By Taryn Johnson

The Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes brought seven groups from the Midwest together to compete for the title of regional champion and the chance to move on to the National Finals on Saturday in Naperville, Illinois.

In the end, Twins Cities newcomer Due North won over the crowd with an Audience Favorite performance and earned the regional title. Meanwhile, The Northsiders of Chicago took second place and Final Melody from Richton Park, IL, finished third.

Due North will next represent the Midwest at the Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals in May in San Rafael, CA.

"We had so much fun here this weekend," Due North's Alissa Peanasky said. "Every group has their own thing that they're doing, their own unique part that they're trying to get across, so it was just so fun to see everyone and how unique they all were. We were so excited to make the connections here. We met so many wonderful a cappella people here in this community, and we are beyond thrilled to go to California. We did not expect that at all, so we're super excited."

Chicago Sweeps was hosted by Master of Ceremonies David Wilner and 2017 national champion The Sound Exchange. Here's a recap of each group's performance:

Vocal Chaos

The first competitor of the evening brought energy and fun to the room. Hailing from Chicago, this all-male group has been competing in the Harmony Sweepstakes competition for more than 20 years. Infusing humor into their choreography, Vocal Chaos had the audience laughing right away.

Counterpoint

Next up, Loyola University's Counterpoint brought a different kind of energy to the room. Its arrangements were slower with more dissonant chords, which were sung with great precision. Soloist Daria Derda captivated the audience with her intensity and expressiveness. She also took home the award for Best Original Arrangement.

Final Melody

Final Melody graced the stage with its unique arrangements of popular songs. Taking Christmas and Disney songs and giving them a remixed feeling and up-tempo beat earned Cornelius Garner the title of Outstanding Vocal Percussionist of the night.

Due North

The newest group in the competition came out strong with a beautiful arrangement of "Walking on Sunshine," its chords ringing. Throughout Due North's short set, it demonstrated strong vocals with a great blend and even incorporated some humor into its choreography.

Crimson Cadence 

The Bloomington, Indiana, natives showed off their skills through intricate arrangements and a beautiful blend of more challenging chords. Sara Rauch’s take on "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" earned her the title of Best Soloist of the evening.

The Northsiders

As the only barbershop quartet of the evening, The Northsiders infused quite a bit of humor into their songs and choreography, including stopping to tell jokes at one point and even forming a kick line! It was evident this group has been singing barbershop for a long time. Everything The Northsiders did was done perfectly together, and not a note was out of place.

Remedy

Finishing off the evening was Remedy, from the University of Dayton, in Ohio. This mixed group brought a lot of intensity to its music and incorporated a lot of movement in its set. Remedy captivated the audience with its incredible soloists and great arrangements.

There are three remaining regionals before the Harmony Sweepstakes National Finals get underway May 19. The Bay Area Regional Competition is set for March 31 at the Palace of the Fine Arts in San Francisco. The Boston and Los Angeles regional both take place on April 14.