A range of options

Gregory Clarke

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For the past few years, Yale’s a cappella singing groups have been rethinking their ideas about gender. The Whiffenpoofs tapped their first woman in 2018, and Whim ’n Rhythm their first man last spring. This fall, the groups that are part of the Singing Group Council agreed to a new rule: auditions are open to all people regardless of gender. Where there were once six men’s groups, four women’s groups, and seven coed groups, the 17 listed here now define themselves by the vocal range of their repertoire.

SSAA: first and second soprano, first and second alto second alto     
SATB: soprano, alto, tenor, bass 
TTBB: first and second tenor, baritone, bass

Group: Whim ’n Rhythm / Range: SSAA / Founded: 1981

Group: The New Blue / Range: SSAA / Founded: 1969

Group:  Proof of the Pudding / Range: SSAA / Founded: 1975

Group: Something Extra / Range: SSAA / Founded: 1977

Group: Redhot & Blue / Range: SATB / Founded: 1977

Group: Living Water / Range SATB / Founded: 1979

Group: Mixed Company / Range: SATB / Founded: 1981

Group: Out of the Blue / Range: SATB / Founded: 1986

Group: Shades of Yale / Range: SATB / Founded: 1988

Group: Pitches & Tones / Range: SATB / Founded: 2011

Group: Cadence / Range: SATB / Founded: 2019

Group: Whiffenpoofs / Range: TTBB / Founded: 1909

Group: Spizzwinks (?) / Range: TTBB / Founded: 1914

Group: Society of Orpheus and Bacchus / Range: TTBB / Founded: 1938*

Group: Alley Cats / Range: TTBB / Founded: 1943

Group: Baker’s Dozen / Range: TTBB / Founded: 1947

Group: Doox of Yale / Range: TTBB / Founded:  1952

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* In our print edition and in an earlier online version of this article, we misreported the founding date of the Society of Orpheus and Bacchus as 1977. We regret the error.