Jacob Withee of Norridgewock Performs with "Mike Check," Saint Michael's College Men's a Cappella Choir

2011 Dec 6

Jacob Withee, son of Kelly-Ann and Robert Withee of Norridgewock, is one of the 15-member performing group, MIKE CHECK of Saint Michael's College. This four-part all men's a cappella choir was originally formed four years ago as a barbershop quartet, and now has 15 student members.

They performed to acclaim on the Church Street Marketplace, popular pedestrian mall in downtown Burlington, Vt., on Saturday, Dec. 4. They will give their final concert of the semester on Friday, December 9, at 9 p.m. in the McCarthy Arts Center Recital Hall at Saint Michael's College.

Withee, a senior biolgoy major, graduated from Skowhegan Area High School before coming to Saint Michael's, located in Burlington, one of the top 10 college towns in America.

"Singing in Mike Check is what I imagine being in a brotherhood to be like," said singer John Wall. "We all know we've got each other's backs, and we have fun while doing it. You really can't ask for more."

Mike Check arose from the frosty mountains of northern Vermont a few years back and now provides Saint Michael's College, the surrounding area, and YouTube with the sweet sounds of male voice in blended harmony. Mike Check's repertoire ranges from classic barbershop, to modern hits like "Longest Time" and "You Don't Know Me." In addition to local performance Mike Check has toured in Massachusetts.

Learn What Matters at Saint Michael's College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu . Saint Michael's provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns. Identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nations Best 376 Colleges, and included in the 2012 Fiske Guide to Colleges, Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2012 U.S. News & World Report rankings.