Middlebury's Dissipated Eight, also known as the D8, is the oldest
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
group at
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
. The group performs both nationally and internationally, at private venues, colleges, and high schools alike. Over the years, the group has arranged numerous contemporary and modern pieces, and now has more than 200 recorded covers of popular music. They generally do not use any instruments in their recordings, and instead carefully select different pitches to simulate the tones needed for each song. This often means recreating sounds such as the high-pitched tone of the
fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
in "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" or the bass and snare of the drum set in "All Along The Watchtower."
Several former members of the Dissipated Eight have gone on to gain national prominence, including international opera performer William Burden, television and film actor Jake Weber, and author/editor
Peter Knobler
Peter Knobler (born 1946) is an American writer living in New York City. He has collaborated on fifteen books, ten of them best sellers and was the editor-in-chief of '' Crawdaddy'' magazine from 1972 to 1979.
Discography
The Dissipated Eight has released eleven albums on LP Records.
*''The Dissipated Eight of Middlebury'' (1955)
*''Serenades'' (1958)
*''Cruising Along With The Dissipated Eight'' (1961)
*''Mem'ries of Most Happy Days'' (1964)
*''Selections By The Eight'' (1967)
*''Miss Otis'' (1971)
*''D8'' (1973)
*''The White Album'' (1980)
*''South Of The Border'' (1982)
*''Very Special'' (1984)
*''Pieces Of Eight'' (1987)
The Dissipated Eight has released fourteen albums on Compact Disc.
*''Super 8'' (1990)
*''A Moveable Fest'' (1993)
*''Clapping Joes'' (1996)
*''Eighps'' (1997)
*''Altitude'' (1999)
*''No Sleep For Dreaming'' (2000)
*''Eight Balls'' (2002)
*''Golden Jubilee: 50 Years Of Dissipation'' (2002)
*''Out Of The Ashes'' (2005)
*''After Hours'' (2007)
*''Vocally Grown'' (2009)
*''Stand Up Eight'' (2011)
*''Born and Bred'' (2014)
*''Freight Train'' (2017)
*''Ocho'' (2022)
In March 2022 production began on a 26th album commemorating the 70th anniversary of the group. The record was produced in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica and was released in September 2022.
The Contemporary A Cappella Society
The Contemporary A Cappella Society (of America), or CASA, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instru ...
(CASA):
*1997 - ''Clapping Joes''
*1998 - ''Eights''
Three songs have won individual awards:
*"In the Meantime" (Performed by George Herpel on the album ''Eight Balls'') was featured on the first Collegiate A Cappella Music Organization (CAMO) compilation "Top Shelf A Cappella."
*"A Wink and a Smile" (Performed by Chris Molina on the album ''Altitude'') was selected for "Solo of the Year" by CASA in 2000.
*"Superstition" (Performed by Mike Olcott on the album ''Out Of The Ashes'') was nominated for "Solo of the Year" by CASA in 2006.