The Midnight Ramblers showcased their final performance Saturday to a substantial audience in Strong Auditorium.
14 of the Ramblers started the show with the rattling harmony “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse. The Ramblers also included complex and fairly synchronized dancing, plus an array of strobe lights, and fog that blanketed the concert throughout the evening.
Humor was also incorporated with the theme of “Twelve Survivors” through the showing of multiple video clips. With plots both amusing and tense, the concert was not simply a paradise of music, but a roller-coaster journey. The theme provided a smooth and refreshing portrait of storylines to complement the concert. Describing the concert as a success is definitely an understatement.
Newly recruited first-year Raahi Klar-Chaudhuri said that in general, the Ramblers meet three times a week for two hours per rehearsal. However, during the show week, they will increase their rehearsal time to four nights a week for four hours each. Apparently, hard work pays off.
The Ramblers is purely a student-based organization. “[W]e are a very engaging, warm, open, and welcoming community,” Klar-Chaudhuri said. “Everyone gets to make suggestions, and eventually the music director will make decisions according to our ideas and thoughts.”
Being student-run — and having sponsorships from various other organizations such as Greek life organizations, performing arts groups, and several sports teams — teamwork and communication are crucial.
There were several heartwarming scenes at the epilogue of the concert, like a farewell tribute video to senior Ben Ramey, as well as a collaboration with alumni in which everyone sang “Kiss Him Goodbye” by Steam. This was in accordance with a tradition in which the Ramblers choose a song that all generations of Ramblers know how to sing at the end of the concert, allowing alumni from all around the world to come up and join the crew.
Klar-Chaudhuri said the team is looking forward to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.
As this semester approaches the end, a period to this year’s Midnight Ramblers is marked. However, a new journey for the graduating senior and for all the returning Ramblers is just about to begin.
