Alumnae Hall, April 28, 1952
Pembroke Hall of Pembroke College, Built 1897
The Group
"Women's a cappella groups take note — the Chattertocks are women to look up to." ~RARB Review with Sarah Andrews Cook
Founded in 1952, the Chattertocks of Brown University is one of the oldest women's college a cappella singing groups in the United States.
The group was founded by Nancy Tobin, Dorothy Senerchia, and Helen Johnson, Class of 1955 at Pembroke College (Brown University) as a parody of the Brown Jabberwocks, the men's a cappella group. On April 28, 1952, the women entered an inter-dorm song contest, calling themselves the "Chattertocks" and sporting borrowed grey flannel suits, white button-down shirts, rep ties, and pinned-back hair. They sang “Halls of Ivy” and “Mood Indigo,” both Jabberwock standards. Coached by Tobin's boyfriend, Jabberwock John Dorer, they won first place.
Dressed as Jabberwocks, the original Chattertocks perform in Alumnae Hall, 1952
Left to right: Diane Aspinall Parker, ‘55
Marcia Searles Horn,‘55
Barbara Schoen Silverman, ‘55
Sue Morgan Rolontz, ‘55
Marcia Pickering Hunt, ‘55
Lynne Johnson, ‘55
Bennie Saievetz Herman, ‘55
Judy Jackson Carroll, ‘55
Peggy Kelly, ‘55
Louise Harrington Thompson, ‘55
Lolly Moschos Lewry, ‘55
Nancy Tobin Dorer, ‘55
Roz Taylor, ‘55
Dolly Senerchia, ‘55
Diane Deliniks Schaumann, ‘55
No longer performing in grey flannel suits, the group has continued to grow and evolve with the changing times. The Chattertocks started recording early on with a number of vinyl albums. The group has continued to record and release albums, including, most recently, "Waking Hours" (2014) and "Bird House" (2016).
Today, the group performs at college campuses and other various venues around the country. If you are interested in booking the Chattertocks for a show, please see our Contact Us page. For information on current members and alumni, click here!
Performing on WJAR-TV in 1954