About the group
BYT arose from the humble beginnings of a bunch of guys singing to their female friends on Valentine's Day, 2002. On that date, several Notre Dame Men creepily stalked their female friends in the Hesburgh Library, and sang them a few love songs. These gentlemen decided that they enjoyed singing together, and thus they formed Big Yellow Taxi (BYT).
BYT is an all-male a cappella group, founded in 2002 and ordained as an official ND student club in 2006. Ever since its inception, the group has sung at least one concert every semester to benefit a charitable cause, which is selected by the members. In the past, charities have included the Maryknoll Mission in Cambodia, a Holy Cross Senior School, St. Jude Primary School in Uganda, Coprodeli USA, Dismas House of Michiana, AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist in South Bend, the Northern Indiana Food Bank, and the Myelodysplastics Syndromes Foundation. While admission to our concerts has always been, and will remain, free, a collection is always taken and 100% of the money collected is donated directly to the charity selected by the group that semester. During the 2009-10 academic year, we have decided to dedicate our fundraising efforts to honoring the memory of our late faculty advisor, Dr. Gail L. Walton. The Director of Music at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and the Director of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, Gail was a valued friend and advisor of BYT. We are eternally grateful for the advice, guidance, and friendship that she offered our group in general, and to our members and alumni personally, over the years.
The group was originally composed exclusively of singers from the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, and this was the case for the first few years of our existence. Although BYT has since welcomed members from other musical backgrounds (even the Glee Club!), many current BYT members are still Liturgical Choir members and the group still maintains a close relationship with this choir. Dr. Andrew J. McShane, recently named Director of Music at the Basilica and Director of the Liturgical Choir, has graciously agreed to take over as our faculty sponsor, and we could not be more appreciative of his support and invaluable input.
In addition to our semester concerts, we also sing short sets at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore during Liturgical Choir concerts on football Fridays. Our group also performs at various campus events, including Carroll Christmas, as well as at several off-campus venues, including Fiddler's Hearth in downtown South Bend. If you would like us to perform at your event, please contact us at: byt@nd.edu. Also, feel free to check our facebook profile at "BYT A Cappella" for updates, recent concert videos, etc.