By Bella Whitmore | Intern
All-University Sing has been a staple tradition of Baylor since the 1950s and has influenced many other colleges to follow in its footsteps by creating musical competitions of their own. So, as a recap, let’s take a look back at the Sing winners of the last few years.
“A Day at the Derby” — Chi Omega and Alpha Tau Omega (2023)
“A Day at the Derby” combined the two powerhouses of Chi Omega and Alpha Tau Omega to produce a colorful, classy and fun-to-watch performance. Set at a classic horse derby, the dress code was fun hats, classic dresses for the ladies and dapper suits for the guys.
The choreography really stood out to me, as every single person was in sync and knew their part, making the large-sequence dancing look really well done. The environment was characterized by pastel colors, beautiful set designs and old-fashioned dancing. This act did a wonderful job at making a seemingly overdone concept new, fresh and exciting.
“It’s a Gnome’s World” — Kappa Omega Tau (2022)
“It’s a Gnome’s World,” put on by Kappa Omega Tau, told an interesting and funny story about garden gnomes hiding from and being caught by the owner of their home. The performance included everything from hip-hop dances to Aretha Franklin songs, making it engaging from start to finish.
The storytelling was unmatched, as performers acted out genuinely humorous and creative concepts, such as garden gnomes dancing behind the back of the owner of their home, trying not to get caught. The sequencing was incredibly well done and showed a lot of dedication and talent. This performance was my personal favorite of all the Sing winners of the last four years.
“The Ship of Dreams” — Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Sigma (2020)
In another partnership, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Sigma produced a transatlantic production called “The Ship of Dreams.” The design as well as the painting of the ships on the set was nothing short of amazing.
What particularly stood out to me were the harmonies. These are very difficult to do, especially without a choir or theater background, yet everyone in the show sounded amazing together in challenging harmonies. From the get-go, I loved the “Pitch Perfect” vibes that showcased a cappella group-like singing. The set closed with all the cast sinking on the Titanic and a melancholic song, showing great emotional range and depth.
“The Night Before Christmas” — Kappa Omega Tau (2019)
Kappa Omega Tau is back on the list again with a funny performance, this time showcasing Santa Claus as an evil dictator over the elves. Opening with a group of run-down elves singing “Look Down” from “Les Misérables” might just be the best and most comical decision of the group, and I would love to know who came up with it.
My personal favorite touch was the two reindeer body guards protecting Santa Claus. I loved the creativity to flip the connotation behind “The Night Before Christmas” on its head, making the concept negative instead of exciting, as we would normally expect from hearing the title. The choreography, blocking and singing were all very well done and solidified the fraternity as a serious Sing contender for years to come.
