Singing Hoosiers

[Indiana University] Singing Hoosiers – Choral Ensemble. Housed at the famous Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University, the Singing Hoosiers began in the early 1950s as the Men’s Concert Choir of around fifty voices. During a performance at a football rally, an announcer gave the group its current name, the Singing Hoosiers. After merging with the Hoosier Queens (IU’s all female group) some time in the 1950s, The Singing Hoosiers was well on its way to becoming a premiere choral collegiate organization of both concert and show choir repertoire. Currently made up of around 115 singers, the group keeps a busy performance schedule both locally and on the road. Part of its present-day appeal is also due to the success of its pullout-groups: Varsity Singers, a twenty-six member choreographed group, and Vocal Jazz, which is yet smaller than the Varsity Singers. Over the years, the Singers have performed in twenty-six countries and have made a series of recordings with Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc. Among them are two Grammy nominated CDs in A Disney Spectacular (1989) and The Music Man (1991). Another collaboration with the Cincinnati Pops was a performance with Mel Torme at Carnegie Hall in December 1995 and was nationally broadcast on PBS.