On Nov. 21, Cornell’s all-female a cappella group Touchtones performed iTones, their annual fall concert, at Cornell Cinema. The group’s many hours of choreography and vocal practice clearly shined through during the performance, and we left impressed.
Throughout the majority of the semester, the group had three weekly rehearsals, two hours each. However, during “hell week,” the week right before the concert, the rehearsal schedule switched to daily five hour practices (though many of these practices were cut short after the group finished what was necessary each day). Abby Brown ’28 described the lead-up to the concert as a busy yet community-centered experience: “It’s a lot of time to devote in the middle of a super busy part of the semester. Half the group had prelims the week of the concert, but hell week is fun because it’s a time to hang out with my friends. It’s also so special to see the show start to come together.”
As soon as the concert began, we noticed that, beyond just the songs, the Touchtones’ concert stood out through the atmosphere of the venue. Unlike most other groups, which use automated rotating lights to add energy to their performances, the Touchtones had an actual audio/visual team working on the intentional lighting choices and balancing the sound.
The first song of the night was “Break My Heart,” soloed by Anya Rosenbloom ’28. This was an excellent way to begin the concert — the group’s backing vocals blended seamlessly and had so much energy. Especially with the quick tempo of the song, we were impressed with the ease with which the girls seemed to perform. The vocal percussion, performed by Emily Rossman’s ’26, made the song even crisper and more spirited, perfectly complementing Rosenbloom’s vocals. Following “Break My Heart,” Sofia Egol ’26 started off the next song with a bang, jumping into the high notes of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’.” Egol’s solo was captivating, her personality shining through with soulful, almost jazzy riffs.
Up next was “twilight zone,” soloed by Keira Castellon ’29. Having seen her sing this at the Touchtones’ porch sing before, we already knew that it would be one of our favorites of the night, but the concert version (and the first time we saw this performed by the whole group) wowed us beyond our expectations. The backing vocals were ethereal, and Castellon’s solo was made even more special through how easily the notes seemed to come to her despite their stunning range.
The last song of the first act was “Evergreen,” performed by Sofia Saidi ’26. The song showcased amazing riffs and high notes, perfectly closing out the first half of the concert. In addition to her beautiful vocal talent, Saidi is such an expressive singer and really engaged the audience with her performance. Both of Saidi’s solos (the second of which was in act two) were some of the best vocals we heard the whole night.
Following a 10-minute intermission and an outfit change into all-black attire, the second act kicked off with a rendition of “Save Your Tears.” The opening to this piece was characterized by attention-grabbing vocal percussion and a compelling low alto solo from Joie Jean-Paul ’29, who really brought the oomph with her vocal stylization and stage presence. Second soloist Maddie Cierski ’26 introduced a captivating contrast with her lighter soprano voice and graceful vocal expression, this contrast being emphasized towards the end of the piece when the two soloists harmonized with one another, creating climactic moments characterized by their mesmerizing blend and the satisfying harmonies underscoring it all. The vocal percussion, done by Shivani Vel ’26, also added so much life to the song, emphasizing the group’s rhythm.
This piece was followed by “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” with soloist Rossmann turning heads with her effortless vocal control and stylization. Her smooth and admirable technique was enhanced perfectly by the harmony vocals, creating some truly beautiful moments. Second soloist Vivienne Cierski ’29 showcased a satisfying sass in her vocal expression and really brought the power with her impressive range before closing out the song with a stunning vocal trumpet impression, marking a unique display of talent that really helped make this piece memorable.
The next piece, “Cry Me a River,” opened with all of the vocalists standing in a line facing away from the audience, singing a satisfying cascade prior to the reveal of soloist Izabela Grigorov ’28, who commanded the stage with one of the most interactive and expressive performances of the set. This number was also characterized by creative stage pictures and transitions that really kept the audience engaged and made for some great moments.
The penultimate number of the set, an arrangement of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” was a personal favorite of ours. Saidi absolutely commanded this piece with creative stylization and truly impressive vocal control, her memorable performance backed by dynamic harmonies, cascades and vocal percussion that filled this number with character. As if it couldn’t get any better, the conclusion of this song was marked by gospel-like choral harmonies that offered satisfying closure to a compelling piece.
The final piece was a rendition of “Runaway Baby,” for which Touchtones alumna Hannah Friedman ’25 was welcomed on stage to perform with the group, owning the stage as if she never left. Egol truly gave the audience a solo to remember, with her stylistic choices, riffing ability and sheer power underscored by the crisp dynamics of the backing vocals bringing a breathtaking quality to this piece that lingered from beginning to end.
The Touchtones stood out as the most cohesive a cappella group we’ve seen on campus so far, with excellent dynamics and stage presence, as well as stellar vocal control. From the intentional lighting to fun choreography and stunning arrangements, the concert was remarkable, leaving us excited for their next performance.
Katherine Winton is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at kgw45@cornell.edu.
Jordan White is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at jiw39@cornell.edu.
