On Sunday, The Callbaxx, one of Cornell’s female a cappella groups, held their spring concert, Thanxx for the Music, inspired by the musical film Mamma Mia! As the graduating seniors’ final large performance with the group, the concert was vibrant and emotional. The group’s talent was clear, from the vocals and song arrangements to the choreography and stage presence.
The concert was split into two acts, each lasting around 30 minutes. The first act, in accordance with the night’s theme, began with “Super Trouper” by ABBA, soloed by Alexandra Miller ’29. Miller’s solo started the night off with a fun kick. Afterwards came Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” Sara Bareilles’ “She Used To Be Mine” and a Cornell-themed arrangement of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.” The songs were soloed by Izzy Heflin ’29, Carissa Nair ’26, Callbaxx President Giselle Redmond ’28, Music Director Belle Garnett ’26 and Choreographer Emma McDermott ’29, respectively. Nair and Garnett’s solos were definitely the highlights of the first act; they sang with so much power while making it seem effortless.
Redmond, who soloed “Drops of Jupiter,” said, “When you’re part of an a cappella group, it very much feels like a group experience, but from feedback that I’ve gotten from my friends, what people really take away from it is how well the soloist does. As much as I think it is more important how the group does, I know what the general audience is taking away from it, so I do feel a lot of pressure to represent the group.”
After a brief intermission, the group came back and performed The Cranberries’ “Linger,” Florence + The Machine’s “Shake It Out,” Adele’s “One and Only,” The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” and ABBA’s “Slipping Through My Fingers.” The second act was soloed by, respectively, Anna Levy ’28, Elsa Marshall ’28, Nair, Sophie Davis ’26 and Garnett. “Shake It Out” was my favorite arrangement of the night. I really liked how the background vocals mixed with the solo, and the dynamism of the piece.
However, my favorite song of the second act was definitely “Slipping Through My Fingers.” It was only fitting that the group ended with one of the most nostalgic Mamma Mia! songs. The emotion was palpable in this performance, and I could feel the depth of the bridge — “Sometimes, I wish that I could freeze the picture / And save it from the funny tricks of time” — as the seniors sang their final songs with the group.
Beyond the solos, the group was remarkably cohesive. There were points at which I focused on the background rather than the solo vocals, and I was equally as impressed. In “Shake It Out” and “One and Only,” I was especially impressed by the beatboxing, done by Tiffany Li ’28.
After “Slipping Through My Fingers,” the group gave a tribute to the graduating seniors: Nair, Davis and Garnett. Younger members of the group came forward with flowers to give speeches dedicated to the seniors. In their tributes to the seniors, Jeanelle Wu ’28, Marshall and Redmond reminisced on fond memories, inside jokes and the everlasting friendships they’ve made with Nair, Davis and Garnett over the past few years. Even from the audience, I was emotional listening to their stories.
Following the touching tribute, the group concluded the night with their alumni song, Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” The Callbaxx called alumni down to the stage to sing along, ending the concert with a fun, final performance.
Throughout the night, it was clear that The Callbaxx is its own little family. Several group members reiterated this feeling afterwards. McDermott fondly recalled an exhausting night during hell week, saying, “We had to run ‘Super Trouper.’ We were standing in a circle and all of a sudden everyone started doing exaggerated [choreography]. … The whole run through we were jumping around and giggling through the song. I remember thinking to myself, ‘This is the whole point. To make music and have fun together.’” Madison Johnson ’29 added, “It’s a joy to be able to make music with these people and to have a safe space to go to no matter how stressed or upset I am that day.”
The Callbaxx’s stage presence was undeniable, fueled by beautiful choreography and the tangible chemistry within the group, and the arrangements were unique and skillfully done. Despite having brought back songs from previous performances, their spring concert felt fresh, fun and incredibly emotional.
Redmond concluded with a final note for Cornellians: “I think it is so unique that we have such a vibrant a cappella community, and I think a lot of people recognize that and don’t act on it. … In general, people should make the effort to engage in the arts at Cornell. … There’s so many students here that have talents that you would be so unaware of if you only knew them in academic settings. It’s really important that we show up for each other in that way.”
Be sure to support The Callbaxx at their senior arch sing at the Schwartz Performing Arts Center on May 1!
Katherine Winton is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at kwinton@cornellsun.com.
