A Cappella Celebrations in Rye

Yale a cappella groups (Red, Hot and Blue (top) and the Spizzwinks (?) (bottom)) will join groups from Columbia and Princeton in Rye in separate peformances, Dec. 11-12. Yale alumni and guests are invited to attend the free concerts. (Red, Hot, and Blue, Spizzwinks (?) photos)

Yale a cappella comes to Westchester, just in time for the holiday season, as the Yale Spizzwinks (?) and Red, Hot and Blue will sing in concerts in Rye in December.

The co-ed group Red, Hot and Blue will join Roaring 20 from Princeton for an evening of music at the Osborn in Rye, Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 pm.  Both groups will sing arrangements from jazz, pop, and the American songbook.  The Osborn is located at 101 Theall Road.

The concert is free, but guests should reserve a spot by sending an e-mail to Susie McNamee at smcnamee@theosborn.org before Dec. 9.

Red, Hot and Blue boasts of being Yale's oldest co-ed a cappella group on campus. In recent years, it has toured in Japan, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Greece, and England.  After exams and after the holidays, it will appear in an extended stay in the Boston area in early January. (Four current members are from Massachusetts.)

Also in Rye the next afternoon at 2 pm, Dec. 12, the Spizzwinks (?) from Yale will join groups from Columbia (Notes and Keys) and Princeton (Tigressions) for a concert to celebrate the 270th birthday of  foundering father John Jay at the Jay Heritage Center (210 Boston Road).

The concert is free, but guests should call 914-698-9275 or e-mail jayheritagecenter@gmail.com to reserve seats. Guests may also tour the Jay Mansion after the performance.  Suzanne Clary '83 is president of the Jay Heritage Center.

The Spizzwinks (?), a Yale male group, sang in Westchester in spring, YWAA-sponsored concerts in 2013 and this past April. It celebrated its 100th birthday last year and claims to be America's oldest undergraduate singing group. Yes, the question-mark appendage is part of its name, and one member favors red, high-top Converse All-Stars.  The group toured South America during spring break, 2015.