The group was founded at Boston University in February 1992 by Boston University students Cooper Olson, Jamie Kirkpatrick and Brian Reichelt as the Dear Abbeys. In 2003, the Dear Abbeys released the albumNot Too ShAbbey, which features a song composed by the artists, "The Abbeys' Anthem." Critic Benjamin Stevens wrote that "the album is below average, with much work to be done before the next time around". Elie Landau wrote that the album "is Not Too ShAbbey. On the other hand, it's not terrific either."
In 2005, the Dear Abbeys became the champions in the International Championships of Collegiate A Cappella Finals. Member Robert Mezzanote also won the Outstanding Soloist Award for his rendition of Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way." In 2006, the group released its fifth studio album, Abbeys Road. The album includes the Abbeys' rendition of "She's Got a Way". Abbeys Road received a score of 4.3 out of a possible 5 from the Recorded A Capella Review Board. Jevan Soo wrote that Abbeys Road "is a clean, smooth outing that certainly vaults the Dear Abbeys into the upper ranks of the male collegiate, if not quite to the front of the line." The album was especially praised for its arrangements and award-winning soloists. In 2011, iTunes named the Dear Abbeys' cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley" as an essential song of the a cappella genre.
''Sincerely, Lost in Boston,'' ''Four Score,'' Tours, and ''Proclamation'': 2006-2012
The group's sixth studio album, Sincerely, Lost in Boston was released in 2007. Like Abbeys Road, Sincerely, Lost in Boston received a 4.3 out of 5 from the RARB; however, critic Robert Dietz remarked that Sincerely suffered from the "turnover blues" after the success of the Abbeys' previous album. Jevan Soo called it, "A slight upgrade on arranging, with a lot more texture and movement here. A heavy downgrade on soloists and repertoire." In 2009, the Dear Abbeys released their seventh album, Four Score. In the album, the Abbeys once again delved into multiple genres, featuring songs such as John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," The Who's "Who Are You", and Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way". Four Score again received 4.3 out of 5 from the RARB. Reviewer Catherine Lewis remarked, "What raises to above-average status is an unusual set of songs." In most academic years, the group performs approximately 35 times per year at Boston University's Charles River campus as well as other locations in the Greater Boston area. Each fall, since 2009, the Dear Abbeys holds their Men Being Manly concert on campus, featuring the Tufts UniversityBeelzebubs. From 2008 to 2012, the Dear Abbeys also embarked on annual tours to promote the group, as well as the a cappella genre and K-12 music education. In 2012, the Dear Abbeys celebrated their twentieth anniversary and released their eighth studio album, Proclamation.
Members
As of September 2017, the Dear Abbeys is composed of twelve undergraduate members enrolled at Boston University. Member selection is based on aspects such as musicianship, personality and performance, as judged by the standing members of the Dear Abbeys at a private audition.
