The Oxford Belles

The Oxford Belles^[1] are an all-female a cappella group from The University of Oxford, England, though in recent years they have included students from Oxford Brookes University. The Oxford Belles are known for their mash-ups of current chart hits and pop classics, including such medleys as "Get the Party Started" by Pink mixed with "Fever" by Peggy Lee and Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" mixed with "Disturbia" by Rihanna and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by the Eurythmics.

Since 1995, the Belles have enjoyed success on both a national and international level, having been on tours to New York and Los Angeles as well as completing runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010 and 2011. The group performs on a regular basis in and around Oxford and London, primarily at balls and charity events,^[2][3][4] occasionally with other Oxford University a cappella groups such as The Oxford Gargoyles and Out of the Blue.^[5][6]

History

The Belles were formed in 1995 by Helen Whiteley, a year-long visiting student from the University of Virginia, who had previously sung with The Virginia Belles. Helen was eager to continue the a cappella tradition, hugely popular in the USA, on this side of the Atlantic.

A period of fifteen years has seen The Oxford Belles go from strength to strength. In the 2008 Quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, the Belles were awarded prizes for Best Choreography (for their rendition of Blondie's "One Way Or Another"), and Lauren Bensted was awarded the prize for Best Arrangement. In the semifinals, Joanna Langilie's solo in "One Way Or Another" was highly commended.^[7] In 2009, the Belles reached the final of The Voice Festival UK (VF-UK), which established them for that year as the most successful all-female a cappella group in the UK.^[8]

In 2009, the group travelled to New York.^[9] There, they were offered the opportunity to sing the American national anthem at Madison Square Gardens,^[10] and also performed at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

In 2010, they returned to the USA, this time travelling to the West Coast and exploring the a cappella scene in California. As well as performing at the L.A. Orthopaedic Hospital and with the groups Ready Willing and Mabel and the L.A. South Towns Show Chorus, they recorded a sketch for the radio show Cactus County Round Up with Will Ryan, a voice actor known for his roles in Disney's long-running series Welcome to Pooh Corner, The Little Mermaid, Spielberg's An American Tail, and The Land Before Time.

In 2010, the Belles returned to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the first time in 10 years and performed daily for a month in C Venues's theatre C -1.^[11] The show, combining brand new arrangements with Belles classics, received critical acclaim for 'flawless harmonies',^[12] Fringe Guru asserting that 'they've got the voices, the looks and, most importantly for any a cappella group, a decent human beatbox'^[13] and Scotsgay calling them 'charming and talented.'^[14] The Belles were asked to perform at the opening night for C Venues, at the C Cabaret Bar, as well as on the Nicholas Parsons Happy Hour, alongside comedian Reginald D. Hunter.^[15]

Current members

The Oxford Belles is an Oxford University society, and its membership consists of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

1. President & Musical Director: Emily Albery, Lea Kambskarð-Bennett Sayago
2. Web and Marketing officer: Jess Bollands
3. Fringe Officer: Harriet Bourhill
4. Treasurer: Sophie Tang
5. Aly Gilbert
6. Alex Worrell
7. Teresa Rendell
8. Lydia Jones
9. Julia Kim
10. Amelia Gabriel

Previous Members

Ex-Belles have gone on to be successful in various areas including academia, law, politics, medicine, and education. Various past members have also continued to pursue careers in music and entertainment. These include:

• Katie Targett Adams has found fame as a contemporary harpist and singer-songwriter-MC, and says she seeks to 'do for the Celtic harp what Vanessa Mae did for the violin'.^[16]
• Alice Whiteley formed a London-based all-female a cappella group in 2007, The King's Chix, at King's College London, the female counterpart to All The King's Men.
• Lauren Bensted's recent musical, Swing!, was received with excellent reviews at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival,^[17] with one reviewer predicting a 'bright future' ahead for her.^[18]
• Meg Powell-Chandler was the Special Advisor to former Government Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, she also starred in the production of Swing! as well.
• Ligaya Batten is a singer-songwriter, based in London and Nairobi.
• Lettice Hoffman has worked in the music industry since leaving Oxford, having worked at G&E Music and Mercury Records in New York, Universal Publishing in London and now works at EMI Music Publishing/Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
• Daena Jay Wienand's music has been featured on General Hospital and other US TV shows, and in 2011 the song 'Home Again', which features her vocals, was nominated for an Emmy award.

Discography

Noteworthy - 2000

1. Champagne Supernova
2. Hazy Shade of Winter
3. Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
4. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
5. Torn
6. Never Ever
7. Brown Eyes Blue
8. Ex Factor
9. Crazy Love
10. This Kiss
11. Ain't No Sunshine
12. Too Good to be True
13. Let It Be
14. Leaving On A Jet Plane
15. Bonus Track

---

In A Groove - 2001

1. Swing Low/Groove Is In The Heart
2. Natural Woman
3. That Don't Impress Me Much
4. Holding Out For A Hero
5. End Of The Line
6. Doo-Wop (That Thing)
7. All Right Now (Live At Keble)
8. Waterfalls
9. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
10. Britney Spears Megamix
11. As Long As You Love Me
12. Brown-Eyed Girl
13. Angel
14. Midnight Train To Georgia
15. Glorybox
16. Son Of A Preacher Man

---

Insatiabelle - 2002

1. Lady Marmalade
2. Fallin'
3. Sleeping In My Car
4. Wasting Time
5. Whenever, Wherever
6. Fever
7. Sweet Dreams
8. Lean On Me
9. Talkin' Bout A Revolution
10. Dreams
11. The Sound Of Silence
12. Come On Eileen
13. Passionate Kisses

---

Rearranged - 2003

1. Get The Party Started
2. The Shoop Shoop Song
3. Thank You
4. Stronger
5. California Dreamin'
6. Rise
7. You Can't Hurry Love
8. Here, There and Everywhere
9. A Thousand Miles
10. People Get Ready
11. Ubi Caritas
12. Material Girl
13. I Touch Myself
14. Bonus Track

---

Score - 2004

1. Destiny's Child Megamix
2. Lovefool
3. Natural Woman
4. Feelin' Good
5. White Flag
6. Nothing Compare To You
7. Walking In Memphis
8. Take Another Piece Of My Heart
9. Heart Of Glass
10. I Will Always Love You
11. Beautiful
12. Let It Be
13. Galileo
14. (I Just Wanna) Make Love To You
15. Grease Medley

---

Listen To What The Girl Said - 2008

1. Do You Thing/Just Can't Wait To Be King
2. Breathe Me
3. One Way Or Another
4. Summertime/Eye Of The Tiger
5. Shine
6. Joyful Joyful (Live Recording)
7. Love Cats
8. He's Got A Way
9. Hide And Seek (Live Recording)
10. Stand By Me
11. Gimme Dead Mother Cabaret (Bonus Track)

---

Saved By The Belles - 2010

1. Beggin'
2. Sweet Escape
3. When You Were Young
4. Roxanne
5. U Don't Know Me/Goldeneye
6. Hotel California
7. Just Dance/Disturbia/Sweet Dreams
8. Dancing
9. I'm Yours
10. Slow Down/Ain't No Mountain High Enough
11. Close To You
12. Fever/Get The Party Started

References

The Oxford Belles Official Website 2012-13

1. The Oxford Belles website
2. The Oxford Belles perform at 'Wadstock'
3. The Oxford Belles perform at Mansfield College Women's Dinner
4. The Oxford Belles perform at Oxhub charity event
5. The Oxford Belles perform with The Oxford Gargoyles, 2003-2004
6. The Oxford Belles perform with Out of the Blue
7. 2008 results for International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
8. Results from the 2009 VFUK competition
9. The Oxford Belles busking in Times Square on WorldNews
10. The Oxford Belles performing at Madison Square Gardens on WorldNews
11. The Oxford Belles at C-venues, Edinburgh Festival
12. Freshair: Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010 Review
13. Fringe Guru: Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010 Review
14. Scotsgay: Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010 Review
15. Pleasance Programme showing the Nicholas Parsons Happy Hour, featuring The Oxford Belles and Reginald D. Hunter, p.4
16. 'Global stardom for a lucky musician in The Sunday Times
17. Review of Swing! in The Stage, Edinburgh]
18. Review of Swing! from The Gilded Balloon

External links

• Official website of The Oxford Belles
• YouTube channel of Oxford Belles videos
• The Oxford Belles on Twitter
• Interview with The Oxford Belles at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2010