North’s treble a cappella group, the Angelics, proved it is one of the best high school a cappella groups in the country.
The singers traveled to Buffalo Grove and took first place in the International Championship of High School A Cappella Great Lakes Quarterfinals on Feb. 24.
“At the beginning of the year, we didn’t expect to make it into the ICHSA,” junior Alexa Girdwood said. “Placing first at the quarterfinal was such a blessing.”
Junior Fiona Sulo was awarded “Outstanding” as a soloist as well as the set overall for its choreography.
“It’s an incredible honor because we’re such a small group,” junior Addie Davis said. “We haven’t done this before, but the competitions were amazing experiences.”
The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee showcased the ICHSA Great Lakes semifinals on March 23. Once again, they were awarded with the honor of “Outstanding Choreography”and placed third overall.
Because of the Angelics ranking, next up was the ICHSA Wildcard on March 30, competing virtually against the second and third place winners from the U.K., as well as every semifinalist from the U.S.
“We weren’t considered a favorite, being in the wildcard,” Davis said. “That allowed us to work even harder in getting as far as we could in the competition.”
The group won third place in the Wildcard, ending their run of competitions as the 10th best high school a cappella group in the nation, and the fourth best treble high school a cappella group in the nation.
“Considering how well we did in our first year, it shows that the potential is really high for us,” Girdwood said. “It feels great to be considered in the best of the best.”
The Angelics are headed by choir director Aaron Mejorada, who has transformed both Angelics and their bass counterparts, the Bassics, in just his second year at North.
“Words fail to fully capture just how proud I am of this group,” Mejorada said. “They are such heartfelt and passionate musicians, and I am so grateful that their performance made such an impact on the audience.”
The members of Angelics cited Mejorada’s leadership and experience as pivotal during their run of competitions.
“I can’t see anyone else directing us,” Davis said. “He’s been so impactful to our development as a group and as individuals.”
Next up for the Angelics is creating an album in conjunction with the other after-school choir groups, Bassics and Northern Voices, to showcase their musical prowess. Once finished, it will be available on all streaming platforms.
“Most of the other groups we competed against have albums already, and it was a bit intimidating for us,” Girdwood said. “For us to have one of our own, it further cements us as one of the top groups in the country.”
