The Hyannis Sound

The Hyannis Sound is a professional a cappella singing group, composed of 10 young men from around the United States who convene each summer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the greater New England area. The group is known for the diversity and complexity of their music and exciting shows that are one-of-a-kind, not only from summer to summer, but from one night to the next.

Every summer, the 10 members of Hyannis Sound embark on an ambitious performance schedule to entertain the summer and native residents of Cape Cod. In the course of 90 days, they perform at countless weekly shows (self-produced), parties, restaurants, backyard gatherings, cobblestone streets, and stadiums. The Sound's extensive repertoire of tunes spans the past century of popular music (everything from R&B to Traditional to Rock) and is sure to please all ages and tastes.

History

The Hyannis Sound was founded in 1994 by Townsend Belisle.^[1] Encouraged by the success of the Vineyard Sound, which he founded and produced, Townsend decided to put together a similar group on Cape Cod. The group rented a house in Hyannis to live together. Starting small, the group made a name for itself by singing everywhere possible, for all who wanted to listen. After years of hard work and sturdy commitment, the group began to establish itself as one of the best entertainment groups on the Cape, and has grown into what it is now.

Since its inception, the group has enjoyed more and more public notice, and now holds four weekly concerts extending from Falmouth to Chatham. Thanks to members who founded and nurtured the group, newer members have enjoyed great Cape recognition, as well inherited dozens of friends and families. The group is also established as a non-profit corporation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Recordings

To date, the Sound has recorded fifteen albums. Their first, Live, All-Natural A Cappella was a recording of their final 1994 concert. This was followed by Talk About It in 1996, On The Beach in 1999, 110 in 2001, Aged Ten Years in 2003 and Cape Standard Time in 2003, Route 6 in 2005, and Shirt, Tie, Khaki in 2007. The recently released On The Clock (2009) caps off the collection, containing hits from the past two summers. In 2003, the group also began a practice of releasing an annual Bootleg, a live CD every year (recorded mid-Summer from one show and released at their final show of the summer).

The Hyannis Sound has performed the National Anthem at Fenway Park as well as various Cape Cod League games, and have been featured in publications including The Boston Globe, Cape Cod Magazine, and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Auditions

Every year the lineup of ten guys has a turnover of a few members. The group hosts Springtime auditions in Boston and new guys are chosen from a national pool of that often includes nearly 100 candidates. They are judged for both their personality/character and musicality/performance. Most candidates have had experience with one of thousands of college or university a cappella groups throughout the country (see CASA for a directory). These new members are put through a rigorous orientation of long rehearsals and joyful welcome by alumni, and soon finds themselves with a robust local and national following and a jam-packed summer schedule.

Members

References

External links

• Official website