The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) will host the Yale a capella group known as The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus (SOBs) on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Now the second-longest running collegiate a cappella group in the nation, the Yale SOBs are known for their virtuosic, light hearted shows. The concert will be held in the Morris & Rae Frank Theatre, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.
The SOBs’ shows have been described as “world-class singing with a light-hearted touch.” On Oct. 31, 1938, 12 voices at Yale converged on Mory’s Temple Bar to form an a cappella group. This group went without a name until they capitalized on a backhanded compliment received at a party, “These SOBs are good!”
These groundbreaking singers invoked the talents of Orpheus, minstrel to Olympus, and the legacy of Bacchus, god of revelry, knowing quite well that good music and good spirits are essential to the success of any party. Since that night, The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus has seamlessly fused the ancient traditions of music and revelry with hip attitude.
The SOBs boast an eclectic repertoire with more than 70 years worth of arrangements, making them the longest running non-senior a cappella group in the nation—from Yale songs to jazz and blues standards, original compositions to straight-up rock ‘n’ roll, including The Beatles, Queen, Jeff Buckley, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and more.
Atlanta-native member of The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus Richard Miron said, “Every song we perform is arranged by a current or past group member, and each year we add new songs to our repertoire while continuing to sing time-tested classics from years past. We also pride ourselves on injecting a healthy dose of comedy into our performances to make each concert engaging and unique.”
In the recent past, the SOBs have performed in a wide variety of venues, including professional sports arenas, exclusive private parties and clubs, five-star resorts, villas in the French wine country, the White House and on national television.
“Whether it is the annual Yale Bacchanal & Jamboree on campus, one of our countless concerts on our three yearly tours around the world, or a celebratory serenade at Mory’s, any SOB performance is much more than a concert; it is a while spent with the guys, their humor, their personalities and their spirit. Audiences find that much of the society’s appeal lies in their unique blend of musical excellence, spontaneity and laughter. No two concerts are ever alike,” states an announcement from MJCCA.
General admission tickets are $13; tickets for MJCCA members are $10 and are available through the box office at (678) 812-4002, or online at www.atlantajcc.org.