Friars to celebrate half-century of song Feb. 11

In a celebration of brotherhood, tradition and half a century of joviality, camaraderie and joyful harmonies at U-M, more than 130 of 195 living alumni of the Friars—a beloved a cappella group on campus—are reuniting.

The Friars perform at the 2005 New Student Convocation. (Photo by Scott Galvin, U-M Photo Services)

The official octet of the Men's Glee Club, the Friars will celebrate a 50th anniversary as one of Ann Arbor's most popular campus singing groups with a reunion concert at 8 p.m. Feb. 11 in Hill Auditorium.

The reunion will showcase alumni and current students singing in small groups by era. Each group, beginning with the most current, will perform pieces that celebrate music from its era. The concert will conclude with a finale featuring five of six founding members from 1955.

The reunion will bring together five decades of Friar members to celebrate the history, progression and traditions of the oldest a cappella group in the Big 10. The group, with its characteristic personality of upbeat humor, choreography and vast musical selections, will showcase how the group has incorporated musical styles of the past 50 years.

The concert will be emceed by former Friar and actor Tom Gallop, who has acted in several movies, including "The Bourne Supremacy," "Artificial Intelligence: AI," and "Jerry Maguire."

While the concert will connect time through music, organizers of the reunion festivities will bridge the gap in generations as well.

"Lots are coming back to renew old friendships. It's great because it's not even like the old guys versus the younger crowds," says Ted Wybrecht, an alumnus from the original Friars. "Age is not really an issue for us. We are Friars. It's more a brotherhood than a hierarchy."

Walter Collins founded the Friars in the fall of 1955, when he served as the Glee Club's interim director. Collins, then a doctoral candidate, previously had performed with Yale's legendary male ensemble, the Whiffenpoofs. Fifty years later, the Friars have evolved as a self-directed, student-managed ensemble, selecting their members and music, and performing both separately and with the Glee Club.

Today the Friars continue a tradition of entertaining throughout the school year in functions for student groups, alumni organizations, private functions and their own concerts.

In addition to celebrating the musical traditions behind the group, members and alumni also look forward to bringing memories and stories back to life.

"I'm excited about being able to talk to the alumni, and to hear their stories about how they went on to do great things and to see history all come together," says senior Brent Carr, an electrical engineering major and publicity manager of the Friars.

The heart of the reunion will be the celebration of friendships.

"It's really a deep-seeded emotional experience that we share together," Wybrecht says. "It's about dealing with each other in an upbeat positive way. It's expected for the Friars."