The Stanford Mendicants are an all-male a cappella group at Stanford University. The group is Stanford University's first a cappella group. Since its founding in 1963, the group's size has varied from 6 to 19 members. Although they are strictly an a cappella group today, they have performed with instruments in previous generations.[1][2] The group prides itself on singing a wide range of songs, from gospel to barbershop to pop tunes and original compositions. The Mendicants are known around Stanford's campus for their red blazers and romantic serenades.[citation needed]
The Stanford Mendicants | |
|---|---|
 Stanford Mendicants performing in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Stanford, California, USA |
| Genres | A Cappella |
| Years active | 1963—present |
| Website | www.StanfordMendicants.com |
History and Accolades
editThe Stanford Mendicants was founded in 1963 by Hank Adams, a transfer student from Yale University, with a group of 5 undergraduate men. The group originally rehearsed only a single song before breaking into the dining commons of Branner Hall, an all-women's dormitory at the time, and performing their song during lunch. Adams often recalled, himself tearing up, that during their performance, the women wept, and there was literally "not a dry eye in the house". Having only rehearsed the one song, they quickly fled through an open window and went immediately back to rehearsal.[3][editorializing]
Their 1998 album Besides What You See received a 4.2 rating[4] from the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (rarb.org), which is the group's highest album score to date.
The group was Runner-Up in three categories in the inaugural Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) in 1992.[5] As of 2020, they have been nominated for six more recording awards since then: in 1999, 2001, 2005, and 2019.[6][7][8][9]
Mendicant songs were selected for Varsity Vocals' "Best of Collegiate A Cappella" compilation album in both 2001 and 2005.[10]
On February 2, 2019, The Stanford Mendicants finished in first place in the ICCA Northern California Quarter-Finals in Redwood City, CA.[11] The Mendicants also took home two individual awards, including Outstanding Soloist, for Austin Zambito-Valente, and Outstanding Choreography, for Khoi Le and Gabe Wieder.[11]
Notable alumni
edit- Chris Ayer, Singer and Songwriter [12]
- Jordan Gelber, actor from the Broadway run of Avenue Q [13]
- Founding Mendicant Dick Grant, Director of the Pacific Mozart Ensemble[14][15]
- Founding Mendicant John Frohnmayer, Politician and Professor at Oregon State University[citation needed]
- Joseph Siravo, actor with The Sopranos and Jersey Boys National Tour]][16]
Discography
edit
- Untitled (1964)
- Untitled (1965)
- A Fellow Needs a Girl (1966)
- Untitled (1967)
- Untitled (1969)
- Untitled (1973)
- Untitled (1975)
- Untitled (1977)
- Untitled (1979)
- Clean-Cut and Slightly Frayed (1981)
- Somewhere in Hawaii (1982)
- Take You Back (1986)
- Pretending to Care (1987)
- Aquapella (1989)
- Just Like That (1991)
- Feline Casanova (1992)
- Back For Seconds (1994)
- Beggars Can't Be Choosers (1996)
- Besides What You See (1998)
- Room to Grow (2000)
- Best Laid Plans (2002)
- Mendication (2004)
- Beggar's Dozen (2006)
- Roses In My Hand (2008)
- Sh-Boom (2012)
- Just a Group of Guys (2013)
- Mendicants At Large (2015)
- For the Long Haul (2018)
- Trailblazer (2019)
- Detour (2021)
- Horizon (2023)
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards[a] | Best Male Collegiate Album | Just Like That | Runner-up (tie)
|
[5] |
| Best Male Collegiate Song | "Long Train Runnin'" | Runner-up (tie)
| |||
| Best Male Collegiate Arrangement | "Brown Eyed Girl" | Runner-up
| |||
| 1999 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards | Best Male Collegiate Album | Besides What You See | Runner-up
|
[17][18] |
| Best Male Collegiate Song | "Drive" | Nominated | [6] | ||
| Best Male Collegiate Soloist | Brandon Singleton | Nominated | |||
| 2001 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards | Best Male Collegiate Song | "Happy Together" | Nominated | [7] |
| 2005 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards | Best Male Collegiate Song | "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" from Mendication | Nominated | [8] |
| 2019 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards | Best Male Collegiate Song | "Control" from For the Long Haul | Nominated | [9] |
| A Cappella Video Awards | Best Male Collegiate Video | "Kiss the Sky" | Runner-up
|
[19] |
- ^ Prior to 1992, there were no awards organizations related to a cappella. The Contemporary A Cappella Society announced Recording Awards for the first time in 1992. The ICCAs introduced live a cappella performance competitions in 1996.
ICCA results
editThe International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) first judged live a cappella performance competitions in 1996.
| Year | Level | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Points | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | West Region Quarterfinal #2 | Best Solo | Brandon Singleton for "Reach Out" | Runner‑up
|
—
|
|
| 2002 | West Region Quarterfinal #3 | Best Soloist | Eric Tanner | Won | —
|
|
| 2017 | Northwest Quarterfinal #4 | Best Group | Mendicants | 2nd
|
399
|
|
| Northwest Semifinal | Best Group | Mendicants | 3rd
|
361
|
||
| 2018 | West Quarterfinal #4 | Best Group | Mendicants | 3rd
|
334
|
|
| 2019 | West Quarterfinal #3 | Best Group | Mendicants | 1st
|
389
|
|
| Outstanding Soloist | Austin Zambito-Valente for "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood/How Long" | Won | —
| |||
| Outstanding Choreography | Gabe Wieder and Khoi Le for the entire set | Won | —
| |||
| 2020 | West Quarterfinal #5 | Best Group | Mendicants | 2nd
|
343
|
|
| Outstanding Soloist | Austin Zambito-Valente for "Dig Down" | Won | —
| |||
| Outstanding Arrangement | Chris Kaya for the entire set | Won | —
|
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Weinstein, Dave (2003-10-17). "Stanford group celebrating 40 years of song". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ Wykes, S.L. (2003-10-17). "Mendicants Magic". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "The Mendicants Turn 40". Stanford Magazine. November–December 2003. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
- ^ "Review of Besides What You See". RARB. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ a b "1992 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "1999 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "2001 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "2005 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Nominees". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "2019 Contemporary A Cappella Awards Nominees". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ "BOCA & BOHSA Albums". Varsity Vocals. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
- ^ a b "Results". Varsity Vocals. 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
- ^ "Review of Best Laid Plans". RARB. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ Shin, Laura. "Where He Belongs". STANFORD Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "Pacific Mozart Ensemble: Director Profile". PME. Archived from the original on 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ Silvius van Löben Sels, Marilyn. "Class Notes 1966". STANFORD Magazine. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "Dressing The Part". STANFORD Magazine. May 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ "1999 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award Winners". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Daly, Bobby (8 April 1999). "Unaccompanied recognition: Stanford groups win national a cappella prizes". The Stanford Daily. Vol. 215, no. 34. p. 1.
- ^ Ardell, Shane (10 February 2019). "2019 A Cappella Video Award Results". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (1998)". University of California, Berkeley: Varsity Vocals. 1998. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2002)". University of California, Berkeley: Varsity Vocals. 2002. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2017)". Fox Theatre (CA): Varsity Vocals. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2017)". The Elsinore Theatre: Varsity Vocals. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2018)". Fox Theatre (CA): Varsity Vocals. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Results: Official Results for the ICCA, ICHSA, and The Open (2019)". The Fox Theatre (CA): Varsity Vocals. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Official Results for the ICCA (2020)". The Fox Theatre (CA): Varsity Vocals. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.