By Dorian Martin '06
Texas A&M’s choral program’s long history stretches back to 1893, when The Singing Cadets was founded (making the group older than The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band). The Century Singers, which began in 1971, postponed its 50th anniversary celebration concert to April 2022 because of the pandemic. The newest group—the Women’s Chorus—was formed in 1979.
Despite these groups’ proud heritage, no one realized how important these choirs would be to students facing a global pandemic. In fall 2021, choir class became a refuge and rallying point for students. “Sometimes the only class they had where they could see a person face-to-face and have any kind of community or interaction was Women’s Chorus, Century Singers or Singing Cadets,” said David Kipp, the director of Texas A&M’s choral activities. “That became a very important part, not only for the choral music that we were making, but also to just have the opportunity to see someone and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to get through this. We’re going to make it.’”
The pandemic proved to be challenging for the choral program. “A definite minus was the ability to do concerts publicly for people,” Kipp said. “We realized the value of community as we sing together, and we didn’t get that interaction.”
However, silver linings also emerged, such as a new partnership with KAMU that broadcast choral performances to new audiences. “We had the opportunity to expand our thinking in relation to technology. Some of those things became staples; they were the only way we could reach out to people,” Kipp said. “Now we’ll be able to do a hybrid situation where we’ll invite people to come but there’s an electronic alternative, as well. It’s expanded our opportunities; our thinking is more outside-the-box than it used to be.”
The pandemic also resulted in a surge in student interest. Kipp projected a 25% increase in interest in the choral program across the board and a 40% increase in interest in the Women’s Chorus. Additionally, the choral students in Fall 2021 will be the most diverse ever, with significant increases in the number of African American students and students whose parents immigrated to the United States.
Moving forward, the choral groups are looking forward to once again performing for in-person audiences and travelling. Both the Women’s Chorus and the Century Singers perform around the area in the fall and then do a weekend concert across Texas in the spring. Both groups have the option to plan a national tour at the end of each spring semester and are in a rotation to travel internationally. The Singing Cadets, as the university’s public relations ambassadors, have traditionally travelled more than the two other groups.
However, travel has become a challenge financially due to budget cuts and increased costs; these gaps are covered through fundraisers and passing along part of the travel cost to students. “Because of risk management, students can no longer stay in host homes. That has increased our expense incredibly and we have to scramble every year to cover the cost of putting them up in a hotel,” Kipp said. “And the cost of buses has increased exponentially. We aren’t going to let students travel in cars individually because of risk management and safety, so we rent commercial buses.”
Ultimately, Kipp and the choral staff want students to have the best experience possible—and they want to create a home away from home. “The most rewarding part of our jobs is working with students and getting to know those students on an individual basis,” Kipp said. “I don’t just want to know them as a choir. I want them to feel comfortable walking in if something is going on in their life and be that person that they can sit down and talk to if they need community.”
Above, the Singing Cadets sing the National Anthem at a baseball game.
AGGIE SINGERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES
Elizabeth Culpepper ’22
Major: Nutrition with a focus on dietetics
Hometown: Decatur, TX
Choir: Century Singers
Where did you get your start in choir?
“I have been singing ever since I could in church and different groups. I took piano lessons when I was in elementary and middle school. I didn’t start formal choir until sixth grade.”
Why do you participate in Century Singers?
“One of the reasons why I like doing choir in college is because it gives me a break from all of the classes that I have to take. I’m a nutrition major so I have to take a lot of science classes. It’s nice knowing that for one hour a day, I can go to choir and leave it all at the door.”
What makes Century Singers special?
“There’s no music majors at Texas A&M. Everybody who is in the choir wants to be here and enjoys being here. That makes the atmosphere of the Century Singers so amazing. We’re like a family.”
What intangible gifts has participating in Century Singers offered?
“During my sophomore year, I was the public relations manager for the Century Singers. That was an amazing experience. I got to speak on TV and make graphics to send to all the different high schools in Texas. I also met all the new students attending the New Student Conferences and led the choir, which was a really big honor for me.”
How has Century Singers expanded your horizons?
“I learned about different cultures and traditions through the different songs we sing. We don’t just sing English songs from one certain area. We sing songs that are Latin from way back in the day and we also sing newer songs that were written a year ago. Singing in different languages also is fun, although it can be a challenge.”
Tell us about your travel experiences?
“As part of the Century Singers, I participated in the annual Texas tours to perform for nursing homes, schools, and other groups. I was supposed to participate in the group’s 2020 international trip to Spain and Portugal, but that experience was cancelled because of COVID-19.”
What are the benefits of travelling with the Century Singers?
“I like to see different places and meet different people. When we performed at the Houston nursing home, a lot of the people there were so appreciative, and they really loved us being there. They would sing along when we performed the Aggie War Hymn. Afterwards, a lot of them would come up to us and say, ‘My granddaughter is at A&M’ or ‘My son went there.’ It’s really cool to build that Aggie Network as well as share our love for music.”
Alison Newton ’23
Major: Kinesiology and Motor Behavior
Hometown: Azle, TX
Choir: Women’s Chorus
Why I got involved in choir
“Both of my parents have degrees in music. I grew up singing from the time that I talked. I was in choir in my church from the time I was probably 4. I also played handbells. When I got to sixth grade, I started band at my school, as well as choir in my church. In high school, I was doing choir at school and church.”
How I discovered Texas A&M’s choral programs
“I have two older siblings who both attended Texas A&M. My brother was a Singing Cadet, and my sister was in Women’s Chorus, so we’ve all been in the choirs.”
What participating in the Women’s Chorus means to me
“In my high school choir, I never connected with the other kids. I was less of a choir kid and more of an academic kid. But in Women’s Chorus, I’ve flourished and found my roommates, my best friend, and my people. I probably have less than five friends who aren’t in one of the three choirs. It’s a choir, but it’s my community of friends.”
Travel highlights
“I have not been on a single choir tour since I’ve been here. I really had only one semester of real college during my first semester freshman year. Women’s Chorus goes on tour in the spring, but we weren’t here because of the pandemic. They cancelled my first tour and then they cancelled my second tour because we were performing completely online.”
What a trip with the Women’s Chorus would mean to me
“I feel like it would be a really intriguing experience to be able to share our gifts with people outside of the community. A lot of people do not know that A&M has choirs, much less a women’s chorus. So being able to get to travel and get our name out there so people know us would mean more members in the future. I just want this program to flourish because it’s meant so much to me during my time here.”
How a travel endowment would help
“When I was a freshman, we were discussing where we were going to go and the cost of the trip. That was the most difficult part because I’m a full-time student. I have two part-time jobs trying to pay for my school and rent. Having that travel fund to assist us so we’re not fully responsible for that cost would be incredible.”