Though the football team is far from being the best in the country, you can still see a fantastic performance from a group of proven national champions this Saturday night. The Virginia Sil'hooettes, a nationally acclaimed all-female a cappella group at the University, will astound audiences at their upcoming concert, S.I.B.: Sils in Black (and Silver).
If there were BCS rankings for collegiate a cappella, the Sils would be on their way to Pasedena. Earlier this year, the group was presented with two CARAs (Contemporary A cappella Recording Award), the a cappella equivalent of a Grammy. Their most recent album, Tangled received the award for "Best Female Collegiate Album," and their rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day" earned them the CARA for "Best Female Collegiate Arrangement."
Winning the awards "was a complete honor -- we've worked so hard, and this proves that our work and talent have paid off," third-year College student Christina Vignaud said. "At the same time, it forces us to work harder because now we have a rep to live up to."
And what a reputation the group has developed. The Sils' performance of "Where Would You Be?" has made it on to the Best of College A Cappella 2005 Compilation (soloist Anne Foster was the runner up for a CARA award on this track).
Just like any other No. 1 team, a wide variety of talent and strong group unity play a huge role in the Sils' success.
"We're an extremely diverse group in all aspects: interests, people and music," fourth-year College student Foster said. "Everyone has their own niche in the group, and that's what makes us special."
When you see the group sing, this special quality shines through.
"We're a very close-knit group, which helps make for a better performance," fourth-year College student Carlyn Hart said.
But the most important factor of the top-ranked Sils' performance is their unique interpretation of the phrase, "practice makes perfect."
If the typical spectator had the slightest idea of what goes into producing one of the Sils' songs, his eyes would pop out of his head.
First, there's the musical director who arranges the song.
"In order to arrange a song, you have to listen to music a lot," Musical Director Kelli Harris said. "I would say it takes anywhere from two hours to several days for me to arrange something."
Once the notes are on the page and the parts are divided, it's time to rehearse and nitpick over background vocals.
"We really emphasize musicality in our group," President Anna Lee said. "It takes a while to put a song together because our arrangements are so technically difficult."
After about four to six hours of background vocal practice, the lead vocals are added. Then comes more practice runs and fine-tuning. Only when it reaches this level is the song ready to be performed.
Sils in Black (and Silver) is a Rose Bowl-caliber spectacle that will please audiences of all ages and musical tastes.
"After a stressful day of cheering and screaming for the football team, it only makes sense that you want to have a good time listening to some music," second-year College student Lexi Witman said. "Not only do we totally rock out, but you'll also get a chance to see our personalities. There's something for everyone at our show."
With renditions of Ace of Base, Joss Stone, Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw and Anna Nalick songs, this is no lie. If you're looking for a national champion performance on Saturday, the Sils will not disappoint.
S.I.B.: Sils in Black (and Silver) will take place at 8 p.m. in McCleod Hall. Tickets are $5 on the lawn and $6 at the door.
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