A Cappella Group Fools on the Hill to Perform Charity Concert for Grafton's Apple Tree Arts School

You've heard the name "Fools on the Hill" around campus. You may have even seen them perform. But do you know what they're really all about?

The College's only co-ed a cappella group, the Fools on the Hill have been making music on Mount Saint James since 1998.

But don't let the clever name fool you. There's no fooling around for these "fools." They practice two to three times a week; usually late at night after all other academic, athletic and social commitments have ended. And all of their hard work certainly pays off.

According to sophomore Murray Tang, "There is nothing like performing with the group. The fact that we all tend to be good friends year in and year out, even with new members and the loss of old members, really helps the music reach a high level. It's the unity in the group that makes it great."

The Fools on the Hill perform regularly at Holy Cross events like Family Weekend, Pub Nights and the annual Sanctae Crucis Awards dinners. They have also participated in various college a cappella invitationals. Most recently, they have performed at Stonehill College, Tufts University, Clark University and WPI.

"I could never imagine what my college career would have been like, if I had not been a member of Fools. Fools has given me the chance to express my love for music in the best way imaginable: with a group of fun-loving, great people that love music just as much as I do," said junior Lisa Brunswick.

Though all of the "fools" have a love for (and a talent for) music, surprisingly, only one of the group's 12 members is a music major.

Made up of six males and six females, the Fools on the Hill are Kasie Blanchette '04, Moira Brady '07, Lisa Brunswick '05, Daniel Hedrick '04, Kyle Murphy '07, Constance Richard '07, Lesley Russell '07, Averie Sesskin '06, Gavin Strube '05, Murray Tang '06, Stephen Tedesco '05, and Jonathan Tobin '05.

The group performs a wide range of popular hits like U2's "In the Name of Love," Billy Joel's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," and Blondie's "One Way or Another." Their repertoire also includes songs by Jackson 5, Evanessence, Bare Naked Ladies, and Third Eye Blind.

Since the group was formed six years ago, they have released two CDs — "Fooling Around" in 2001 and "Random Hookup" in 2002. They are planning the release of a third album in 2005.

Eager to live out the College's Mission of being "men and women for others," the Fools on the Hill will perform in a charity event at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 24 at the Community Harvest Barn in North Grafton, Mass. Their performance will benefit Grafton's Apple Tree Arts, a non-profit community arts school for children under the age of five. "Orange Appeal," an a cappella group from Syracuse University will also be performing.

Related information:

# Apple Tree Arts