Chimes Continue Late Founder's Legacy

The 40th Cherry Tree Massacre will be Holl’s last as an active Chime prior to his graduation. Holl said that he wanted see The Chimes return to the more visible role in the Georgetown community that it once had.

“We are looking for ways to make Chimes more well-known on campus again,” Holl said. “I think all the a cappella groups are very well known on campus, but I feel like the Chimes are kind of pushed to the wayside a little bit because of the type of music that we sing. I think we’re looking for ways to make barbershop cool again.”

At Cherry Tree Massacre next week, the Chimes will sing some modern music along with their traditional repertoire, including “I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons.

“The formula they’ve used has worked and has been really successful. It’s a proud tradition,” Joseph said. “It’s about keeping the same formula and trying to adapt it as time goes on and people change. It’s about keeping an ideal going of musicality, friendship and tradition.”

As a recently accepted neophyte and freshman, if Joseph becomes a Chime, he will be with the group for the next few years as an active member.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what the future holds, but I hope that when I’m an active I can contribute to make it stronger and help make the organization grow,” Joseph said.

Jones intentionally built the Georgetown Chimes as a group that could sustain itself, O’Brien said.

“The way Jones created it … he knew that it was going to last forever,” O’Brien said.