Blair Arch

The Footnotes were the third a cappella group on campus, founded after the other two all-male groups, the Nassoons and Tigertones. There was a relative lull in new-group formation until the 1970s, when co-ed and women's a cappella groups began to emerge. The Tigerlilies, Tigressions, and Wildcats are the three women's groups on campus, and the two co-ed groups are the Roaring 20 and the Katzenjammers. In the 1980s, these eight groups began to coordinate auditions and performances, working together under a common "arch rotation." Every two weeks we perform together under Princeton's arches in "arch-sings." Each group sings for fifteen minutes, and the free show lasts about two hours. Depending on the weather, the crowds watching the arch-sings vary from 30 to 150 people.

When freshmen arrive on campus in the fall, the arch-rotation groups give four concerts in Blair Arch, and the audience at each can exceed 200.

In addition to the eight arch-rotation a cappella groups, Princeton now boasts at least five others: Culturally Yours, Shere Khan, Koleinu, Kindred Spirit and The Firehazards.

We've posted a schedule of arch sings on the welcome page.  If you would like a complete arch-sing schedule for the year, please send us a request by email.  Most arches are held in either Blair Arch or 1879 Arch.  For directions, please use Princeton University's interactive campus map.  For directions to the university itself, please use Princeton's visitors' guide.

1879 Arch