MANCHESTER — Teams of a capella singing groups from around New Hampshire will try to unseat a Manchester High School West group as the state champion in the Voices of the (603) competion at the University of New Hampshire, Manchester.

The Oct. 12 competition will come in the form of a concert at the McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester.

It will cap a day of events for the middle- and high-school teams from around the state.

The Manchester West team was organized in 2009 as a morale booster in the wake of the loss of students from Bedford to a new high school in their hometown.

“The kids really needed a boost,” said West high chorus director Susan Wilkes. “People kind of have this image of West High School not really being a winner at anything, so we were like ‘Oh yeah, we got this,’” Wilkes said.

Events for the a capella groups will begin with clinics at UNH Manchester, where the school’s Milling Around a capella group will host the competition.

Milling Around is the only collegiate a capella group in the nation from a commuter college campus.

Funding is provided by the Frederick Smyth Trust, the Campus Compact of New Hampshire and UNH. Tickets for the concert are available online at voicesofthe603.com and proceeds will benefit New Hampshire Citizens for the Arts.