On The Radar: Krokodiloes 60th Anniversary Concert

“Krokodiloes 60th Anniversary Concert” Friday, March 17 at 7:30 P.M. Sanders Theatre. Tickets at the Harvard Box Office. 617-496-2222, $25 regular / $10 students.

The Kroks, consistently a beloved fixture of Harvard’s a capella scene, began in 1946 as the brainchild of four intrepid vocalists who sought to share their love of song with the Harvard community.

Now, having introduced generations of fans to the joy of the classic American songbook, the current 12-member iteration will celebrate the group’s sixtieth anniversary. This gala concert promises to feature the Kroks’ typically ebullient performance on the hallowed Sanders stage.

The concert, which Reverend Peter J. Gomes will host, is expected to draw an audience including over 250 Krok alums of all ages. While students have been able to appreciate the Kroks’ dedication to musical tradition—most recently in their joint winter concert with the Harvard Callbacks—this performance is an opportunity to experience the group as living history.

“This event will be an extremely unique opportunity for anyone interested in the Arts on campus to acquire a vivid sense of how Harvard’s oldest a capella group evolved from a rag-tag foursome to an internationally acclaimed group,” said member Clayton H. Thomas III ’06.

In the first half of the program, three groups—each comprised of 15-20 alumni stars from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—will take the stage to “relive the highlights of Kroks history,” according to Thomas. “They’re the best singers singing the best songs that the Kroks have had,” he adds. During the second half of the program, in which the current ensemble will perform, 18 Krok alumni from the 1940s and 1950s will join the group on stage for a rendition of the Kroks’ signature song: “Johnny O’Conner.” The program will conclude with “Loch Lomond,” during which all alumni will be invited to the stage for a visual and aural demonstration of the camaraderie and dedication to a musical ideal that has always united the group..

This concert promises to be both an exciting historical moment for a capella aficionados and a great introduction for the uninitiated to the tradition of song at Harvard.