The Yale Whiffenpoofs are the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the United States, established in 1909. Collegiate a cappella (or college a cappella) ensembles are student-run and -directed Singing groups that perform entirely without instruments Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting [1] Best known for "The Whiffenpoof Song," based on a tune written by Guy H. Scull (Harvard ’98) and adapted with lyrics by Meade Minnigerode (Yale '10). Meade Minnigerode (1887-1967 was an American writer born in London. [2] , the group comprises senior men who compete in the spring of their junior year for 14 spots. [3] The business manager and musical director of the group, known in Whiff tradition respectively as the “Popocatepetl” and “Pitchpipe”[4] are chosen by members of the previous year's group, although an alumni organization maintains close ties with the group. Popocatépetl (commonly referred to as Popo, El Popo or Don Goyo) (popokaˈtepetɬ is an active Volcano and at 5426 m A pitch pipe is a small device used to provide a pitch reference for musicians without Absolute pitch.
The Whiffenpoofs have performed for generations at a number of venues, including Lincoln Center, the White House, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, McAfee Coliseum, Carnegie Hall and the Rose Bowl. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located in Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east The Rose Bowl is an outdoor football Stadium in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles. The group has also appeared on television shows such as Jeopardy!, The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, 60 Minutes, Gilmore Girls and The West Wing. Today, also referred to as The Today Show, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Not to be confused with the BBC news magazine program Sixty Minutes (TV series. Gilmore Girls was an Emmy Award -winning Golden Globe -nominated American Comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Throughout the school year, the Whiffenpoofs traditionally perform Monday nights at Mory's, known more formally as "Mory's Temple Bar," circulating from room to room singing. Mory's, known also as Mory's Temple Bar, is a private club adjacent to the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut founded in 1849 and [5]
The Whiffs' best-known alumnus may be Cole Porter, who sang in the 1913 lineup of the Whiffenpoofs when he was a student at Yale. Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. Today the group often performs Porter songs in tribute.
The Whiffenpoofs donate part of their proceeds each year to the Whiffenpoof Children's Literacy Initiative, which aims to create 15 literacy centers in 12 countries, including the US. They travel extensively during the school year and take a three-month world tour during the summer. At one time most members were full-time students, but today many members take all or part of the year off and are effectively full-time professional Whiffenpoofs.
The word "whiffenpoof" originated in the 1908 opera Little Nemo by Victor Herbert, based on the comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Victor August Herbert ( February 1 1859 &ndash May 26 1924) was a Cellist, conductor and Composer best known Little Nemo is the main Fictional character in a series of weekly Comic strips by Winsor McCay (1871-1934 that appeared in the New York Herald Winsor McCay ( September 26 1867 (? – July 26 1934) was an American Cartoonist and Animator.
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The Whiffenpoof Song
The Whiffenpoof Song, the group's traditional closing number, was published in sheet music form in 1909. Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of Musical notation; like its analogs -- books pamphlets etc Events November 28 - Sergei Rachmaninoff 's Piano Concerto No It became a hit first for Rudy Vallee in 1927 and later in 1947 for Bing Crosby. Rudy Vallée ( July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was an American Singer, Actor, Bandleader, and entertainer Events January 8 - Alban Berg 's Lyric Suite is premiered in Vienna. Events August 7 - Carlo Bergonzi makes his professional debut as Schaunard in La Bohème at the Arena Argentina in Catania Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby ( May 3, 1903 &ndash October 14, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American Popular It has also been recorded by Elvis Presley, Count Basie, Perry Como, the Statler Brothers and countless others. William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como ( May 18 1912 &ndash May 12 2001) was an Italian-American singer and television personality The Statler Brothers are an American Country music group founded in 1955 in Staunton Virginia. Mory's refers to Mory's Temple Bar and Louis to a former owner of Mory's. Mory's, known also as Mory's Temple Bar, is a private club adjacent to the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut founded in 1849 and The chorus is derived from the poem “Gentlemen Rankers” by Rudyard Kipling, which was set to music by Guy H. A Gentleman ranker is an Enlisted soldier who may have been a former officer or a Gentleman qualified through education and background to be a Commissioned Joseph Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936 was an English Author and poet Scull (Harvard ’98) and adapted with lyrics by Meade Minnigrode (Yale '10). [2] It was featured on the opening sequence of the TV Series Baa Baa Black Sheep. Baa Baa Black Sheep (later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron) is a Television series that aired on NBC from 1976 until 1978
The chorus was also used in the movie 12 O'Clock High with Gregory Peck. It can be heard being sung in the background after the unit receives its first unit commendation.
The Whiffenpoof Song
To the tables down at Mory's,
To the place where Louie dwells,
To the dear old Temple Bar
We love so well,
Sing the Whiffenpoofs assembled
With their glasses raised on high,
And the magic of their singing casts its spell.
Yes, the magic of their singing
Of the songs we love so well:
"Shall I, Wasting" and "Mavourneen" and the rest.
We will serenade our Louis
While life and voice shall last
Then we'll pass and be forgotten with the rest.
We are poor little lambs
Who have lost our way.
Baa! Baa! Baa!
We are little black sheep
Who have gone astray.
Baa! Baa! Baa!
Gentlemen songsters off on a spree
Damned from here to eternity
God have mercy on such as we.
Baa! Baa! Baa!
Variations
Musical satirist Tom Lehrer spoofed the "Whiffenpoof Song" as part of his song "Bright College Days. Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer (born April 9 1928)is an American Singer-songwriter, satirist, Pianist, and mathematician " Lehrer, a professor at Yale's traditional rival Harvard University, sings of "glasses raised on high" and of drinking a toast "to those we love the best," to rhyme with "we'll pass [as in 'pass the final exams'] and be forgotten with the rest. " He also sings "to the tables down at Mory's, wherever that may be. . . ," evoking a laugh from the Harvard auditorium crowd at the live recording.
References
- ^ "The Reverend James M. Howard ’09, "An Authentic Account of the Founding of the Whiffenpoofs"
- ^ a b "The Reverend James M. Howard ’09, "An Authentic Account of the Founding of the Whiffenpoofs/The Whiffenpoof Song.".
- ^ Brozan, Nancy, "Whiffenpoofs: 'Gentlemen songsters' still," Special to the New York Times. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N. Y. : Apr 20, 1987. pg. C. 12. ISSN: 03624331. ProQuest document ID: 956358391.
- ^ Brozan, Nancy, "Whiffenpoofs: 'Gentlemen songsters' still," Special to the New York Times. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast))
- ^ Watson, Ben "Music made in England: Mondays at Mory's," Yankee. Dublin: Jul/Aug 2001. Vol. 65, Iss. 6; pg. 65. Source type: Periodical. ISSN: 00440191. ProQuest document ID: 74227092.
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