The third floor of Sawyer was full of holiday cheer on Dec. 2 as a cappella groups from around the city got together for the annual “Rockin’ Around with the Ramifications” show.

The Ramifications provided chips, pizza and soda at the event. There was a holiday raffle people could enter by following the group’s Instagram page. They were also selling cookies and Ramifications merchandise, with the proceeds being donated to the arts programs at Boston Public Schools.

“I came up with the fundraiser idea to bring a little bit more fun and charitable element to the show, since it is the holidays,” said the Ramifications business manager Vivian Hoang. “We came to choose Boston Public Schools, specifically their underfunded arts programs, so that we can continue to work to help other children.”

The audience was treated to musical performances from the Ramifications, Emmanuel College’s For Good Measure and the Boston College Sharps, with the show lasting around an hour.

Although they were listed in the program, Suffolk’s Soulfully Versed a cappella group was not in attendance. However, their cancellation didn’t stop the Ramifications from putting on a fantastic show.

The Ramifications opened with a rendition of “Last Christmas” by Wham!, soloed by senior Chris Nieves. Although technical difficulties with the microphone drowned out the song’s beginning, the Rams pulled through and were noticeably enjoying themselves on stage.

For Good Measure took the stage next and blew the audience away with their impressive harmonies. The all-female a cappella group sang “Send My Love” by Adele, soloed by Angie Rezuke, and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by Carole King, soloed by Maggie Ault.

Rezuke hit every note perfectly and the group’s background vocals complimented her wonderfully, making for an overall outstanding performance. Ault had a beautiful voice and sang with incredible emotion throughout.

The different a cappella groups were very supportive of each other throughout the evening, cheering and clapping for good harmonies and impressive notes.

Following For Good Measure, the Ramifications returned to the stage to sing “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin. Nieves also soloed this song, which is performed every year by the group. The Ramifications’ great harmonies during this song stood out. 

Olivia Lowe, the Ramifications’ advisor and an alumnus of the group, performed afterward; singing an original song followed by a mashup of “Hits Different” by Taylor Swift and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry.

Accompanied by her guitar, Lowe gave an incredible performance with a sweet and pretty voice. Her original song was full of emotion and great lyrics, such as “I got all dolled up to ask if you need help breaking my heart, and you did. Of course you did.”

The Ramifications took the stage again after Lowe to sing “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, soloed by senior Chloe Beaulieu. Beaulieu had a strong, captivating voice, with great control over her notes. The rendition also included a saxophone solo by junior Connor Mudge, which was a fun surprise for the audience.

The Boston College Sharps, another all-female group, stole the show with their performance, which included the songs “Heart of Glass” by Blondie in the style of Miley Cyrus, “September” by Ayoni and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

Ellie Falanga, the Sharps’ president, showcased an impressive vocal range and control during “Heart of Glass.” The group sounded good as a whole and the audience loved the performance.

The Sharps were the smallest group in attendance and had a different style and energy than the rest. Standing much closer together and facing each other in a small circle, they weren’t afraid to dance and make dramatic facial expressions as they sang.

The Sharps’ rendition of “Don’t Stop Me Now” was arguably the most fun performance of the evening. The group was clearly enjoying themselves on stage as they sang, and soloist Sophia Sumners killed it with both her great voice and energy.

The crowd erupted when one member of the Sharps began singing the guitar solo section of the song. They cheered and began clapping along to the beat. The voice guitar was a fun and unique aspect of the Sharps’ set.

Following the Sharps’ outstanding performance, Mudge returned to the stage with fellow Ramifications member Hailey Whelan to sing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” as a last-minute act to fill in for Soulfully Versed’s cancellation.

This relaxed performance got the crowd smiling and laughing, as Mudge had a fun chemistry that was visible through his singing. He laughed at the lyrics and the performance himself throughout the number.

Whelan and Mudge worked well together and the final note of the song had an amazing harmony, sending the crowd wild.

The rest of the Ramifications joined them on stage for the final performances of the night, including “Domino” by Jessie J, “Shake It Out” by Florence and The Machine and “Still Into You” by Paramore. 

Senior Rhea Katoch’s confidence and fun energy was evident throughout her performance of “Domino” and there was an amazing harmony by the whole group towards the end of the song.

Beaulieu soloed “Shake It Out” wonderfully, and the crowd recognized it, showering her performance with cheers and applause after her impressive high notes.

Sophomore Jolie Quintana’s performance of “Still Into You” was fun and exciting, with the Ramifications showing off higher energy as they sang. Lowe could be seen off to the side of the crowd jumping around and mouthing the words to the song, showing clear support for her group.

Quintana had an amazing belt of “Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you,” leading to a ton of applause after she finished.

After the conclusion of all the performances, the Ramifications took a bow and wrapped up the night by thanking the audience and the other a cappella groups, as well as honoring Beaulieu who is graduating this semester.

The Ramifications were happy to have put together yet another successful annual show and thankful for the talented guest groups that came to be a part of it.

“It went very, very well,” said Hoang. “I loved all the groups that performed. I’ve never heard them before and I thought they did phenomenally and that we sounded great too.”

Beaulieu enjoyed her last show as a Ram and was proud of the group’s performance.

“I’m really happy with how it went, it was definitely a good last concert for me,” said Beaulieu. “This group is just a bunch of hard workers that love to sing.”

Follow the Ramifications on Instagram @_ramstagram.

Follow Grace on Twitter @GraceM123456