November 12, 2007
Ramblers harmonize their way to the top
Nov. 17 concert celebrates release of new CD
david.andreatta@rochester.edu
There was a time when the Midnight Ramblers, a male a
cappella group at the University, was a warbling cry from center stage in
the arena of collegiate a cappella.
That was before the 15-member group turned heads
by placing third in the 2005 International Championship of Collegiate A
Cappella—the Super Bowl of vocal competitions held annually at
Lincoln Center in New York City.
Demand for their harmonies has been on a high note
ever since, with the group booking performances at high schools, colleges,
professional sporting and charity events, and private functions around the
country. Last spring, the group even took its act overseas to perform in
London.
Now the Ramblers, as they’re informally known,
are enjoying the Triple Crown of collegiate a cappella with news last week
that a third a cappella compilation album in the last year had selected one
of their arrangements as part of its track.
The group’s cover of Cartel’s “I
Write Sins Not Tragedies” will appear on 2008 Best of College A Cappella, arguably
the most highly coveted compilation album for college groups that features
tracks by vocal heavyweights Tufts University’s Beelzebubs and the
University of Pennsylvania’s Off The Beat.
The achievement caps a banner year for the Ramblers in
which their rendition of “Minstrel’s Prayer” was featured
on the international compilation album Sing
IV, and their “Question!” was named
to the collegiate compilation Voices Only
2007.
“There are these amazing college groups that
we’ve always looked up to and now we’re realizing, wow,
we’re with them,” says the Ramblers Bobby Sanborn ’08.
“For me, it’s a high.”
The timing of 2008
Best of College A Cappella could not be better
for the Ramblers, who have scheduled the release of their seventh
full-length CD, Manifesto!, to coincide with their annual fall concert on November 17
at 8 p.m. in Strong Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for
others.
Founded in 1998 and defined by their trademark blue
and grey baseball jersey stage getup, the Ramblers have endeared themselves
to audiences with energetic performances and self-deprecating humor.
(The back cover of a DVD the group released last year suggests the disc
could be used as a coaster.)
Jeff Le ’08, another Ramblers member, says what
he finds most rewarding about the rise of the Ramblers is representing the
University.
“It’s really very special,” Le says.
“The University of Rochester is competing all the time on the
research front. But I like to think we’re also competing on the a
cappella front.”
Visit the group’s Web site at http://sa.rochester.edu/ramblers.
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