Thirteen Days of Christmas

December 12, 2007 9:11 AM

Straight No Chaser (Indiana University men's acapella group) performs this hilarious rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Want to perform it with your own acapella chorus? You're in luck. The sheet music is available as an inexpensive digital download.
posted by CrunchyFrog (38 comments total)

That was absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
posted by Caduceus at 9:18 AM on December 12, 2007

Same song but performed by Klein Four, also known for this hit.
posted by DU at 9:26 AM on December 12, 2007 [1 favorite]

I liked that very much, and I usually hate a cappella music.
posted by squarehead at 9:30 AM on December 12, 2007

Ha!
posted by ba at 9:32 AM on December 12, 2007

Enjoyed it - thanks!
posted by onlyconnect at 9:34 AM on December 12, 2007

A version is also on the 1999 BOCA compilation, "Wasting Our Parents' Money" by the Washington U Pikers, but that one is different from the "dreidel" interruption on through the end. Interesting.
posted by yhbc at 9:36 AM on December 12, 2007

This has put me more in the Christmas spirit than anything else this year. Thanks!
posted by dismas at 9:42 AM on December 12, 2007

superb
posted by found missing at 9:46 AM on December 12, 2007

TOTO WARNING

That was pretty damned charming.
posted by cortex at 9:52 AM on December 12, 2007

Okay, that was fantastic. Had my cubemates chortling and asking for the link. Thanks!
posted by rtha at 9:52 AM on December 12, 2007

Thank you. That was awesome.
posted by inconsequentialist at 9:56 AM on December 12, 2007

That Toto Warning should've been added to the Front Page Post. (And while you're at it, MetaFilter Networks LLC should trademark "Toto Warning")

Otherwise, a great bit... they did in three minutes what "Every Christmas Story Ever Told" takes 90 minutes to do.
posted by wendell at 9:58 AM on December 12, 2007

I really loved it up to the Toto point. Having been heavily involved in a cappella way back when, I learned to loathe that song. Even mocking it puts yet another version out onto the aether. Please, think of the children.

Otherwise quite amusing.
posted by rouftop at 10:14 AM on December 12, 2007

Very charming--thanks.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 10:15 AM on December 12, 2007

From Wikipedia: Virginia Coalition and Umphrey's McGee often perform "Africa" in their live shows, and the song has been a popular cover for a cappella groups.

For the love of God, WHY? Can someone explain this to me?
posted by psmealey at 10:31 AM on December 12, 2007

That was great! (Fortunately, being unfamiliar with the Toto song, I was able to enjoy it all the way through.)
posted by languagehat at 10:38 AM on December 12, 2007

psmealey: It's an easy song to arrange for a cappella and make sound good; a lot of songs are impossible to do well a cappella, and Africa is one that's really easy.
posted by Caduceus at 10:44 AM on December 12, 2007

It's also a very pretty pop song, even if it's incredibly cheesy and overwrought and has been done to death and had some very 80's production decisions going on.
posted by cortex at 10:49 AM on December 12, 2007

So...having covered the Judeo-Christian feasts, was the "Africa" bit a nod to Kwanzaa?

Enquiring minds want to know.
posted by the sobsister at 10:49 AM on December 12, 2007

This totally made my day! and at the risk of slings and arrows, I would like the record to reflect that I am a fan of Toto, but that Dorothy, she's a bitch.
posted by HappyHippo at 10:52 AM on December 12, 2007

that was AWESOME.
posted by Phire at 11:33 AM on December 12, 2007

I went to IU with these fine gentlemen. (Their website.) There was a heck of a creative flowering in the mid and late 90s there are IU, with student-created improv, dance, theater and singing groups that are still around today.
posted by minervous at 11:55 AM on December 12, 2007

I love it when people work hard to actually perfect talents. :)

But that said, let's just say this song choice... uhhh... surprised me a bit.
posted by miss lynnster at 12:12 PM on December 12, 2007

Damn I wanna be an a capella groupie now. Freaking adorable.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:13 PM on December 12, 2007

Their (oft-copied) arrangement of Billy Pilgrim's "Insomniac" is just ridiculously good.

(There's a live rendition on YouTube as well, but the sound quality is distractingly poor.)
posted by Help, I can't stop talking! at 12:24 PM on December 12, 2007

All that and Toto, too!
Thanks, I laughed.
posted by Floydd at 12:25 PM on December 12, 2007

Do they usually make sheet music for a cappella perforamnces?
posted by smackfu at 12:57 PM on December 12, 2007

Fantastic! I will be sending this to my a capella-aficionado friends presently.
posted by numinous at 1:15 PM on December 12, 2007

Ha! Love it. Reminds me of the Davidson Generals. As to why Africa is popular with acapella groups . . . much like Walking in Memphis, if you have a super awesome tenor, it pretty much doesn't matter what they are singing so long as it shows off your voice, and people go bananas for that song.
posted by Medieval Maven at 1:26 PM on December 12, 2007

I haven't had so much fun with Christmas since "Deck Us All With Boston Charlie".
posted by ubiquity at 2:27 PM on December 12, 2007

Thank you. I've had a rather stressful month (father in hospital, etc.) and that was fun.

And why doesn't anyone ever break out into song at the fast-food places I frequent?


(Yeah, I know - *I* should.)
posted by NorthernLite at 2:58 PM on December 12, 2007

MeFites who enjoyed this might also like Hi Fidelity's key-tastic rendition of "Bye Bye Blackbird". Since I can't seem to find it anywhere else, you'll have to go here, and start playing at around 23:00. I think anybody who's ever sung a note on stage will find it delightful and astonishing, and I say that with all the authority of a man who was in high school choir for two whole years.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:27 PM on December 12, 2007

Fans of this sort of collegiate acappella groups may want to check out the Acappella U. podcast. It specializes in these sounds.
posted by the sobsister at 4:36 PM on December 12, 2007

This post, and Horace's Blackbird thing, are awesome. Thanks for making my day.
posted by Monster_Zero at 5:01 PM on December 12, 2007

For the love of God, WHY? Can someone explain this to me?

Same reason female a cappella groups always end up performing Cornflake Girl. It's just how the planets spin.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:15 PM on December 12, 2007

Thanks for the post! Solves next years' Christmas present for the inlaws. They like the a cappella. I kind of like it too, but in a painful nostalgic way, as I used to do the singing.
posted by Goofyy at 7:33 AM on December 13, 2007

How funny to see this posted. Just last week, while walking on UNC's campus, we came across our own local, previously unknown, a cappella group, the Achordants. They performed that exact same version of "The 12 days of Christmas", and "Africa", to boot. I know it seems really strange, but the arrangement was really quite lovely. Didn't hurt that it was a beautiful day, and they were playing in front of the Old Well at sunset.
posted by msali at 10:20 AM on December 13, 2007

Finally got around to listening to this. Very entertaining!
posted by mogget at 2:06 PM on December 13, 2007