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By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
On Sunday afternoon, Wellesley High presented Brother’s Sing On!, an all-male a cappella festival hosted by the Boston Saengerfest Men’s Chorus. Former Wellesley resident Linus Travers is the Compere or master of ceremony for Saengerfest concerts and kept the afternoon running smoothly, introducing each group and providing insight into the song selections presented.
The BSMC opened the show with three traditional pieces with Welsh and English origins and were followed by a subgroup of the BSMC “Sound Investment” who sang a traditional Scottish song. Made up of approximately 70 singers, the BSMC, based in the Greater Boston area, enjoy the comradery of weekly rehearsals and performing in at least five concerts a year.
In his introduction, Travers spoke of the importance for men to keep singing, of how music is part of every culture, and how one can feel the spirit of a culture through song. The BSMC demonstrated that with their choral selections and epitomize the concert title “Brothers Sing On!” Being made up of men with the average age of 65 and the oldest at 85, these men are still singing on brilliantly.
Joining the festival for the first time was a talented group of young men the “Fellas” from Boston City Singers. This group was founded in 2014 as one part of the Concert Chorus. The goal of Boston City Singers is “to provide the highest level of musical training and wide ranging performance opportunities to young men ages 13-19, with a vision to transform the lives of inner city young men, one voice at a time, inspiring and developing each heart to live with compassion in a world of differences.”
Led by conductor Dan Ryan, the 12 young men performed two numbers beautifully, their talent and youth providing a pleasant contrast to the BSMC.
The Wellesley High School’s Men’s Chorus performed three fun numbers conducted by Dr. Kevin McDonald. Each year the Wellesley High choral department performs in numerous formal events, a cappella festivals and community outreach events providing important opportunities for the singers to share their music with a wide audience and learn from the many other talented groups they perform with.
Headlining the afternoon was the famous Yale Whiffenpoofs. Each year 14 senior Yale men are selected to be members of the “Whiffs,” a tradition that dates back to 1909. This year’s group put on a fabulous 15-song set, choosing works from many different genre, interjecting humor, and choreography into some of the numbers.
To end the show all the performers joined on stage together to sing two numbers closing with “Brothers, Sing On” by Edvard Grieg. Standing on the risers, mingled together were young and old, new talent and polished professionals, sharing a common love for song. It was a fitting end to a wonderful afternoon of a cappella music.
Lisa Moore is a correspondent for Hometown Weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].
