On March 14, harmonies of the Princeton Tiger Tones, an esteemed all-mens college a capella group, echoed through the Saint Mary’s Chapel as The Bishop’s School welcomed the renowned group for an unforgettable campus visit and performance. This performance was particularly special to the Bishop’s community, as it featured the return of alumni Raphael Delgado (‘24), who is not only a Tiger Tones singer but also their tour manager and assistant music director.
Delgado took on the responsibility of organizing the tour, ensuring performances, housing, and travel arrangements were in place. “I really wanted to be able to bring the group home,” he said. “I knew it was gonna be a really cool and special opportunity for me because I would get to have a lot of the people I grew up with to sing for. And getting to sing in that chapel again, where I had so many choir concerts where I had sung with the Starry Nights, my little barbershop group, was really special.”
For current Bishop’s Singers member, Laine Beamer (‘25), the performance was both nostalgic and thought provoking. “I really enjoyed watching the Tiger Tones, especially being a senior and actually thinking about how music and singing are going to fit into my life next year,” she said. One song in particular from their performance stood out to her the most; “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. “‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ was my favorite because it was something we sang as a choir a few years ago, and it reminded me of those seniors and also how much I value the relationships I’ve formed through music and art,” she said.
Along with “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a few standout songs the group also sang were “Viva La Vida,” by Coldplay, “Georgia On My Mind,” by Ray Charles, and “Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby,” by Lou Reeds. “Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby,” was a fun filled song that had choreography that had been passed down through the generations of the Tiger Tones.
Lainie also deeply appreciated seeing Raphael again. “He’s always been a role model and leader to a lot of people in our choir, so it was great to see him happy and continuing to do what he loves with new friends and people,” she said. Riley Brunson (‘25), another current member of The Bishop’s Singers, agreed, adding, “I loved that he has found a strong community in college and has come back to share some of that with us. He is one of my closest friends and I always value his advice, so it meant a lot to me to have him back.”
Before the Tiger Tones’ 4:00pm performance, they hosted a workshop for the Bishop’s Singers during Period 5. This workshop involved the Tiger Tones singers teaching them how to sing their a capella rendition of “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay — a song they later sang in the chapel for their concert.
“It was really special to be able to unite the present singers in my life who are such a huge part of my daily life and my well-being with the people who, in the past, have filled that role,” Raphael said, reflecting. “On that note, I thought it was really cool to get to teach [the Bishop’s Singers] one of our songs because it felt like that was a moment where I could fully bridge the gap between the past and the present in terms of all of the singing I’ve done for the past eight years.”
For many Bishop’s Singers, the Tiger Tones workshop was a valuable experience — both for the nostalgia of having a graduated member back home, but also for improving their technique and craft. “All of the singers were extremely talented and taught us a lot about dynamics and performance quality,” Riley said. “I really appreciated their ability to work and communicate as a unit and I felt like it set a good example for our choir.”
“I think having them in class showed us all that we are musicians and are capable of holding our own while picking up music in many different ways,” Lainie added. “We learned the song audibly, which is a different type of musicality we usually work on, so it was an interesting challenge that we stepped up to.”
During the concert many impressive renditions of well known songs were performed but for Riley one in particular stuck out to her. “My favorite song was Georgia on My Mind because that’s my home state and that song means a lot to me. It was a beautiful rendition and I really loved the way it was conducted,” she said.
The Tiger Tones have found a way to connect with people leaving the audiences forever amazed. The beautiful songs showcased the group’s true talents in group singing but also with a few solos from multiple members of the group, with none other than Raphael singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” originally written by Paul Simon, is a song about offering comfort and support to someone when they’re struggling and also about deep friendships and the idea of being there for someone no matter what. Raphael returning with the Tiger Tones demonstrated these ideas to the Bishops community; that even when a student may leave the campus, they will always in some way return.
If you want to hear more about this group and listen to their amazing covers find them on Instagram @princetontigertones and on Spotify at The Princeton Tiger Tones!
