Sure, it’s possible to have a peanut-butter sandwich sans jelly, or a movie night without popcorn, but it just wouldn’t be the same. So it is with the holiday season at Dickinson: In a month packed with study days, finals, end-of-semester papers and class presentations, the college’s end-of-year concerts stand out as some of the most highly anticipated events of the year.
The college's five a cappella groups, the Crescendevils, D-Tones, Infernos, Octals and Syrens, each staged end-of-year shows that drew standing-room-only crowds. Dickinson's all-male group, the Octals, kicked it off on Dec. 4 with a mixture of new and classic hits, old-school a cappella and holiday songs. The all-female ensemble, the Syrens, followed with songs by Amy Winehouse, Wilson Phillips and Faith Hill, among other favorites. Thursday, Dec. 10, saw two year-end concerts by co-ed vocal groups: a 6 p.m. show by the D-Tones in Allison Hall and an 8 p.m. Crescendevils performance in ATS. The Dickinson Infernos rounded out the series with a Dec. 11 concert that ended on a soulful note—an original arrangement of Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me.â€
The jazz ensemble kicked off the Department of Music events with a Nov. 22 concert showcasing time-honored American tunes and holiday hits, while American choral songs, anthems and carols were the focus of the popular annual choral concert by the °µÍø½ûÇø Collegium and faculty organist Brian Rotz. Cookies, clarinets and cheer were on the menu during a short recital led by Contributing Faculty in Music Elisabeth Stimpert, and the Collegium held a Dec. 7 carol sing, hosted by the Center for Service, Spirituality & Social Justice.
Published December 18, 2015