The Yale Whiffenpoofs

The Yale Whiffenpoofs are the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the US, established in 1909. Best known for "The Whiffenpoof Song," the group is comprised of senior men who compete in the spring of their junior year for 14 coveted spots.[1] The music director and business manager of the group—known in Whiff tradition respectively as the "Pitchpipe" and "Popocatepetl"—are chosen by members of the previous year's group, although an alumni organization maintains close ties with the group.

The Whiffenpoofs have performed for generations at a number of distinguished venues, including Lincoln Center, the White House, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Carnegie Hall and the Rose Bowl. The group has also appeared on television shows such as Jeopardy!, The Today Show, 60 Minutes, Gilmore Girls and The West Wing. Throughout the school year, the Whiffs traditionally perform Monday nights at Mory's, known more formally as "Mory's Temple Bar," circulating from room to room and regaling members and their guests.[2] Often they take requests from the assembled crowd in exchange for the silver-plated loving cups known as "Mory's cups" (see sidebar).

The Whiffs' best-known alumnus may be Cole Porter, who was a member of the Whiffenpoofs when he was a student at Yale. 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.

Discography

Century

CT, Yale campus, five of the Yale Glee Club's finest singers retreated to Mory's Temple Bar, where proprietor Lewis Linder, also a music lover, welcomed them in, and the Whiffenpoofs' legend began. Four of the men were in the Glee Club's Varsity Quartet, which sang at alumni functions. The fifth allowed them to improvise more complex harmonies for the old songs they loved, and this attracted appreciative customers. The group set a weekly date to meet, Mory's at six. The name came from a line in an obscure musical comedy, "Little Nemo," based on cartoonist Winsor McKay's sublime Sunday comic, "Little Nemo in Slumberland." The Whiffenpoof was a fabulous creature who lived in a frozen lake, who would rise through a hole cut in the ice lined with cheese, which he would sniff, squawk a loud "poof," and thus be caught. The group's anthem, "The Whiffenpoof Song," was composed by Glee Club member Todd Galloway, and given lyrics by Whiffenpoofs Meade Minnigerode and George Pomeroy, and the exclamations of all present led to the deathless lyric "We are poor little lambs who have lost our way, Baa, baa, baa…" being reverently sung, standing, at every subsequent Whiffenpoofs gathering. The "best of" songlist contains romantic classics from the 1909 version of the Whiffenpoofs' "Aj, Lucka Siroka" to the 2009 group's "Soon It's Gonna Rain." Other favorites are "September Song" (1950), "Minnie the Mermaid" (1940), "Little Pony" (1975), "The Girl From Ipanema" (1994), "I'll Be Seeing You" (1991), "Something Like The Blues" (1987), "Bye Bye Blackbird" (1994), "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (1962), "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (1989) and "Saving Ourselves" (1949). In fact, every cut here is a nostalgic, harmonic gem. Treat yourself to this sumptuous musical banquet, one of our all-time favorite Collegiate groups, well, since 1907!

We Meet Again Tonight

The Whiffenpoofs, founded at Yale in 1909, are fast approaching their 100th anniversary, and the14 young men who comprise the 2008 version of the group is celebrating by releasing this sumptuous "best of" collection of 21 tunes. The oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group in the US begins with a pair of Whiff standards, the Bohemian marching song "Aj, Lucka, Lucka, Siroka" and the title tune, which refers to a regular Monday night meeting of the group at Mory's Temple Bar, where the guys are the resident muses, going from table to table as the patrons join in the revelry. Other favorites are "Little Pony," "Midnight Train to Georgia," the traditional English tune "Down By the Salley Gardens," the foot-tapping "I've Been Everywhere." "Time after Time," "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room," "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," "My Cutie's Due," the heart-tugging "I'll Be Seeing You" and the classic "Whiffenpoof Song." This is all great, legendary stuff, perfectly harmonized by one of the great Collegiate groups of all time. Enjoy!

Whiffs in Space!

As one of the nation’s oldest and most acclaimed collegiate a cappella groups the Whiffenpoofs have, during their 99 years of existence, sung all over the world. With their 100 year anniversary approaching the group decided that was not quite enough so now “The Whiffs” have taken off to explore the universe where “in space nobody can hear you sing”. This recording reflects their long tradition by performing a selection of more traditional male glee club type songs along with a very healthy mix of contemporary a cappella songs. With such a long and proud tradition the Whiffenpoofs have always been one of the creams of the crop and this year’s group more than hold their own on this fine recording. An added bonus is the printed insert which turns into a cool poster.

In The Studio

The 14 fresh-faced young men in the photo on the back of the liner notes for "In The Studio" are Yale Seniors selected to be Whiffenpoofs, probably the best-known, and certainly the oldest, collegiate a cappella group in the U.S. These 19 songs, beginning of course with the Bohemian Marching Song "Aj, Lucka, Lucka, Siroka," which, along with the haunting "Whiffenpoof Song," has graced every Whiffenpoof recording, the guys nail "On Broadway," "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair," "Steppin' Out With My Baby," the very hip and funny "Is This Any Way to Fall in Love," "Stay," the self-parodying "Daddy is a Yale Man," "Maryland," "Bye Bye, Blackbird," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," and many more. The 'Poofs are (and always have been) one of the best collegiate groups we have reviewed, and the wonderful "In The Studio" shows how truly fine they can be!

Songs of Yale

Every year since their founding as a Senior Glee Club quintet that met for weekly concerts at Mory's Temple Bar at Yale University, 14 Senior men are selected to be the Whiffenpoofs, oldest collegiate a cappella group in the U.S. "Songs of Yale" is collection of 20 traditional Yale songs like "Wake, Freshmen, Wake," "Aj Lucka, Lucka, Siroka," "We Meet Again Tonight," "Eli Yale," "Full Cup," the haunting "Whiffenpoof Song," (which refers to Mory's), "Time After Time" and "Yale Football Medley." Others are written by written and/or arranged by former Whiffenpoofs, like "When I See All the Lovin' (That They Waste on Babies)," the spiritual "Ride The Chariot," "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes," the very funny "Daddy is a Yale Man," "A Song for Old Yale," "'Neath The Elms," "Aura Lee," "My Cutie's Due," and "Bright College Years." Great, authentic stuff from these legends of collegiate a cappella!

Subtly Different

The 14 Whiffenpoofs of 2004, all Senior men, present a strong collection of 20 tunes, including two live cuts: "Aj, Lucka, Lucka, Siroka," and their trademark "Whiffenpoofs Song." We really see and appreciate the group's harmonic power on the jazzy Count Basie tune "Little Pony," "Something Like The Blues," Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain," "On Broadway," "14th Street," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most," "Midnight Train to Georgia," "Mad World," "Down By the Salley Gardens," Duke Ellington's "Cottontail," Yalie Cole Porter's "Too Darn Hot," and the WWII anthem "I'll Be Seeing You." "Subtly" proves that the oldest collegiate a cappella ensemble in the U.S. is also one of the best!

Dragonfish

The Whiffenpoofs, 14 talented young Yale undergraduates, are 2005's version of the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the US, founded in 1909, "Whiffenpoof" being a mythical "Dragon fish" appearing in a Broadway musical called "Little Nemo," based on the brilliant Art Nouveau color comic strip "Little Nemo in Slumberland" by Winsor McCay. In any case the 'Poofs have always been one of our favorite, and funniest collegiate groups. 18 songs, beginning with the lusty Bohemian Marching gong "Aj, Lucka, Lucka, Siroka" and finishing with the butter-smooth harmonies of "The Whiffenpoof Song," a noir heartbreaker we always associate with soldiers of the two World Wars. In between are a jazzy "Bye Bye Blackbird," a funny, surprising arrangement of "The Girl from Ipanema," innovative arrangements of Cole Porter's "Too Darn Hot," Bob Marley's "Waiting In Vain," Irving Berlin's "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "Midnight Train to Georgia" and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross' "Little Pony." There's a nice Whiff original, "Time After Time," a pair of James Taylor covers, "You Can Close Your Eyes" and "New Hymn" and the poignant "I'll Be Seeing You." 18 spirited, finely-crafted tunes. "Dragonfish" is an impressive collection from a wonderful a cappella tradition at Yale, as strong and vital now as in its beginnings.

A Very Whiffenpoof Christmas

Aj, Lucka Lucka, Siroka
The Christmas Song
Coventry Carol
Jingle Bell Rock
New Hymn
O Holy Night
Lonely Christmas Eve
Walking In The Air
Le Sommeil de L'enfant Jesus
Home Cookin
Ave Maria
Up On The Housetop
Time After Time
The Whiffenpoof Song

This is officially, a 14-tune, "Best of the Whiffenpoofs Christmas Songs" CD. The song selection ranges from the 1963 'Poofs' harmonic rendition of "Coventry Carol" and the 1964 group's melodic "Le Sommeil de L'enfant Jesus" to 1992's "Jingle Bell Rock," and 1994's "Up on the Housetop." Then we have the 1998 group's "Christmas Song," 2001's rendition of James Taylor's "New Hymn," and the group's trademark "The Whiffenpoof Song." These various versions of the oldest collegiate a cappella group in the US treat us to a range of emotions about Christmas, lonely (2004's poignant "Lonely Christmas Eve") hungry (the 1990 group's "Home Cookin'") to traditional and sacred (1998's "Christmas Song," 2003's "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night" and 2003's "Ave Maria"). Admittedly, though, a few have no obvious connection to Christmas whatsoever, like 2000's "Walking in the Air," 2001's "Time After Time," and 2004's Bohemian Marching Song "Aj Lucka Lucka, Siroka". But we won't split hairs—the 'Poofs are known for their sense of humor, and the singing is beautiful!

Listen to The Christmas Song in Real Audio.

1758 CD $14.98

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