The Virginia Belles
Encyclopedia
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. Completely student-run, the Belles continue to perform an eclectic range of vocal music from oldies
and classic rock
to indie and R&B
. They sing in and around Charlottesville, and up and down the East Coast
and all across the U.S. (often wearing little black dresses), and have received awards and honors from internationally acclaimed organizations such as the Contemporary A Cappella Society
, Varsity Vocals, and the Recorded A Cappella Review Board.
, the university's oldest all-male a cappella group had been established since 1953, so Katherine formed The Virginia Belles as the female counterpart to the Virginia Gentlemen. Initially the Belles were a select part of the Virginia Women's Chorus. The most talented members of the Women's Chorus were asked to audition for the Belles, singing both madrigal
and popular music. Today, the Belles hold auditions every semester for every female student at the university to attend.
The Belles are currently signed with A Cappella Records, an all-digital record label for a cappella music. Their music can be purchased on iTunes
and Amazon.com
.
, The Yale Alley Cats
, University of Pennsylvania
Penchants, Vanderbilt
Dodecaphonics, Davidson
Generals, Clemson
Tigeroar, University of Georgia
Accidentals, and The Hill School
in Pennsylvania, Darlington School
in Georgia, etc.). The University of Virginia's Fall Break is always reserved for this excursion.
Up until 2007, the group spent their recording career with accomplished sound engineers Paul Brier and Chris Doermann, formerly of Virginia Arts Recording in Charlottesville, VA. However, with the release of Taking Every Detour, the group switched the production studios of both Brier and UVA alum James Gammon with James Gammon Productions. With the release of their most recent album acaBELLEa, James Gammon Productions took over the entire recording, editing, production, and mastering processes. James Gammon is an alumnus of The Academical Village People
, an all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia. His clients have won many national and international a cappella awards thanks to his success in the studio.
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
's oldest all-female a cappella
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 based in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. The group was established in 1977 by Katherine Mitchell as the female counterpart to the Virginia Gentlemen
Virginia 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 university's oldest a cappella group. Completely student-run, the Belles continue to perform an eclectic range of vocal music from oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
to indie and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. They sing in and around Charlottesville, and up and down the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and all across the U.S. (often wearing little black dresses), and have received awards and honors from internationally acclaimed organizations such as the Contemporary A Cappella Society
Contemporary A Cappella Society
The Contemporary A Cappella Society , or CASA, is a 501 charitable organization dedicated to fostering and promoting a cappella music of all styles around the world. CASA was cofounded in 1991 by Deke Sharon by incorporating the first a cappella directory, The List, founded in 1988 & distributed...
, Varsity Vocals, and the Recorded A Cappella Review Board.
History
The Belles were founded in the fall of 1977 by Katherine Mitchell, a student at the University of Virginia. A woman who continues to love music, Katherine noticed then that there was no outlet for female a cappella at the university. 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 university's oldest all-male a cappella group had been established since 1953, so Katherine formed The Virginia Belles as the female counterpart to the Virginia Gentlemen. Initially the Belles were a select part of the Virginia Women's Chorus. The most talented members of the Women's Chorus were asked to audition for the Belles, singing both madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
and popular music. Today, the Belles hold auditions every semester for every female student at the university to attend.
The Belles Today
The Belles today are a Contracted Independent Organization run through UVA's student council and are no longer a part of the Women's Chorus. The group is entirely student-run and affiliated with the UVA Music Department. The Belles sing for almost every type of occasion, be it fundraising events on Grounds, private parties, weddings, sports events, concerts, or business meetings.The Belles are currently signed with A Cappella Records, an all-digital record label for a cappella music. Their music can be purchased on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
Fall Roll
The Belles tour the East Coast every year on a trip they call Fall Roll, visiting numerous other schools, colleges, and universities. Past trips have included visits with the Harvard Din & TonicsHarvard Din & Tonics
The Harvard Din & Tonics are a five-part jazz a cappella group from Harvard University, founded in 1979.- History :The group was founded in 1979 as a public service project of the Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, performing for the university...
, The Yale Alley Cats
The Yale Alley Cats
The Yale Alley Cats are an all male, undergraduate a cappella singing group at Yale University. The Alley Cats were founded in 1943, making them the third oldest underclassman a cappella group at Yale. The group’s early repertoire was based in jazz, but its current arrangements cover Motown, pop...
, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
Penchants, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
Dodecaphonics, Davidson
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
Generals, Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
Tigeroar, University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Accidentals, and The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
in Pennsylvania, Darlington School
Darlington School
Darlington School is an American independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day and boarding school in Rome, Georgia. It offers classes ranging from kindergarten to grade 12, divided into a lower, middle and upper school. The headmaster is Thomas C...
in Georgia, etc.). The University of Virginia's Fall Break is always reserved for this excursion.
CD Production
The Belles record and release a new CD every other year. They have released numerous CDs throughout the years, garnering praise and national acclaim from fans and the a cappella community. Their repertoire today continues to be an eclectic mix of all different genres of music.Up until 2007, the group spent their recording career with accomplished sound engineers Paul Brier and Chris Doermann, formerly of Virginia Arts Recording in Charlottesville, VA. However, with the release of Taking Every Detour, the group switched the production studios of both Brier and UVA alum James Gammon with James Gammon Productions. With the release of their most recent album acaBELLEa, James Gammon Productions took over the entire recording, editing, production, and mastering processes. James Gammon is an alumnus of The Academical Village People
The Academical Village People
The Academical Village People is an all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia founded in 1993 by a group of people who vowed to "never take themselves too seriously." They set themselves apart from other groups by being able to keep professional while maintaining their lax attitude,...
, an all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia. His clients have won many national and international a cappella awards thanks to his success in the studio.
Awards & Honors
| Year | Presenter | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Voice Only A Cappella Compilation CD | "Love Save The Empty" (Good Morning Mr. Jefferson) |
| 2010 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album short list - acaBELLEa |
| 2009 | Recorded A Cappella Review Board | Song of the Year - "Big Girls Don't Cry" (acaBELLEa) |
| 2003 | The Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella | 3rd place Regional Quarterfinals |
| 2001 | The Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella | 2nd place Regional Semifinals |
| Vocal Percussion, My-Van Nguyen and Solo, Lindsay Wilkonson | ||
| 2000 | Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards of CASA | Best Female Collegiate Album First Runner Up - Bellissima |
| Best Female Collegiate Song - "Fast Car" (Bellissima) | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Arrangement Winner - Joelle Heise (Bellissima) | ||
| Best Female Collegiate Soloist Nominee - Heather Bates (Bellissima) | ||
| The Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella | 3rd place Regional Quarterfinals |
Discography
- Good Morning Mr. Jefferson (2011)
- acaBELLEa (2009)
- Taking Every Detour (2007)
- Essentially Covered (2005)
- Sterling (2003)
- Aurora (2001)
- Bellissima (1999)
More A Cappella at UVA
- Virginia GentlemenVirginia GentlemenThe 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...
- all male - HullabahoosHullabahoosThe 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...
- all male - Academical Village People - all male
- Virginia Sil'hooettesSil'hooettesThe 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...
- all female - Hoos In Treble - all female
- The New Dominions - co-ed
- CHoosE - Christian
- Remix - hip - hop