A Cappella Groups Visit the Hill

A cappella groups visit campus
Springtime at Westminster brings out the songbirds and over the next few months there will be several a cappella singing groups scheduled to perform on the Hill. All of the events will be held in Fearn Hall, unless otherwise noted. Parents and friends are invited to visit and listen to the outstanding entertainment.
 
In addition, Westminster musician David Chrzanowski produces a Cabaret each spring. More at the end of the page.
 
March 31, 6:30 p.m.               Middlebury College’s “Dissipated Eight”
Founded at Middlebury College in the 1950s, the Dissipated Eight, or D8, as they are often called, has produced many albums over the years, including a Best College a cappella winner in 1997. The all-male group of eight singers performs all over New England (as well as Bermuda) at private venues, colleges, and high schools. With over 50 years behind them, they share a blend of traditional and contemporary a cappella music with the audience.
 
April 1 - 6:00 p.m.                U.V.M.'s Cat's Meow
Westminster’s own Christina Stang ’04 returned to the Hill as part of the UVM a cappella group Cat’s Meow. In the a cappella community, the Cat’s Meow genre is called "contemporary" (as opposed to, say, "barbershop" or "jazz"). Their repertoire consists of pop, folk, the 80s, and a few oldies, including songs by artists such as Annie Lennox, En Vogue, and Stephen Stills. As a different treat for students and faculty, Cat’s Meow will perform in the dining hall and sing at different tables during dinner.
 
April 7, 6:30 p.m.       Yale's Mixed Company
Mixed Company... the name says it all. A co-ed a cappella group at Yale who are also a varied group of musicians and friends with diverse musical tastes and styles. Their musical renditions spans from Broadway show tunes to traditional Yale favorites, and from the Indigo Girls to Guster. They have performed throughout the world, including at a New York Mets game and at a cathedral in Barcelona, Spain.
 
April 14, 6:30 p.m.       Yale's Shades (hosted by M.S.U.)
Shades were started at Yale in 1988 by a group of freshmen of color. The group’s repertoire draws on the rich ethnic and musical backgrounds of its members. Shades focuses on African-American music, particularly R&B, gospel, jazz, pop, and traditional spiritual music.
 
May 5, 6:30 p.m.                Flocabularly
Flocabulary is educational rap: strings of vocabulary-packed mnemonic devices set to hip-hop music is revolutionizing SAT test-prep by using engaging, effective, and fun ways to remember vocabulary. This Educational Music Project is a required event for all Fifth Formers; hosted by faculty members Kate Caspar, Joyce Wilson, and Peter Newman in preparation for the following day's SATs.
 
May 19-20, 7:00 p.m.             Westminster Cabaret!
Cabaret is a variety show for which students perform some of the greatest songs from Broadway musicals. Auditions at the end of February, before the end of the winter term. This allows Mr. Chrzanowski to custom design the program of the show over the March break to reflect many different styles of music, from the contemporary songs from shows like Parade and Jekyll & Hyde to classics from shows like My Fair Lady and Showboat. A successful Cabaret not only showcases the students' talents, but cycles through emotional highs and lows, making the audience laugh in one number and cry the next.

This year's cast includes:
Class of '06: Ben Smith, Kyra Lentz, Courtney Edwards, Maggie Brown, Chi Okwu-Lawrence, Damali Slowe, Caroline Thibadeau, Emily Ridenour, Kassandra Meyer, Lizzy Moran
Class of '07: Alex Geitz, John Sherman, Andrew Kim, Leah Barker, Young Bahn, Leigh Armstrong
Class of '08: Shelby Brown