A Capella Groups on Campus
One of the highlights of the arts on campus at St. Lawrence University is its variety of a cappella and singing groups. As the new school year has begun, it’s important to remember some of the musical opportunities that students can join and be a part of.
One a cappella group on campus, called Upbeats, is the only gender-inclusive a cappella group at SLU. The president of the group, Katie Hallett ’26, explained what sets Upbeats apart from other a cappella groups on campus, saying, “Unlike the Singing Saints and the Singing Sinners, who accept only male-identifying and female/non-binary identifying individuals, Upbeats is gender-inclusive and welcoming to everyone regardless of gender identity. Upbeats is also a newer group on campus – it was started only about a decade ago – in comparison to the Saints and Sinners, who have been on campus for over fifty years. So a lot of our traditions are changing and new traditions are being created all of the time.” Hallett also mentioned that the group will have a new music selection process this semester that will hopefully help them learn more songs for their performances. With over half their current members being brand new, Hallett says she’s “looking forward to getting to know and sing with all of our new members this semester!” “I’m also super excited to get to learn and perform new songs that we haven’t performed before,” she said.
The all-men’s a cappella group on campus, better known as The Singing Saints, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Michael Wimmer ’27 explains that the group likes to perform a variety of songs, ranging from classic slow songs to modern pop songs, as well as some classic rock songs. Overall, the group likes to mix things up to keep the audience engaged and interested. A staple of the group, which makes them instantly recognizable, are the red blazers they wear while performing, which Wimmer explains is one of their traditions. While putting on engaging and entertaining performances for audiences is important to the group, Wimmer expressed that the main goal of the group is to have fun. Another part of their traditions as a group is singing the alma mater at the end of every show out of respect for the school. Wimmer stated that he is looking forward to helping new members become more confident in their singing, as well as future packed performances at Gunnison Chapel. Something fun the Singing Saints also do that you may not know about are small private birthday performances for students upon request. If you have a passion for singing, you can still join the Singing Saints by reaching out to them for an audition, as they are always looking for new members!
The Singing Sinners is the only all-female and non-binary identifying a cappella group at SLU. Secretary of the group, Olivia May ’26 explained that the Sinners work really hard and rehearse two-to-three times a week. Since they are an all-female group, May explained that they typically choose female-voiced songs to perform, ranging from sopranos, to altos, to tenors. She said that this also gives them the freedom to do a lot of higher-pitched and melodic songs. May also stated to me that they choose which songs to learn and perform carefully. Though they just held auditions, if you are interested in joining, you can send in a video audition to them.
While not necessarily an a cappella group, SLU’s choir group, The Laurentian Singers, is another opportunity for students to get musically involved on campus with other students. Macie Cunningham ’26 explained that what makes The Laurentian Singers a unique group on campus is that they are a select ensemble with a paid director. “That sets us apart from other singing groups on campus because the stress of directing a group doesn’t fall on one college student, so I feel like we’re able to get more done in a small amount of time,” she said. “For example, we’ll be singing a full concert repertoire during Laurentian Weekend.”
She also revealed that the group will be going on a retreat for the first time since fall of 2023, this year in Lake Placid. “I’m super excited! Retreats allow us to go off campus and bond for a weekend, as well as rehearse and really hone in on our music.”
Their first performance will be on Friday, Sept. 19, in Peterson-Kermani Hall at 6 p.m. Cunningham also shared some future plans for the group as well. “Later on this semester, we’ll be performing at a K-through-12 school nearby to show kids what it’s like being in a choir at the college-level,” she said. “I always look forward to these school visits because I want to show young people it’s possible to be involved in music groups in college while not being a music major. We’ll have a few winter concerts in December and will perform, as always, at the candlelight ceremonies in Gunnison Chapel.”
If you have not already gotten to see these wonderful singing groups perform yet, make sure to show up to their performances this semester! If you are interested in joining one, reach out and get involved! Make your “Pitch Perfect” dreams come true.