Student Blog: Oxford Belles are Women of Note

The Oxford Belles are Oxford’s oldest all-female acapella group, and this summer we’re hoping to represent not only Oxford University, but Brasenose College, by heading off to the Edinburgh Fringe to spread some female empowerment and universal love by making music with our mouths (see here if you'd like to help fund us). Brasenose College has always had a great reputation in the acapella scene, and since joining at the beginning of this year, meeting fellow Brasenose members at acapella socials had been a common occurrence: a love for music clearly runs through the college!

The two Brasenose representatives currently in the Belles arguably have some of the most exciting roles! Sophie Tang is our resident beatboxer, as well as being an amazing alto when we need her singing voice. I am currently the only bass, and blast out the low notes which round out our arrangements and make them more of a convincing substitute for instruments. I’m extremely happy that being in the Belles has helped me find a use for my freakishly low (B2) range!

Rehearsing and doing gigs with my friends is at times surreal. We frequently get compared to the film Pitch Perfect, and it’s true that we all wear ribbons and have a pitch pipe! We’ve also been doing a lot of exciting work with NBC Universal in London, as well as gigs all around the university, for example: Lincoln College Ball, Bodleian Libraries and Wadstock (Wadham College’s version of Woodstock). We’re doing this to help us fundraise - all the money we make is going straight into the Fringe Fund, where we’re trying to raise a hefty £10,000 needed to put on an amazing show.

To mark the centenary of the first women gaining the right to vote The Oxford Belles are presenting 'Women of Note' (pun!), an acapella show that celebrates the incredible women who have fought for gender equality over the last 100 years. We’ve now secured accommodation and have a slot to perform our show from 12th-18th August for which we’re going to rehearse at an intensive four-day bootcamp!

We are now so excited to reveal our Go Fund Me campaign is now LIVE! Check it out here to find out more and give generously to support the education and empowerment of young women.

Not convinced? Here's some clips of us singing for your help...

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