Ten-man a cappella group Straight No Chaser [ tickets ] is embarking on a Christmas tour to showcase music from its major-label debut, "Holiday Spirits."

The outfit's first national trek in 10 years will stop by Toronto, New York City and San Francisco, and spend two nights in Indianapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles. The dates, which kick off in early December, are listed below.

Released late last month, "Holiday Spirits" saw the fifth largest pre-order in Atlantic Records' history and reached No. 1 on iTunes' Top Holiday Albums chart, according to a press release. The set features Straight No Chaser's take on holiday classics including "The Christmas Song," "Silent Night" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and includes two original Christmas-themed compositions penned by group founder Dan Ponce. Song samples are streaming at SNC's MySpace page.

Founded at Indiana University in the fall of 1996, Straight No Chaser's goal was to expand the boundaries of the traditional college a cappella group. The members performed at campus events and sorority functions, and soon found themselves headlining their own concerts. Within two years, they were touring nationally and opening for artists including Lou Rawls, according to the group's bio.

In 1999, the graduating singers of Straight No Chaser chose their replacements, ensuring that their legacy would continue with successive generations of IU undergrads. But in 2006, Indiana University decided to host a reunion concert for the original members and, in honor of the event, the group's Randy Stine posted footage from one of their 1998 concerts on YouTube.

SNC's version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" scored more than 7 million views in December 2007, making it one of the hottest YouTube videos of the holiday season, according to a press release. Among those viewers was Atlantic Records Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman, who tracked down the singers and promptly signed them to the label.

Meanwhile, Straight No Chaser has been confirmed as the featured musical act for ESPN's and ABC-TV's coverage of the NBA on Christmas Day. The ensemble will appear all day during the games, singing "customized" Christmas carols about the NBA and its players, according to a press release.

SNC is also looking forward to recording an album designed for year-round listening.