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A Capella Afternoon featuring the Whiffenpoofs with the Conn-Men with Conn-Men

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The Whiffenpoofs are without doubt the most famous college a capella group in the world, and we are excited to bring them back to our Hartford stage for what promises to an a capella extravaganza!! Add Uconn’s own Conn-Men to the mix and you are looking at a day full of incredible harmonies and unique versions of a bunch of classic hits! Grab your pair of tickets today, come join us for lunch, and enjoy this Sunday matinee we have planned for you!

Whiffenpoofs of Yale

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www.whiffenpoofs.com

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Artist Bio

About the Whiffenpoofs

Every year, 14 senior Yale men are selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, the world's oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1909, the "Whiffs" began as a senior quartet that met for weekly concerts at Mory's Temple Bar, the famous Yale tavern. Today, the group has become one of Yale's most celebrated traditions.

History

More than 100 years ago, on a frosty January night in New Haven, Connecticut, five of the Yale Glee Club’s best singers convened at Mory’s Temple Bar to escape the cold. Louis Linder, the tavern’s barkeep and a music aficionado, welcomed them in, beginning an institution that survives to this day.

Of those original five singers, four were members of the Glee Club’s prestigious Varsity Quartet, a group that sang together regularly at various alumni events. Unwilling to restrict themselves to performances at public functions, the group began to meet on a weekly basis at Mory’s, where they improvised harmonies to the songs they loved so well. These weekly meetings soon became a hallowed tradition amongst the singers.

As their fame on campus grew, the quintet began their search for a name. Denton ‘Goat’ Fowler, tickled by a joke featuring a mythical dragonfish named the Whiffenpoof, suggested the name to his companions, who found the name an apt reflection of the atmosphere of levity that accompanied the group’s gatherings. The word quickly caught on with the group’s admirers, and the name stuck.

In the years since, each generation of Whiffenpoofs have taken up the mantle of their forebears. For more than one century of songsters, the name, the song, and the weekly date at Mory’s have remained inviolate traditions that continue to bind us together.

Conn-Men

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www.uconnconnmen.com

In the fall of 2001, R.J. Panda and Chris Dresko set out to change the face of a cappella at UConn by forming a group which excelled in musicality and performance presence. The original members set a standard of excellence that is still upheld in the group today. Individual vocal development, originality, musicality, and loyalty to the group are just a few of the qualities set in place by the first Conn-Men. 

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

-Football Coach Bob Diaco asked for the Conn-Men to sing the UConn Alma Mater after every home game possible, in the hopes of starting a new tradition
-The Conn-Men were asked to perform at Freshman Convocation during the 2016 Husky Week of Welcome
-Conn-Men competed and were chosen by 'Pentatonix' to open for their performances in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. (Sep. 2013)
-Conn-Men were asked to sing at UConn President Susan Herbst's inauguration by President Herbst herself
-In the Spring of 2013, Conn-Men recorded their sophomore studio album.
-Selected to appear on BOCA (Best of College A Cappella) 2010 CD
-Performed at the White House for the Holidays by request of Laura Bush's Chief of Staff and UConn Alumna Anita McBride (Dec. 2008)
-2007 NCHSA New England Collegiate A Cappella Competition: First Place, Best Soloist, Best Vocal Percussion, Best Showmanship
-Winners of the UConn Alma Mater Competition (2002-2005), Homecoming King (2006), and the UConn Husky Pride Award (2004)
-Chosen to open for Rockapella (the Kings of Contemporary A Cappella) in 2006 and 2008 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
-Representing the State of CT (by request of the Governor's Office) with a performance at the Eastern States Exposition (the Big E) in 2008
-Special Guest Performers at the Music Educators National Conference Headquarters in Reston, Virgina (2008)
-In 2009, the Conn-Men recorded their first ever studio album

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