Twenty-five years ago, Kathy E. Manning '78 wanted to sing in an a cappella group. And since there were no groups that included females, she started her own: the Radcliffe Pitches.

On Friday night, Manning and 60 alumnae of the Pitches joined current members on Sanders Theatre's stage for the organization's 25th anniversary.

New and old members closed the show singing "You'd Be Surprised," after performing for over an hour. The concert was hosted by Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles and opened with the Din & Tonics, an all-male a cappella group.

"The Pitches are a lot more than a singing group," said Eden Riegel '02, the group's president. "Even though the group changes every year, the spirit of the group lives on."

She said the Pitches' rich history and tradition were two of the main reasons behind the anniversary celebration.

At Friday's concert, 12 of the original members from its first years began the Pitches' show by singing one of their first songs, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

The Pitches hosted a reception following the concert and a lunch reunion at Upstairs at the Pudding Saturday afternoon.

Riegel said during Saturday's reunion, past and present Pitches sang every song in their common repertoire.