ABOUT US
The Vocal Chords was formed in September of 1995 by graduate and undergraduate students from several departments on campus. Initially, the group had a membership of seven people interested in barbershop singing and learning school spirit songs written in the 1800's by glee club alumni.
In December of 1995, equipped with a repertoire of holiday tunes and a few months of practice, the group caroled around Homewood Campus. From here, it was not long before the group was invited to perform its first concert for the benefactors of Union Memorial Hospital. The concert performance was a resounding success, and it led to a number of other "gigs," as well as the start of a tradition of singing at the Dean's Holiday party at the Medical School.
With time, the group transitioned away from barbershop tunes and towards classic and contemporary pop songs. The nickname "Your Friendly Neighborhood A Cappella Group," started to float around and quickly stuck, a testament to the fact that the ideals of the group’s founders are still very alive today. (Even the cranberry!)
Now, The Vocal Chords has grown into one of the finest all-gender a cappella groups on campus, singing a variety of genres from pop to classic rock to country to EDM. The group has collaborated with ensembles from across the country, hosting concerts at home and traveling far to perform together. In 2010, The Vocal Chords competed in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCAs) for the first time, earning 3rd place and starting a now annual tradition. More recently, they’ve advanced to the 2022 Mid-Atlantic semifinal round, joining a select number of groups to have done so. In addition to the group’s love for competition, The Vocal Chords have also recently traveled to the Liquid Fifth Recording Studio in Graham, North Carolina to finish recording their newest album to be released in 2024! Many things have changed since 1996, though the group’s core focus has never changed: to have fun and show audiences how powerful an a cappella group can be.
ICCA Semi-Finalists 2022
Album recording with Liquid Fifth 2023
