Billed as “University of Oxford’s top student a cappella groups”, Riff Off appealed to me following a deep fondness for Pitch Perfect (the Rebel Wilson/Anna Kendrick comedy about college a cappella societies). I realised as I arrived that, watching a cappella arranged and performed by real University students rather than Hollywood types, there was definitely a chance for disappointment.
Luckily - following a shaky start involving missing mics and mismatched levels (70 enthusiastic students all belting out a song is a challenge for any sound engineer) the 3rd annual riff off found its groove. The secret of the night is that it didn’t take itself too seriously - the ‘competition’ was really just a chance to showcase the groups’ vocal range and creative talents.
The groups performing ranged from Oxford’s longest-running student a cappella group the Oxford Alternotives (formed in 1993 as an ‘alternotive’ to Oxford’s traditional choirs, and showing their experience with particularly creative arrangements such as mixing ‘Killer Queen’ in with the national anthem), to Oxford’s newest a capella group the Oxford Gargoyles, who sung surprisingly fun jazz (with their ball gowns and tuxes, they were so deliberately uncool as to come right round to cool again).
There was real talent there - the larger groups like The Alternotives and Out of the Blue (apparently the most commercially successful a cappella group in the UK!) had the advantage of being able to create a greater background soundscape for their soloists (Out of the Blue stole the opening number with their medley of songs from the Frozen franchise). However the smaller groups such as In the Pink, The Oxford Belles and The Oxford Commas made up for it in raw talent and creative song combinations.
The final song of the night was definitely stolen by In the Pink with their heartfelt take on Chappell Roan’s' Pink Pony Club'. The song of the night for me however was The Commas take on 'Lose Control' by Teddy Swims, with lead vocal by the multi-talented Quinton Lee - who also organised this year’s Riff Off.
With categories such as “Songs Ruined by Glee”, it was uplifting to see students at such a serious university not taking life too seriously. It was also heartwarming to see the diversity of looks and styles on show, many of them pleasingly different from those that traditional media usually put centre stage - a nod to the ‘there’s space for everyone’ message of Pitch Perfect.
The conclusion I came to is, as I can’t imagine ‘being in an a capella group’ is that much of a CV asset, these students are doing it for the sheer love of it. In what sometimes seems a depressing and cynical world, the Riff Off was a joyous evening of fun, collaboration and talent, wrapped up in a pantomime-like format (and even raised money for Helen and Douglas House, courtesy of Out of The Blue). As a real life homage to Pitch Perfect, it was light-hearted perfection. We’ll be back for more in 2027!