A cappella can be a difficult genre for all-female groups: often they suffer for want of bass notes and decent vocal percussion. However, from the start, the Oxford Belles were pleasantly surprising. Special mention must go to Sally Potterton, whose beat-boxing was extremely impressive, especially for a young lady. Unusually for an all-female group, the Belles’ strength lies in their low alto singers, who provide a strong and stable basis upon which their rich harmonies are built. On this occasion, the higher parts let the group down, potentially as a result of nerves.
Nerves, in general, were a noticeable issue, with an unprofessional and ill-recovered word-slip at one point. The girls frequently resembled deer trapped in headlights, which was unfortunate in such a small and intimate venue. Although there were some very enjoyable individual performances, overall the show lacked oomph due to the plentiful and occasionally dirge-like slower numbers. However, this was their first performance of a two-week run, and mishaps and choreographic uncertainty will no doubt be ironed out.
Thanks to the success of the hit American TV show ‘Glee!’, many families will be flocking to see a cappella at this year’s Fringe. This, however, is not a show for young children, owing to the highly sexualised dance moves and song content. Unfortunately, this is a common problem afflicting many groups of this sort – whilst male singers can get a lot of comic mileage from camping it up on stage, lamentably the motto ‘sex sells’ has been adopted by young female singers. The show’s opening song features the line ‘chains and whips excite me’, and raunchy choreography accompanies many of the set’s numbers.
The set-list is a cocktail of medleys, mash-ups and slow numbers, as well as some punchy energetic songs that are inevitably crowd-pleasers, owing to some bouncy and enthusiastic choreography and some stand-out soloists. The arrangements are written by the girls themselves and contain some adventurous harmonies, all of which the troupe pull off magnificently.
With the right audience, these 10 young women from Oxford University will not fail to delight. Look out for some stunning solos and intimate moments during some of the slower numbers – just leave the kids at home.
