NEW HAVEN— There soon could be women in the Whiffenpoofs.
Yale‘s world famous glee club is ending its more than century-old tradition of being a male-only a cappella group.
The Whiffs, as they are known, and Yale’s senior women’s a cappella group, Whim ‘n Rhythm, issued a joint announcement Feb. 1 that auditions for both groups will be open to all rising seniors, including transgender students.
But, the ensembles say they aren’t changing their sounds. The Whiffenpoofs will continue to be comprised of tenor, baritone and bass voices. The Whims will continue to feature sopranos and altos.
About 80 people have signed up for the auditions being held through next week. The Whiffenpoofs music director says he doesn’t know how many of those identify as male or female, because they didn’t ask.
