Yale A Capella Group Performs at Exeter

After Yale’s Society of Orpheus and Bacchus (SOBs) performed song after song from their regular repertoire, tenor Matt Walak gave fellow tenor Kiscada Hastings a task: mimic the sounds of animals from the barnyard and the jungle. When tasked with the most challenging sound of all, the giraffe, Hastings pulled a maple leaf out of his breast pocket and put it in his mouth.On Saturday, Oct.12, the a capella group performed on a Friday night performane over Family Weekend, after they were invited by the Office of Student Activities. The group traveled from New Haven and hosted a 45-minute concert in the Forrestal-Bowld Music Center.The event was organized by Assistant Director of Student Activities Kelly McGahie. “I think, on Saturday night, the weekend itself is winding down,” she said. “The athletic events are over, there’s not a lot of activity but there are definitely people here. I think people really appreciate having something to do that’s on campus and that they don’t have to pay for.”This recent performance was the group’s second at Exeter. “It was popular last year,” McGahie said. “We had a full audience and everyone seemed to be very happy when they left. Last year, it was really special when they did their contractually obligated [alumni song].” After last year’s performance, four SOB alumni from the audience performed with the group to conclude the event.Winston Venderbush, the group’s Musical Director, noted that performing at Exeter was a special opportunity. “I’m from New York City, so I have a bunch of friends who go to Exeter—it’s a school I’m familiar with. Last year was the first time I ever had the chance to visit,” he said. “The concert last year was probably one of my favorite concerts for the entire year, so we wanted the opportunity to come back and perform for you.”Several students, including upper Oliver Hess, voiced his awe of the performance. “I was impressed that they came all the way from New Haven to perform for us and then [performed] a 45 minute show,” Hess said. “Their performance solidified the fact that I know that I want to pursue a cappella in college, for sure.”Additionally, the SOBs’ practice of inducting both new and experienced a cappella singers made  an impression on senior and Exeteras co-head Kevin Xu. “It was inspiring just to see them because it shows you how you can reach high levels of musicianship, even with new singers,” he said.SOBs Business Manager Benji Rewis noted the high musical standard of his group. “We definitely have a rigorous process of auditions and a high musical bar,” he said. “We really care a lot about personality as well because we spend a ton of time with each other and tour like four times a year.”On top of the inherent musical talent of the singers themselves, rigorous rehearsal is required to achieve the group's signature blend. “Everyone’s got a different timbre of voice, a different style and a different background in singing,” Venderbush said. “We do a lot of exercises—we work on building chords from the ground up. We do rehearse six hours a week, so it’s a big time commitment and learning how to blend in an a cappella group is a very distinct challenge.”For their concert, the group drew from its archive of arrangements from their 81-year history. “All of our arrangements were done by current or former members of the group, so as Musical Director, I select our repertoire for the year,” Venderbush said. “I try to strike a really nice balance between newer stuff and also pay homage to the older. I love pulling out songs that are older, more traditional.”In addition to the group's standard repertoire, the show showcased a distinct lineup of soloists. “[Soloists] are not the same for every performance,” Venderbush said. “If you are someone in the group, you learn a solo, you’re ready to do it and you want to in a concert, you can get out there and go for it. It’s pretty spontaneous, and that’s what we like to do to keep it exciting and entertaining.”Senior Ayush Noori admired the group's the professionalism. “The group had incredible rapport, tight harmonies and made beautiful music,” he said. “Not only do these performances invigorate us, they also inspire us as singers and show us the power of individual people when they get together in a group to make something meaningful.”Vocalists at Exeter appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a vocal performance by a trained group of singers. “Regardless of whether the genre is pop or classical, I think it’s good if Exeter groups get exposure to visiting performers,” Xu said. “This performance group is very strong in its body language and humor.”In the future, the SOBs will continue to share their music on tours with high school audiences. “We love bringing our work to many people,” Rewis said. “Some of our best concerts are the ones where you go to high schools, where the audience is very interested in our group.”