The Spizzwinks

The Spizzwinks(?), whose name includes the parentheses and question mark, are an a cappella singing group of Yale University male students. The Spizzwinks(?) travel throughout the United States and the world performing nearly 100 concerts each year, with a repertoire that spans from Maroon 5 to George Gershwin, and includes comedy sketches, typically performed in tuxedos or tails. Founded in late 1913, the Spizzwinks(?) are the oldest underclassman a cappella group in the United States, dating back to a first performance in early 1914.^[1]

History

In 1913, four young men met at Mory's Temple Bar, Yale's historic tavern, to create a more light-hearted alternative to the more serious Whiffenpoofs (another a cappella singing group), and to name their new singing group.^[2] They decided upon the "Spizzwinks," a reference to a mythical creature to which the Corn Blight of 1906 had been whimsically attributed. The editor of the Yale Banner was unsure of the spelling of the fledgling group and added a question mark in parentheses. The group liked the look of "Spizzwinks(?)" and has kept the parentheses and question mark to this day.^[2]

Music and humor

While their repertoire has included songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Leonard Bernstein, over the years, they have mixed in arrangements of songs by Maroon 5, Billy Joel, Jeff Buckley, Marvin Gaye, Queen, The Who, and Rascal Flatts. The Spizzwinks(?) also perform original pieces by alumni. Typically, a Spizzwinks(?) concert will include skits and humorous introductions to their music.

Each year, the Yale Spizzwinks(?) perform nearly 100 concerts across the nation and around the world.^[3] They have performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and professional sporting events, as well as country clubs, yacht clubs, schools and resorts.^[4] The group also sells CDs and related materials to raise funds for their touring.^[5]

Recent tours

Summer Tour '08

Bucharest, Romania

Spring Tour '08

Los Angeles, California, USA
Nadi, Fiji
Auckland, New Zealand^[6]

Winter Tour '07

San Francisco, California, USA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Duluth, Minnesota, USA^[7]^[8]

Summer Tour '07

Hong Kong^[9]
Shanghai, China
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Yangon, Myanmar^[10]
Hanoi, Vietnam
Bangkok, Thailand

Spring Tour '07

Ohio, USA
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Asunción, Paraguay
Encarnación, Paraguay

Winter Tour '06

Tampa, Florida, USA
Miami, Florida, USA

Summer Tour '06

Johannesburg, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
London, England^[11]

Spring Tour '06

Los Angeles, California, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
San Diego, California, USA

Winter Tour '05

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
The Grand Canyon, USA

Summer Tour '05

London, England
Shannon, Ireland
Geneva, Switzerland
Lugano, Switzerland
Rome, Italy

Spring Tour '05

San Francisco, USA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Asuncion, Paraguay

Winter Tour '04

Florida, USA
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Motto

"We ride, for ride we must"

Notable alumni

Bobby Lopez '97, co-creator of the Broadway musical Avenue Q. Winner of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical Score.^[12]
Jonathan Coulton '93, singer-songwriter^[13]
Noah Emmerich '92, actor ^[14]
Christophe Beck '91, Emmy Award-winning Hollywood film composer^[15]
Steve Bodow '89, head writer for The Daily Show.
Joshua Malina '88, actor, best known for playing Will Bailey on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing
Rick Westerfield '79, symphony conductor.
Rob Bell '72, founding member of Chanticleer^[16]
Lewis Spratlan '62, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer.
Fenno Heath '50, composer and conductor^[17]
George Roy Hill '43, director, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Slaughterhouse-Five, the The World According to Garp. 1974 Academy Award winner as Best Director for The Sting.
John Hancock Daniels '43, former president and chief executive officer of Archer Daniels Midland.

External links

Notes

^ Oldest underclassman a cappella group. They are also the second oldest undergraduate a cappella group, after the Yale Whiffenpoofs (which is limited to seniors). Another Yale male a cappella singing group, the Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, claims to be the "longest-running non-senior" singing group; that group was founded in 1938. See Society of Orpheus and Bacchus.
^ ^a ^b Spizzwinks(?) history
^ "The Yale Spizzwinks(?) Concerts and Tours". Retrieved 2007-01-25.
^ Spizzwinks(?) concerts and tours
^ Spizzwinks store
^ Auckland concert
^ Cloquet, MN concert
^ Duluth, MN concert
^ Hong Kong concert
^ Myanmar tour
^ London concert
^ Bobby Lopez
^ Jonathan Coulton;Coulton Interview
^ Noah Emmerich
^ Chris Beck
^ Rob Bell
^ Fenno Heath

[1] Oldest underclassman a cappella group. They are also the second oldest undergraduate a cappella group, after the Yale Whiffenpoofs (which is limited to seniors). Another Yale male a cappella singing group, the Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, claims to be the "longest-running non-senior" singing group; that group was founded in 1938. See Society of Orpheus and Bacchus.

[history-2] Spizzwinks(?) history

[3] "The Yale Spizzwinks(?) Concerts and Tours". Retrieved 2007-01-25.

[4] Spizzwinks(?) concerts and tours

[5] Spizzwinks store

[6] Auckland concert

[7] Cloquet, MN concert

[8] Duluth, MN concert

[9] Hong Kong concert

[10] Myanmar tour

[11] London concert

[12] Bobby Lopez

[13] Jonathan Coulton;Coulton Interview

[14] Noah Emmerich

[15] Chris Beck

[16] Rob Bell

[17] Fenno Heath

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