The Gentlemen spent Spring Break on a 2,100-mile tour, stopping at the University of Virginia, Duke University, Clearwater Beach, FL, and Corolla, NC. Along the way, they performed brand new music alongside fellow a cappella groups and had plenty of time to soak up the sun! Check out highlights of the trip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f74-ggL6A-A
Competing with four other collegiate groups from around Virginia, the Gentlemen came out on top Saturday at the first annual "Sing Your Heart Out" A Cappella Invitational, hosted by the University Sounds of Christopher Newport University. They received high praise for their arrangements, choosing to perform "Bring It On Home to Me," "That Girl," and "The Sound of Silence." When asked to sum up the group's success, junior Andreas Moffett attributed it to "a precise focus on blending and harmony." Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter to catch the next Gentlemen performance!
This Saturday at 5 PM, the Gentlemen will be joining other a cappella groups from around Virginia to compete in the "Sing Your Heart Out" Invitational at Christopher Newport University. All the performances will be open to the public. More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/580529862028190/
I’m not exaggerating when I say that I didn’t even know a cappella existed before I came to college. So when my freshman hall-mates urged me to go to the A Cappella showcase fall of my freshman year, I had no idea what to expect. But as the Gentlemen took the stage and stole the show with their artistic skill and humor, I knew immediately that I wanted to sing a cappella at William and Mary- and I knew I wanted to do so with the Gentlemen.
I had sung a bit before (church choir for two years when I was in elementary school and a lead role in the musical my senior year of high school), but never had I participated in any singing group that was student-run. I remember looking down at my shoes during my whole audition- nerves I guess- and for my solo in callbacks I forgot all the words to Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me”, so I improvised the lyrics, and somehow, it worked! What made me make the most out what could have been a pretty embarrassing experience were the words of encouragement I received from the Gentlemen viewing my audition. To this day, I am proud to say that this sense of encouragement in the group has not gone away, even though all the Gentlemen in that callback room have graduated since.
Now, as I start the final semester at W&M, I realize that auditioning for the Gentlemen was the best decision I made here. What make this group unique are its rich history, fun traditions, and fantastic people- who are some of the closest friends I have ever had. So my last-minute advice to those who are auditioning would be the following: have fun. Cliché as it sounds, it really works. And you can bet the Gentlemen will be there cheering you on!
The first thing I remember thinking when I stepped into the audition room is: "I am not a singer".
In my mind, the men seated before me were the singers. I was an impostor, placed on trial before these well-dressed but ruffled singers. My head crammed with doubt, I warbled tunelessly through warm-ups and exercises I was certain were meant to trick me. I remember sweating in strange places and remarking on it under my breath. I didn't think they had heard me, but I was terrified they had. I forgot all my words, mispronounced lyrics, and even convinced myself I was unintentionally rude to the director. In general, I was a hot, steaming mess. Iprepared for the worst.
Obviously, all of this was completely unfounded, and just plain wrong. As I began to emerge from my nervous shell, I quickly realized that the group of men before me were not scary in the least. In fact, they were only men when appropriate. They cracked jokes, but not ever at my expense - I made a few of my own, and a some Gentlemen even forced out pity laughs. I felt validated.
As the audition went on, I felt more and more like part of the group. Each and every member made a conscious effort to be inclusive and supportive, not only of me, but of each other, too. By the end, as we all sang together without even worrying about really sounding good, I knew I had made my decision. Of all the groups I auditioned for, the Gentlemen made the biggest effort to make me feel at home. And almost two years later, that hasn't stopped.
We're really excited to be back in Williamsburg for another fun semester of singing, and we hope to see you in the audience sometime soon! There are some big plans in the works for new Gentlemen, new music, and more coming up soon, so if you haven't already, be sure to connect with us on social media (links on the sidebar) for the latest updates on what we're doing! In the mean time, here are some upcoming events:
- The Spring A Cappella Showcase - January 22nd, 8 PM, Commonwealth Auditorium - We'll be performing along with William and Mary's entire a cappella community. It's a great opportunity to catch a lot of new music, as well as to sign up for auditions...
- Spring Auditions - January 23rd, 6 PM, Morton Hall - Mark your calendars and prepare a solo, because we want to hear from you! The Gentlemen are holding auditions for all voice parts!
- New Album Coming Soon - We're hard at work recording new music, and our first full album since 2012 will be ready for release this spring! More details will be available soon, so stay tuned to our social media feeds!
