Sil'hooettes
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Sil'hooettes are a student-run, all-female a cappella
group at the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville, VA. Once just the vision of four UVa students in the winter of 1988, the Sil'hooettes are now the most award-winning women's group at UVa and continue to be one of the premier women's groups in the country. The Sils, as they are sometimes called, have performed for thousands of people at such venues as the Kennedy Center, John Paul Jones Arena, Baltimore Orioles
home baseball games, Boston Red Sox
home baseball games
, the Virginia Belles
, and the Hullabahoos
– who had had their inception less than a year before. Initially almost named "The Double-Breasted Jackets", the Sils' original uniform consisted of multi-colored double-breasted jackets (DBJs), but in the fall of 1995, the group made the switch to the current black and silver.
The Sil'hooettes typically range between 13 and 17 members, though the exact number varies from year to year, and the group holds auditions for new members every fall and occasionally in the spring. The group posts relevant information regarding auditions to their website as auditions approach.
Every five years, the Sil'hooettes host an anniversary concert, inviting the Sil'umnae back to relive their glory years. Most recently, the Sils celebrated their 20th anniversary (April 2009).
, Dartmouth College Aires, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Clef Hangers, Duke University Pitchforks, etc.) along the way.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Charlottesville, VA. Once just the vision of four UVa students in the winter of 1988, the Sil'hooettes are now the most award-winning women's group at UVa and continue to be one of the premier women's groups in the country. The Sils, as they are sometimes called, have performed for thousands of people at such venues as the Kennedy Center, John Paul Jones Arena, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
home baseball games, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
home baseball games
History
The idea for the Sil’hooettes was first conceived before Winter Break in 1988 by JoEllen Constine, Laura Fleury, Karen Sherman, and Melissa Schimke, but the spring semester of 1989 was the group’s first official semester on grounds. At the time, there were only three other groups in existence, the Virginia GentlemenVirginia Gentlemen
The Virginia Gentlemen, a men's singing group, is the oldest a cappella group at the University of Virginia. Founded in 1953 as an offshoot of the Virginia Glee Club, the group continues to perform a mix of contemporary and classic vocal music. The group performs around the University of Virginia...
, the Virginia Belles
The Virginia Belles
The Virginia Belles is the University of Virginia's oldest all-female a cappella group based in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group was established in 1977 by Katherine Mitchell as the female counterpart to the Virginia Gentlemen, the university's oldest a cappella group...
, and the Hullabahoos
Hullabahoos
The Hullabahoos are a student-run, all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The group was founded in 1987 by Halsted Sullivan and continues to be one of the premier men's groups in the country, having recorded 15 studio albums as of early 2007 and performed for...
– who had had their inception less than a year before. Initially almost named "The Double-Breasted Jackets", the Sils' original uniform consisted of multi-colored double-breasted jackets (DBJs), but in the fall of 1995, the group made the switch to the current black and silver.
The Sil'hooettes typically range between 13 and 17 members, though the exact number varies from year to year, and the group holds auditions for new members every fall and occasionally in the spring. The group posts relevant information regarding auditions to their website as auditions approach.
Concerts
Every semester, the Sil'hooettes host at least one concert performance, usually held at the University of Virginia's McLeod Hall on a Friday or Saturday evening. The Sils' official website posts relevant information and online ticket sales as the date of the concerts approach. Concert titles are different every semester but typically employ a pun on the word "Sil" (e.g. Natural Sil'ection, Get Sil'ly, Sil'verware Featuring the 'Forks). The Sil'hooettes invite a guest group to perform at these concerts before intermission, usually a male group from another school, and concert performances are typically followed by Sil'hooettes hosted after-parties, advertised to the audience at the show.Every five years, the Sil'hooettes host an anniversary concert, inviting the Sil'umnae back to relive their glory years. Most recently, the Sils celebrated their 20th anniversary (April 2009).
Fall Roll
Along with concerts and gigs throughout the semester, the Sil'hooettes reserve their Fall Break at the University of Virginia for a tour of the East Coast called Fall Roll, visiting and performing at various colleges and groups (e.g. Tufts University BeelzebubsBeelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
, Dartmouth College Aires, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Clef Hangers, Duke University Pitchforks, etc.) along the way.
CD Production
The Sil'hooettes produce a new studio album every three semesters. Their most recent album, Take It To The Bridge, was released April 2009, and is already receiving praise from the a cappella community.Homer
Upon achieving acceptance into the Sil'hooettes, a new member is affectionately called a "Homer" and often referred to by "Homer" followed by their last name until the rest of the membership deems said member ready to shed her "Homer title". The Homer period is a kind of rite of passage for the Sil'hooettes and is a long-standing group tradition.Awards & Honors
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | A cappella Community Awards of CASA | Favorite Female Collegiate Group | Runner-Up |
| Favorite Gender-Bender Song/Solo | Nominee, "Beautiful Child" | ||
| Favorite Lady Gaga Cover | Runner-Up, "Telephone" | ||
| Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Runner-Up, Blackout | |
| Best Female Collegiate Song | Winner, "I See You" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, Caitlin Morton, "Beautiful Child" | ||
| Varsity Vocals Best of College A cappella Compilation | 2011 Selection | "Telephone" | |
| 2010 | A cappella Community Awards of CASA | Favorite Female Collegiate Group | Nominee |
| Favorite Collegiate Album | Nominee, Take It To The Bridge | ||
| Favorite Female Vocalist | Nominee, Happiness Chijioke "Wreckless Love" | ||
| Favorite Arranger | Nominee, Sara Dougadir | ||
| Favorite A Cappella Song | Nominee, "Wreckless Love" | ||
| Favorite Gender-Bender Song/Solo | Nominee, "Redemption Song" | ||
| Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Runner-Up, Take It To The Bridge | |
| Best Female Collegiate Song | Runner-Up, "1234 (Van She Tech Remix)" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist | Winner, Happiness Chijioke "Wreckless Love" | ||
| Best Hip-Hop/R&B Song | Nominee, "Wreckless Love" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Album Short List | Take It To The Bridge | ||
| Varsity Vocals Best of College A cappella Compilation | 2010 Selection | "Say (All I Need)" | |
| Sing Compilation | Sing: VI, 2010 Selection | "Wreckless Love" | |
| 2009 | Recorded A cappella Review Board | 2009 Album Pick of the Year | Take It To The Bridge |
| Voices Only Compilation | 2009 Selection | "1234 (Van She Tech Remix)" | |
| 2008 | Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Nominee, Sauce |
| Best Female Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, Sara Dougadir, "Slow Me Down" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Song | Runner-Up, "Butterflies & Hurricanes" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist | Nominee, Jenna Pastuszek, "Careful What You Wish For" | ||
| Best Scholastic Original | Nominee, Lexi Witman, "Dance With Me" | ||
| Varsity Vocals Best of College A cappella Compilation | 2008 Selection | "You'll Think of Me" | |
| Voices Only Compilation | 2008 Selection | "Butterflies & Hurricanes" | |
| 2007 | Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Nominee, To Homer and Back |
| Best Female Collegiate Song | Nominee, "They" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist | Winner, Anne Foster, "Broken Wing" | ||
| 2006 | Voices Only Compilation | 2006 Selection | "Don't Cha Wanna Ride" |
| 2005 | Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Winner, Tangled |
| Best Female Collegiate Arrangement | Winner, Blaire Reinhard Blaire Reinhard Blaire Reinhard is a singer, pianist, and songwriter from Morristown, New Jersey. She is the granddaughter of trumpet player and Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen. She performs with her band The Blaire Reinhard Band in and around New York City... , "Beautiful Day" |
||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist | Runner-Up, Anne Foster, "Where Would You Be" | ||
| Varsity Vocals Best of College A cappella Compilation | 2005 Selection | "Where Would You Be" | |
| Voices Only Compilation | 2005 Selection | "When I Think About Angels" | |
| Collegiate A cappella Music Organization Compilation | 2005 Selection | "Devils and Angels" | |
| 2003 | Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album | Runner-Up, "Aftershock" |
| Best Female Collegiate Arrangement | Nominee, Summerlyn Lotz, "Wrong Impression" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Song | Runner-Up, "Wrong Impression" | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist | Runner-Up, Melody Akhavan, "Two Satellites" | ||
| International Championship of Collegiate A cappella | Regionals | 1st Place at ICCA Regionals 2003 | |
| Semi-Finals | 3rd Place at ICCA Semi-Finals 2003 | ||
| Varsity Vocals Best of College A cappella Compilation | 2003 Selection | "Wrong Impression" |
Discography
- Blackout (2010)
- Take It To The Bridge (2009)
- Sauce (2008)
- To Homer and Back (2006)
- Tangled (2004)
- Aftershock (2002)
- Flair (2001)
- Delirious (1999)
- Shades of Silver (1998)