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The Gentlemen of the College

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The Gentlemen of the College
OriginCollege of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
GenresCollegiate a cappella
Years active1990–present
MembersGraham Hogg '23, Carlos Noel '23, Salvatore Rego '23, Joseph Lorber '24, Adam Farris '24, Nikko Bannon '24, Jack Weisgerber '25, Derron Mendel '25, Julian Green '25, Stavan Bhakta '23, Colin Billings '24, Sajen Schuchert '26, Maddox Kromash '26, Jack Sullivan '26, Jon Geerdes '25
Websitewww.gentlemenofthecollege.com
The Gentlemen, circa 2007, performing on Parents' Weekend at the College of William & Mary
The Gentlemen, circa 2007, performing on Parents' Weekend at the College of William & Mary

The Gentlemen of the College is a Tenor/Bass singing group, and the oldest Tenor/Bass a cappella group at the College of William & Mary. Founded in 1990[1] the Gentlemen started out as a men's choir that concentrated in barbershop and traditional pieces—a repertoire that has since evolved to encompass a large selection of contemporary music. Known for their navy blazers, khaki pants, and novelty ties, the Gentlemen perform at the collegiate, local, and national level. The Gentlemen usually field four 'fixed' concerts per year—a Homecoming concert in the Sadler Center, Two "Wren Ten"s on the portico of the Wren Building, and a final concert in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall[1] Additionally, the Gentlemen have performed on national television,[2] at The White House,[3] The Capitol[3] the Waldorf Astoria,[4] and for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.[3] The Gentlemen have 17 studio CDs in their discography, having just released their most recent album, Meet Me At Paul's, in 2022.[5]

Discover more about The Gentlemen of the College related topics

College of William & Mary

College of William & Mary

The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity". In his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities, Richard Moll included William & Mary as one of the original eight "Public Ivies".

Wren Building

Wren Building

The Wren Building is the signature building of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Along with the Brafferton and President's House, these buildings form the College's Ancient Campus. With a construction history dating to 1695, it is the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States and among the oldest buildings in Virginia. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall is a multi-use building at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It contains the largest auditorium on the campus, containing two floors of seating. The building is home to art shows, musical acts, theatre, assemblies and guest speakers.

United States Capitol

United States Capitol

The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Though no longer at the geographic center of the federal district, the Capitol forms the origin point for the street-numbering system of the district as well as its four quadrants.

History

Co-founded in 1990 by Douglas Stambler ('92) and Mike Fitch ('93), the original group had a passion for barbershop. The Gentlemen of the College has been an active part of the William and Mary community for over twenty years. Usually consisting of 10-15 members, The Gentlemen have biannual auditions with the rest of the William and Mary a cappella Council.

Performances

The Gentlemen integrate a lively and humorous performance style with their repertoire—a style shown through their Homecoming and Final concerts. Respectively taking place at the Sadler center and Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall concerts are punctuated with skits. A 'final video', a Gentlemen-acted spoof of the year's blockbuster, is shown during final concert.[6]

The Gentlemen perform a 'Wren Ten', an arch sing, once per semester. Congregating on the Wren Portico, the Gentlemen showcase the semester's new songs, introduce the new members, and produce a skit. The Wren Ten performances are sometimes themed—traditionally, the Gentlemen dress up in costumes for their fall Wren 10 (falling usually around Halloween weekend).

The Gentlemen of the College also perform for campus-wide events. Amongst the list, they usually sing at Admitted Students Day, Charter Day, the Yule Log ceremony [7] and others. They also sing for private events, including Greek life, business meetings, and for special guests.

Uniform

Since its inception, The Gentlemen of the College have maintained a uniform that they wear at all performances. This consists of a navy blazer, a pair of khaki pants, and a novelty "silly" tie. The latter part of this uniform is especially important to the group. It signifies the relaxed, humorous side of the Gentlemen; a balance to the otherwise formal wear. Each member supplies his own novelty tie(s) that he wears for four years, adding to the history of the group. During their holiday performances, the Gentlemen don holiday apparel and winter scarfs.

Discography

Standard repertoire

  • Meet Me At Paul's (2022)
  • Our Very Best (So Far) (2022)
  • Shenanigans (2019)
  • College Ruled (2016)
  • Night On The Town (2014)
  • Blending In (2014)
  • Escape From Coney Island (2012)
  • Shoes to Fill (2010)
  • Untucked (2008)
  • Jacket Required (2006)
  • The High Road (2004)
  • The Ties That Bind (2002)
  • No Closure (2000)
  • Shades of Khaki (1998)
  • Gentlemen Start Your Engines (1996)
  • Boomerang Fish (1994)
  • Jump the Wall (1992)

Holiday repertoire

  • I'll Be Home for Christmas (2012)
  • Christmas Soup (2007)
  • The Gentlemen's First Christmas (2001)

Source: "The Gentlemen of the College", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 16th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gentlemen_of_the_College.

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References
  1. ^ a b A History of The Gentlemen of the College, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
  2. ^ Zagursky, Erin "W&M Men's Singing Group to Perform on National TV" Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily, 10/08/2011
  3. ^ a b c History of The Gentlemen at gentlemenofthecollege.com
  4. ^ Gentlemen of the College' to perform in NYC, on national TV' at William and Mary news and events
  5. ^ Gentlemen of the College Discography, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
  6. ^ "The Gentlemen of the College Biographical Note". Williamsburg, VA: Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
  7. ^ "W&M celebrates Yule Log tradition" at William and Mary news and events
External links

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