Reveille (musical group)
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- This article is about the musical group. For other uses, see Reveille (disambiguation)
Reveille (pronounced REH-vuh-lee) is a women's a cappella group at the College of William and Mary, located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in January 1992, it was started as an octet to create a female counterpart to existing male a cappella groups on campus. Founding members were Virginia Long Eiben '93, Anne Rottenborn Balto '93, Kim McInnis Shelton '93, Sarah Seager Stewart '94, Heather Miller '94, Kristen "Kay" Heslink-Purcell '95. Andrea Dobberman '95, and Mindy Roose Riffer '95. The group's first public performance was at the Delta Omicron Cabaret in April 1992, followed by a performance in Yates dormitory in May.
Since then, Reveille has sung at a variety of occasions and locations. Past concerts include Lollacappella, Voices for the Future, and an a cappella jam with the Gentlemen of the College. Reveille has hosted and participated in invitationals with other a cappella groups including the Gentlemen Callers of Wheaton College, the UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heel Voices, UVA's Hullabahoos, the Georgetown University Chimes, Johns Hopkins' All-Nighters, the MIT Chorallaries, UVA's Academical Village People, the Princeton University Tigertones and Footnotes, Tufts' Beelzebubs, the University of Illinois X-tension Chords, and the Boston Heightsmen. A tour each fall takes Reveille far afield, performing with other college a cappella groups as well as in charitable venues. Past examples are Columbia University, University of Delaware, and the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital in Fall 2005; Princeton University and the NYC Ronald McDonald House in 2006.
Currently, Reveille performs each fall at William and Mary Sings! during Parents’ Weekend and at the King and Queen Ball, a college-wide formal in the spring. A Wren 10 performance each semester, a fall tour, and many other concerts round out the schedule. Valentine's Day is our busiest holiday and biggest fundraiser as we run around campus to serenade students on this special day. For the holidays, Reveille travels off campus to perform Christmas carols in colonial Williamsburg and in local senior citizen residences.
Reveille strives to maintain an eclectic repertoire, all arranged by Reveille members and alums. Pieces have included spirituals, country, jazz, oldies, 80’s ballads, hymns, original compositions, and pop songs. Our first album was released in March 1995; the second in 1998, titled "Clearly." "Reva-what?" was released summer of 2000, followed by "Chasing the Blue" in 2002. Spring 2004 marked the debut of "Once in a Blue Moon," so titled to pay homage to Reveille's official color, blue. "Wake Up," an allusion to the military wake-up call for which Reveille is named, debuted in Spring 2006. Included on "Wake Up" is Reveille’s signature song of the same name. When Reveille alums return, we join them in singing Eric Carmen’s "Make Me Lose Control (Turn the Radio Up)," our traditional song passed from generation to generation.
