Upon entering Driscoll 134, guests to Minor Problem and The Villanova Sirens’ Winter Concert were welcomed with cookies and cider, a much needed treat considering the unpleasant blustery rain guests made the trek through in order to see this wonderful show. 

The room was packed with students, parents, professors and children, all anxiously waiting to hear the harmonization of these two a cappella groups. Before long, guests began taking seats on the floor, as there was simply not enough room to seat all of the audience members.

The performance kicked off with Minor Problem, a co-ed a cappella group, wearing festive winter flannel shirts. The group welcomed all of the attendees and went right into its rendition of “Ain’t It Fun” by Paramore. Soloist Natalie Clendening amazed the crowd with her powerful vocals, which were backed by beatboxer Patrick J. Walsh in a creative and upbeat arrangement by Rachel River and Christina Yakomin. 

This song was a perfect way to start the evening, as it both showcased the group’s incredible talent and allowed audience members to hear a catchy and unique styling of a popular tune. 

Freshman Lauren Tupper, who came to the concert for a night of music and entertainment noted, “Natalie sounded just like Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore. It was amazing!” 

Minor Problem continued to wow with its artistic and brilliantly harmonized covers of songs like Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t,” Sara Bareilles’ “Gonna Get Over You” and Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.” The group’s chemistry shined through its playful and cheerful energy throughout their performance. 

The night shifted from flannels to flashy as the all-female Villanova Sirens stepped out in black and gold dresses and jewels. This talented group began its portion of the evening with a cheerful and catchy rendition of Rita Ora’s “I Will Never Let You Down,” led by soloist Meghan Travers, who also arranged the piece with Kirsten Arterburn. 

Other crowd favorites performed by this glamorous group included covers of “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith and “Girls Chase Boys” by Ingrid Michaelson. 

The Sirens also brought a sense of holiday joy to the night as they carried out a tradition in which their new freshmen, the “babies” of the group, choose and arrange their own tune. This year, the babies performed an impressive version of the all-time classic, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” 

The crowd bopped along with this delightful and upbeat rendition, as they did throughout the Sirens’ performance as the group too showed their spirit as they snapped, swayed and smiled. 

Based on the night’s performance, it is quite evident that both Minor Problems and The Villanova Sirens worked incredibly hard to perfect their performances, hard work that most definitely paid off given the superb talent that abounded on Saturday evening. 

If you were unable to make this great concert, you certainly missed a treat, but be sure to catch these two groups in the spring