October 2, 2006
Yellowjackets invite back alumni for milestone performance
By Enid Arbelo
 | THEN . . . AND NOW Although this black and white photo from the late 1960s isn’t proof positive, former members say the Yellowjackets have always performed in their trademark yellow jackets. The group marks its 50th anniversary this year with a special Meliora Weekend concert that will feature more than a 100 former and current members. Below, a 2001 performance in Strong Auditorium.  |
hen Karl Nelson ’59 thinks back to his college years he can only remember four, maybe five, of the classes he took, but he will never forget the creation of the Yellowjackets. The men’s performance group, which Nelson joined as a freshman, has became one of his most cherished college experiences.
This year, Nelson will get the chance to join more than 100 former Yellowjackets for a special 50th anniversary concert during Meliora Weekend. This is the first time such a large group of Yellowjacket alumni have come together to perform, says Jake Grantier ’07, a microbiology major and senior member of the group.
“It is going to be a really great experience. There are some alumni that have never been back for Meliora Weekend, so this will be a chance to sing with the other guys,” Grantier says. “It will be really neat to have such a large group of former members together up there.”
Ward Woodbury, the River Campus music director at the time, formed the Yellowjackets in 1956. The original group included 12 singers from the Men’s Glee Club, and their music varied from barbershop tunes to love songs arranged by a member of the group. Originally the male voices were accompanied by piano, but in the 1970s the group decide to go a cappella and began performing arrangements of popular music and old favorites. The band has grown over the years, refining its sound and style. Grantier says the broad range of their repertoire ensures they stay true to their roots while keeping up with new trends in music.
During the past 50 years, the group—always clad in their yellow blazers—has performed on campus and around the world, receiving invitations to sing on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Jay Leno show, and at the White House. One of the most publicized trips was in the summer of 1963 when the group gave 50 concerts as they toured European military installments in Germany, France, and Italy for nine weeks. The trip was sponsored by the National Music Council in cooperation with the United Service Organization. The Yellowjackets also have crafted 13 compilation albums and appeared on several versions of the Best of College A Cappella CD.
For group members, Grantier says, rehearsals and performances not only help them fine-tune their music, but also offer the men opportunities to connect with one another and to become part of what he describes as a network of brothers.
“I’ve been a Yellowjacket all but one day of my college career,” Grantier says. “It’s not just something you do. It’s something you are.”
From singing the alma mater at Convocation to entertaining guests during Meliora Weekend, the Yellowjackets are now a distinctive part of the campus culture and of the Rochester experience.
“I was part of the beginning of a tradition,” Nelson says. “There are not many times you can say something like that. It’s a very, very good feeling.”
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