UR a cappella group hits a high note with national award

The group came in like a wrecking ball, by covering Miley Cyrus’s song by the same name.

April 17, 2015; 9:40 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

The University of Richmond Octaves, an all-male a cappella group, has received a Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award for Best Male Collegiate Song. The group was recognized for their creative cover of Miley Cyrus’s song ‘Wrecking Ball.’

The Richmond Octaves includes 14 young men–five first-years, and three members each that are sophomores, juniors and seniors. The singers major in everything from music to business to leadership studies.

“CARAs are essentially the Grammys of the a cappella world,” said Conor Lemmon, a junior and president of the Octaves in a news release. “We have been nominated and even been runners-up in the past, but this if the first time we have won.”

“It’s a huge deal for both our group and for UR,” Lemmon added. “Having won this award, we can now be considered among the ranks of truly outstanding collegiate a cappella groups. It places the University of Richmond on the map as a destination for cream-of-the-crop a cappella.”

The Octaves will celebrate their 25th anniversary this fall and hope to release a new album during the 2015-16 school year.

You can listen to the award-winning performance below. The winning recording is also available through iTunes and Loudr.