Sunday, October 8, 3 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
What do composer Cole Porter, chart-topping singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton, and President George W. Bush's grandfather have in common? They were all members of Yale University's esteemed a cappella ensemble the Whiffenpoofs, whose 2017 iteration performs locally on October 8.
Originally founded in 1909 as a quartet that met for weekly concerts at the Yale tavern Mory's Temple Bar, the group has been annually composed of male seniors, and the ensemble became a national sensation in its very first year with the sheet-music release of its signature “Whiffenpoof Song.” Derived from the Rudyard Kipling poem “Gentlemen Rankers” and chosen as the singers' signature closing number during concerts and recitals, the tune has been one of the most widely covered in American history, with recordings made by such artists as Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Count Basie, Perry Como, and the Statler Brothers.
While Cole Porter, who sang in the 1913 lineup, may be the group's most recognizable alum, other famed Whiffenpoofs have included operatic tenor John Stewart, conductor C. William Harwood, and Charles Rivkin, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs from 2014 to 2017. The singers perform a wide range of music including vintage Yale songs, original compositions, and popular hits, and over the years, different iterations of the lineup have appeared on TV series including The West Wing, Glee, Gilmore Girls, Saturday Night Live, and, in animated form, The Simpsons.
Tickets to the Whiffenpoofs' 3 p.m. concert are $20-30, and can be reserved by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting AdlerTheatre.com.
