Syracuse University Mandarins win second place in international a cappella competition

Syracuse University Mandarins win second place in international a cappella competitionMarch 11, 2003Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

The Syracuse University Women’s Choir a cappella group, the Mandarins, won second place in the 2003 Mid-Atlantic International Championship of the Collegiate A Capella (ICCA) competition that was held at the University of Delaware on March 1.

The students competed against groups from Lafayette, Columbia and Cornell universities, the University of Rochester and SUNY Binghamton. In addition to winning second place in the overall competition, the group’s music arranger, Kelly Stallard ’02, a graduate of SU and former Mandarins director, won the runner up award for Best Arrangement for “One More Time/Straight Up.”

The annual ICCA competition is sponsored by Varsity Vocals, which invites a cappella groups from across North America to compete in one of 25 shows held in six regions-New England/Central Canada, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest and the West. The groups are selected based on the recordings of their work they submit to Varsity Vocals.

The SU Women’s Choir, under the direction of Barbara Tagg, is the largest choral ensemble in the Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music, College of Visual and Performing Arts. It is a non-auditioned choir for undergraduate and graduate women who love to sing. Tagg is an affiliate artist in the Setnor School of Music and the artistic director and founder of the Syracuse Children’s Chorus. Tagg has presented concerts and workshops in Europe, Canada, Hong Kong and China, as well as for many university and choral organizations throughout the United States.