Duke University Pitchforks

The Pitchforks of Duke University, commonly referred to as "The Duke Pitchforks" or just "The Pitchforks", is Duke University's oldest continuing a cappella group. (In the late 1960s, there was a previous Duke men's group called "Chanticleer" (not to be confused with the San Francisco "Chanticleer"). The Pitchforks constitute one of Duke's two current all-male ensembles. Founded in 1979 with four members of a Duke Medical School quartet, the Pitchforks have performed across the world; they have sung for the Chicago Bulls and Durham Bulls, performed for Duke Men's Basketball, showcased for the Queen of Jordan, and opened for artists such as Ben Folds (2009) and The Band Perry (2015).

The Pitchforks have a long history of studio recording. They have released over 15 albums so far, two of which, "Bring It Back" (2006) and "Disconcert" (2008), won the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) for Best Male Collegiate Album. Seven of their tracks have been featured on the Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) compilation albums. The Pitchforks are best known for their rendition of "Black and Gold" (originally by Sam Sparro), which has over 2.5 million streams on Spotify.

From 1980 until 2013, the Pitchforks were led and mentored by Benjamin F. Ward (1948-2013) who served as both a creator and inspiration for the group. After his death in 2013, the Pitchforks got to work on an album to pay tribute to Ben and to reflect upon their future. The album, "Fall Asleep At Sunset", was released in December 2018.