The Virginia Sil'hooettes are a student-run, all-female identifying a cappella group at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

, Virginia, United States. Once just the vision of four UVA students in the winter of 1988, the Sil'hooettes are now the most award-winning a cappella group at UVA. They have performed for thousands of people at venues including the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

,Kennedy Center , The Virginia Sil'hooettes
/ref>

The White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 180 ...

, John Paul Jones Arena,www.silhooettes.com , Girl Talk
/ref>

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

home baseball games,YouTube , Sil'hooettes Orioles Park National Anthem
/ref> and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

home baseball games.YouTube , Sil'hooettes Fenway Park National Anthem
/ref>

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 Gentlemen, 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 due to complaints about the objectification of its members. The Sil'hooettes typically range between 9 and 18 members, though the exact number varies from year to year. 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. On October 1, 2012, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' named the Virginia Sil'hooettes one of the Top 5 Collegiate A Cappella groups in the country. On November 18, 2013, HerCampus named the Virginia Sil'hooettes the #1 Female Collegiate A Cappella group in the country. On February 2, 2016, CollegeMagazine named the Virginia Sil'hooettes the #1 "Female Group Running the A Cappella World".

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'unnae back to relive their glory years. The Sils celebrated their 20th anniversary in April 2009Cavalier Daily , 20 years of VA Sil'hooettes
/ref> and celebrated their 25th Sil'ver Anniversary in April 2014. Sils25

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

Beelzebubs The Tufts Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", is a male a cappella group of students 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." Founde ...

, Dartmouth College Aires, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Clef Hangers, Duke University Pitchforks) along the way.

CD

The Sil'hooettes produce a new studio album approximately every three semesters. Their most recent album, ''Silver Hour'', produced by James Gammon, was released in November 2018.

"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 rite of passage for the Sil'hooettes and is a long-standing group tradition.

Awards and honors

Musical awards

A Cappella Community Awards (ACAs) , - , rowspan="3", 2011 , , Virginia Sil'hooettes , , Favorite Female Collegiate Group (Runner-Up) , , , - , "Beautiful Child" by

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

, , Favorite Gender-Bender Song/Solo , , , - , "

Telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

" by

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

ft. Beyoncé , , Favorite Lady Gaga Cover (Runner-Up) , , , - , rowspan="6", 2010 , , Virginia Sil'hooettes , , Favorite Female Collegiate Group , , , - , ''Take It To The Bridge'' , , Favorite Collegiate Album , , , - , "Wreckless Love" by

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

, , Favorite Female Vocalist—Happiness Chijioke , , , - , Sara Dougadir , , Favorite Arranger , , , - , "Wreckless Love" by

, , Favorite A Cappella Song , , , - , "

Redemption Song "Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, ''Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...

" by

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

, , Favorite Gender-Bender Song/Solo , , Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs) , - , rowspan="2", 2019 , , ''Silver Hour'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album (Runner-Up) , , , - , "Make Me Feel/Kiss" by

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Molly Murphy (Runner-Up) , , , - , rowspan="5", 2018 , , ''From the Depths'' , , Best Pop Album , , , - , ''From the Depths'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , " Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers , , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , "Black Water Lilies" by

AURORA An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Sarah Donnelly , , , - , "River" by

Bishop Briggs Sarah Grace McLaughlin (born 18 July 1992), known professionally as Bishop Briggs, is a British singer and songwriter. Her single "River" peaked at number three on the US Alternative Chart. It was included on her debut album, '' Church of Sca ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Emily Dietz , , , - , rowspan="4", 2016 , , ''Luster'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "I Will Never Die" by Delta Rae , , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , " Wait It Out" by

Imogen Heap Imogen Jennifer Heap (born 9 December 1977) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Her work has been considered pioneering in pop and electropop music. Heap classically trained in piano, cello and clarinet starting at a ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Alex Peterson , , , - , "I Will Never Die" by Delta Rae , , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Sophie Maus , , , - , rowspan="3", 2015 , , ''1989'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "

This Is What It Feels Like "This Is What It Feels Like" is a song by Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren, featuring Canadian singer, songwriter and former soulDecision frontman Trevor Guthrie, released in the Netherlands by Armada Music on 1 January 2013 as th ...

" by

BANKS A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , " Creep" by Radiohead , , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Stephanie Lee , , , - , rowspan="4", 2013 , , ''Playing With Lightning'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "Around Us" by

Jónsi Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (; born 23 April 1975) is an Icelandic musician; he is the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his "angelic" falset ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , "Howl" by Florence and the Machine , , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Liz Smith , , , - , "Mama" by

Beth Hart Beth Hart (born January 24, 1972) is an American musician from Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame with the release of her 1999 single " LA Song (Out of This Town)" from her second album '' Screamin' for My Supper''. The single was a numbe ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Happiness Chijioke , , , - , rowspan="3", 2011 , , ''Blackout'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album (Runner-Up) , , , - , " I See You" by

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , "Beautiful Child" by

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Caitlin Morton , , , - , rowspan="5", 2010 , , ''Take It To The Bridge'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album (Runner-Up) , , , - , "

1234 Year 1234 ( MCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Canute II (the Tall) dies after a 5-year reign. His rival, Eric XI (the Lisp and ...

(

Van She Van She are an electropop band formed in 2002 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie (pronounced Van Ski) on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar. ...

Tech Remix)" by Feist , , Best Female Collegiate Song (Runner-Up) , , , - , "Wreckless Love" by

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Happiness Chijioke , , , - , "Wreckless Love" by

, , Best Hip-Hop/R&B Song , , , - , ''Take It To The Bridge'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album Short List , , , - , rowspan="5", 2008 , , ''Sauce'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "Slow Me Down" by

Emmy Rossum Emmanuelle Grey Rossum (born September 12, 1986) is an American actress, director, and singer. She is known for her portrayal of Fiona Gallagher in the television series '' Shameless'' (2011–2019). Since the mid-2010s, she has also directed ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Sara Dougadir , , , - , "

Butterflies and Hurricanes "Butterflies and Hurricanes" is a song by English rock band Muse. It was released as the sixth and final single from their third studio album, ''Absolution'' (2003), on 20 September 2004. Unlike ''Absolution'', the single was released through ...

" by

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Song (Runner-Up) , , , - , "Careful What You Wish for" by

Jonatha Brooke Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Jenna Pastuszek , , , - , "Dance With Me" by Lexi Witman , , Best Scholastic Original , , , - , rowspan="3", 2007 , , ''To Homer and Back'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "

They In Modern English, ''they'' is a third-person pronoun relating to a grammatical subject. Morphology In Standard Modern English, ''they'' has five distinct word forms: * ''they'': the nominative (subjective) form * ''them'': the accusat ...

" by Jem , , Best Female Collegiate Song , , , - , "

A Broken Wing "A Broken Wing" is a song written by James House, Sam Hogin and Phil Barnhart, and recorded by American country music singer Martina McBride. It was released in September 1997 as the second single from McBride's album ''Evolution''. In January ...

" by

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and reloc ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist—Anne Foster , , , - , rowspan="3", 2005 , , ''Tangled'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album , , , - , "

Beautiful Day "Beautiful Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track on their tenth studio album, ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' (2000), and was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2000. The song was a commercial success, ...

" by U2 , , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement— Blaire Reinhard , , , - , " Where Would You Be" by

, , Best Female Collegiate Soloist (Runner-Up)—Anne Foster , , , - , rowspan="4", 2005 , , ''Aftershock'' , , Best Female Collegiate Album (Runner-Up) , , , - , " Wrong Impression" by

Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Jane Imbruglia ( , ; born 4 February 1975) is an Australian singer and actress. In the early 1990s, she played Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Three years after leaving the programme, she began a singing caree ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Arrangement—Summerlyn Lotz , , , - , " Wrong Impression" by

, , Best Female Collegiate Song (Runner-Up) , , , - , "Two Satellites" by Mary Beth Maziarz , , Best Female Collegiate Soloist (Runner-Up)—Melody Akhavan , , , - , rowspan="4", 2001 , , "

Snow on the Sahara ''Snow on the Sahara'' (English version) / ''Au nom de la lune'' (French version) is the fifth studio album and first international release by Indonesian singer Anggun. The French version was first released in France on 24 June 1997 by Columbia R ...

" by

Anggun Anggun Cipta Sasmi (; born 29 April 1974), better known as Anggun C. Sasmi or more often mononymously as Anggun, is an Indonesian-born French singer-songwriter and television personality. Born in Jakarta, she began performing at the age of sev ...

, , Best Female Collegiate Song (Runner-Up) , , Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) , - , 2014 , , "

" by

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

, , 2014 Track of the Year , , , - , 2014 , , ''1989'' , , 2014 Album Pick of the Year—Honorable Mention , , , - , 2012 , , ''Playing With Lightning'' , , 2012 Album Pick of the Year—Honorable Mention , , , - , 2009 , , ''Take It To The Bridge'' , , 2009 Album Pick of the Year , ,

Selection for "best of" compilation albums

Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) , - , 2018 , , "Until the Levee" by Joy Williams , , ''BOCA 2018: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2016 , , "

My Gun "My Gun" is a song recorded by Australian alternative rock group the Rubens. It was released on 4 August 2012 as the third single from their debut album, '' The Rubens''. The track won Rock Work of the Year at the 2013 APRA Music Awards as wel ...

" by

Tove Lo Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson (born 29 October 1987), known professionally as Tove Lo (), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by ''Rolling Stone.'' She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take o ...

, , ''BOCA 2016: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2014 , , "

Idioteque "Idioteque" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their fourth album, '' Kid A'' (2000). In 2008, the song was featured on '' Radiohead: The Best Of.'' A live version appears on the 2001 EP '' I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings ...

" by Radiohead , , ''Best of BOCA: The First 20 Years'' , , , - , 2012 , , "

" by Radiohead , , ''BOCA 2012: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2011 , , "

” by

ft. Beyoncé , , ''BOCA 2011: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2010 , , "

Say (All I Need) "Say (All I Need)" is a song by American pop rock band OneRepublic. It is the third single released from their debut album '' Dreaming Out Loud'' and follows the global success of their previous top ten singles, " Apologize" and "Stop and Stare ...

" by OneRepublic , , ''BOCA 2010: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2008 , , "

You'll Think of Me "You'll Think of Me" is a song written by Darrell Brown, Ty Lacy, and Dennis Matkosky and recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in January 2004 as the fourth and final single from his 2002 album '' Golden Road' ...

" by

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

, , ''BOCA 2008: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2005 , , " Where Would You Be" by

, , ''BOCA 2005: Best of College A Cappella'' , , , - , 2003 , , " Wrong Impression" by

, , ''BOCA 2003: Best of College A Cappella'' , , Contemporary A Cappella Music Organization (CAMO) , - , 2005 , , " Devils and Angels" by

Toby Lightman Toby Lightman is an American singer-songwriter. Her first album, ''Little Things (Toby Lightman album), Little Things'', was released in 2004 on Lava Records, Lava/Atlantic. Her second album, ''Bird on a Wire (Toby Lightman album), Bird on a Wi ...

, , ''Top Shelf A Cappella 2005'' , , sing , - , 2014 , , "

" by

, , ''sing 11: One Louder'' , , , - , 2012 , , "Around Us" by

, , ''sing IX: Supernovem'' , , , - , 2009 , , "Wreckless Love" by

" , , ''sing VI: sunny side up'' , , Voices Only , - , 2017 , , "Black Water Lilies" by

, , Voices Only 2017 , , , - , 2016 , , "Echo" by VÉRITÉ , , Voices Only 2016 , , , - , 2015 , , "

" by

, , ''Voices Only 2015'' , , , - , 2013 , , " Starry Eyed" by Ellie Goulding , , ''Voices Only 2013'' , , , - , 2012 , , "Around Us" by

, , ''Voices Only 2012'' , , , - , 2011 , , "Beautiful Child" by

, , ''Voices Only 2011'' , , , - , 2009 , , "

(

Tech Remix)" by Feist , , ''Voices Only 2009'' , , , - , 2008 , , "

" by

, , ''Voices Only 2008'' , , , - , 2006 , , " Don't Cha Wanna Ride" by Joss Stone , , ''Voices Only 2006'' , , , - , 2005 , , "

When I Think About Angels "When I Think About Angels" is a song co-written and recorded by Australian country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s ...

" by

Jamie O'Neal Jamie O'Neal (born 3 June 1968) is an Australian country singer and songwriter. In 2000, O'Neal released her first studio album, '' Shiver''. The album included the back-to-back number one singles " There Is No Arizona" and "When I Think About ...

, , ''Voices Only 2005'' , , Women's A Cappella Association , - , 2016 , , "I Will Never Die" by Delta Rae , , ''WACA Vol. 3'' , , , - , 2015 , , "

" by

, , ''WACA Vol. 2'' , , , -

A cappella competitions

International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCAs) , - , rowspan="2", 2003 , , Virginia Sil'hooettes , , ICCA Semi-Finals—3rd Place , , , - , Virginia Sil'hooettes , , ICCA Regionals—1st Place , ,

Discography

* ''LYLAS: Love You Like A Sil'' (2023) * ''Tiny Bras'' (2021) * ''Silver Hour'' (2018) * ''From The Depths'' (2017) * ''Luster'' (2015) * ''1989'' (2014) * ''Playing with Lightning'' (2012) * ''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)

Notable alumni

* Blaire Reinhard - musician, the Blaire Reinhard Band

References

External links

Official Sil'hooettes website
{{authority control Collegiate a cappella groups Musical groups established in 1988 University of Virginia musical groups 1988 establishments in Virginia Women in Virginia