I did something tonight I’ve never done before. I attended a concert underground in a barely lit cave. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a cave concert, go. It was captivating. Cave of the Mounds, located just west of Mount Horeb, offers holiday concerts this weekend only. The Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville did the singing honors on Friday night, and they were wonderful. An all male a capella choir, their voices harmonized beautifully. Cave acoustics are phenomenal.
I spoke with several of the singers after the concert and they all agreed singing in a cave is a great experience. “The acoustics are perfect; we can hear each other with perfect clarity. The only thing we have to remember is not to project. We have to sing much softer,” said one member, a junior majoring in music education. There are 28 men in the fraternity, and 16 sang at the cave concert. About half of the men are studying music, the others are majoring, as one singer said, “in more practical majors.” The young man I spoke with continued. “I’m majoring in construction management. But I’ll be a big financial supporter of the arts.”
The concerts continue on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7. The cave, a National Natural Landmark, is also open daily for tours. Winter weekend tours leave on the hour from 10 am until 4 pm. One tour is given on weekdays at 2 pm. Call (608) 437-3038 to confirm times. (Spring hours go into effect March 15.) The tours last about an hour. It’s a pleasant place for a family adventure, especially as the weather turns frigid in Wisconsin. The temperature of the cave is always a rather balmy 50˚F.
Wandering Wisconsin with Bo 