You ain’t heard “The House of the Rising Sun” done like this before! The Harvard Veritones had fans all over the world in awe at their brilliant a cappella arrangement of the old-time American folk tune. Soloist Will Marsh was the star of the show with his sonorous bass vocals – the kind that will send shivers down your spine. There’s a special quality to his rich and velvety voice that just makes you want to smash repeat as soon as you’re done hearing him sing.
Marsh wasn’t the only brilliant singer on stage that night, as the 14-strong mixed-gender group was packed to the rafters with vocal talent. The backing vocals were just immaculate, with the Veritones effortlessly pulling off complex, multi-part harmonies like they were ringing a bell. The group even featured beatboxer CJ Nkenchor, whose skill on the mic brought the cover to the next level. The Music Man has to give it up to the Veritones because the performances and arrangement were just top tier.
The Harvard Veritones uploaded their take on “The House of the Rising Sun” to YouTube on September 8, 2024, where it hit 1.5 million views. Listeners were digging it, and added comments such as “The soloist’s voice scratches an itch in my brain. I am in awe” and “This is what leaving your soul on the stage looks like! This is the best cover of this song that I’ve ever heard!”
2024 was a big year for The Harvard Veritones, as they scored several viral videos. Their second most popular upload to date is their Feb 2024 take on Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Clearly, Will Marsh is not the only talented soloist in the group, as Eleni Livingston delivered a deliciously smoky lead vocal on the cover, adding a whole lotta soul over the on-point backing vocal arrangement. Marsh did, however, make major contributions to both the hit uploads, as he provided the arrangement for both songs.
The Harvard Veritones listed “The House of the Rising Sun” as being originally performed by The Animals. It is true that The Animals popularized the tune in the modern era with their 1964 recording. However, The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that the original song may be several hundred years old. Musicologists have been unable to pinpoint the songwriter of “The House of the Rising Sun,” but noted that it bears some resemblance to the 16th-century tune “The Unfortunate Rake.”