terrible choice. But, after getting my offer, I convinced myself that Cambridge must have the a cappella group of my dreams waiting for me! After all, having watched the meteoric rise of a cappella in the UK, surely Cambridge would have multiple champion groups on the UK circuit?

Turns out, no.

Despite getting into two groups, I was initially very disappointed. The first group I joined was Fitz Barbershop, accidentally gaining an audition through a friend. They wore a weird waistcoat, boater and bow-tie combo and sung innuendo laden songs with on-the-spot choreography. Other than the lovely guys and some great singing, there was absolutely nothing in common between Fitz and any of the countless hours of videos of collegiate groups I had watched.

Cadenza, Cambridge’s premier mixed a cappella group, was the second group I joined, which seemed more promising. Silly choreography in the audition was coupled with some fab harmonies, and I finally felt like I was getting close to what I had dreamed about for years. But I slowly learnt that whilst the standard was high, the main aim for the year was May Week. My heart sunk.

My main problem was that it didn’t really go anywhere. Despite previous successes, neither group had competed in VFUK (Voice Festival UK) for years, or performed at the Edinburgh Fringe (personally a crucial aca-chievement); they didn’t even have a fucking YouTube channel! This was a cruel mockery of a cappella as I knew it, and for a while I felt let down.

Then I realised I was being a massive twat.

My head had been so far up my own arse that I’d forgotten whilst ‘A Cappella’ might literally mean ‘in the manner of the chapel’, for most people it was about watching a group of singers having a shit ton of fun. I had taken something that was supposed to be innately silly, something that makes people laugh and smile, and had turned it into some sort of super serious, out-of-reach ideal.

After that revelation, I proceeded to have some of the funnest and most musically rewarding experiences of my life with the two groups. I met amazing people who loved a cappella as much as I did, and who helped me to realise that what you see on Pitch Perfect, YouTube or at the Fringe isn’t necessarily the pinnacle of a cappella. As soppy as it sounds, it’s about singing with your friends, and helping to make other people happy, one inappropriately choreographed song at a time.

And yet, despite my whining, as my time in Cambridge draws to a close, the a cappella scene is enjoying a renaissance. Last year Fitz Barbershop drew international attention, performing in the Netherlands in Easter, and China in September on a joint tour with the fabulous Fitz Sirens, having combined in August for a critically acclaimed, sold out show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Cadenza was also busy, attracting the glamorous Vanderbilt Melodores for a similarly critically acclaimed and sold out joint concert, and returning triumphantly as Voice Festival Competition Finalists, with prizes for outstanding arrangement and musicality. Not content with that, Cadenza is also undergoing a major rebranding, with recordings, music videos and a stint at the Fringe on the horizon.

But it’s not just these groups. Many more groups are becoming staples of the Cambridge A Cappella scene: AcaPembroke, Catzapella, the Gonville Girls are just a few of the rising tide. With murmurings of an A Cappella Society starting, these are truly exciting times to be in Cambridge if you’re an a cappella nerd like me.

But even if you’re not, why not see what all the fuss is about? Most of the groups will be at the Freshers Fair, so come down for a chat and sign up for an audition that could change your life.

Editor’s note: this is the second in a short series on choirs. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for the next installments. If you’d like to share your experiences, email music@varsity.co.uk