Awaken the Dawn sings, sermonizes

The spam for Saturday's Awaken the Dawn (ATD) concert asked, "What did you say?" and "Who's Calling?"  The theme of the concert was listening to God when he "calls," a message that was preached throughout the night, through skits, Bible verses and testimonies. The whole show was very religious, which is to be expected from a Christian a cappella group, but it was not about a genre of music; the proselytizing was a little overwhelming.  The environment could have felt a tad hostile to a non-Christian, if any had attended.

Though the songs were Christian, they weren't just church-style hymns. Many were actually surprisingly upbeat, including some that involved beatboxing.  The show opened with "Awaken the Dawn," ATD's aptly named theme song, based on Psalm 57: 8-11, after a slide show introducing the members of the group.  It was a cute, 50s-esque, obviously well-rehearsed number, complete with snapping.

Next up were "Filled with Your Glory" and "If this World," which were more modern and fast-paced, although the former started out with a slower, ballad- like feel.  The latter got off to a bit of a rough start, but they quickly pulled it together.   The soloist in "Filled with Your Glory," Julie Paulino '13, was particularly talented, with nice, earthy voice, which blended well with the brighter voice of the sub-soloist, Lulu Hu '13.

After ATD's break from singing, which involved skits, testimonies and a performance by their guests, they wrapped up the show with a few last songs.  "Before the Throne of Grace" was a pretty, choir-style song with no soloist and complex but well-executed harmonies.  "What Are You Waiting For?" was fun, with a nice beat.  They probably should have ended with that one, because "Everything to Me" fell flat.  Literally. Although the soloists, Helen Shin '11 and Lucy Xu '12, were not nearly as pitchy as those from the guest group, there was some scooping, and some of the extended notes were a hair flat. Overall, although some minor flaws caused this number to rank below the others, it was still pretty polished.

The two multimedia skits ATD performed were cute and corny. The acting was nowhere near professional, but it was funny and lighthearted, which made the preaching a little easier to swallow, at least until they followed it up with Bible verses and an explanation. The connections between the skits and the messages were occasionally a little forced, but the skits were so entertaining that it didn't dampen the atmosphere too much. The second skit was particularly amusing and high-tech, involving video flashbacks in thought bubbles on the screen behind them. 

The main flaw in the generally enjoyable performance was ATD's lack of energy.  Oh, they looked and sounded earnest, but something was missing.  Even the more upbeat songs were lacking.  It was a little too peaceful.  This deficiency became even clearer when Boston College's Against the Current took the stage.  In their matching purple sweatshirts and jeans, the members of Against the Current contrasted sharply with the dressier but more subdued members of ATD in their black and white.  The co-ed Against the Current bounced and bopped with all the exuberance ATD lacked.  Unfortunately, this enthusiasm came at the cost of tone; Against the Current's vocals tended towards pitchy in two of their three songs.  The first soloist, in "Hosanna," was a little under the weather.  He had to drop out to clear his throat after his voice cracked near the end.  The next song, "Praise You in This Storm," featured a number of different soloists, most of whom were flat.  This song was the low point, with messy transitions and poor balance, but the next song, "Shadowfeet," was their strongest number.  The soloist had a powerful voice—which was actually in tune—and both she and the group had dramatic dynamics.

The concert certainly was not a waste of an evening.  It was enjoyable overall, though a little dull at times.  It probably would have been a deeper and meaningful experience for a more expressive Christian, who would also have been more likely to know the songs.  (According to the "mere exposure" theory of psychology, all else equal, having heard a song before renders it more likeable.)  Although I was not exactly the target audience for this performance, it wasn't a complete and utter miss.  The quality of singing was roughly equivalent to that of the other groups on campus, and the skits were better.