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The Loreleis are a 16-member all-female a cappella group at UNC. They are all undergraduates and though many are music majors, this is not a requirement. Since 1981, the group has performed at UNC and in the Chapel Hill community. Their name originates from a mythical siren. According to legend, sirens had enchanted voices they used to lure sailors to their deaths upon the rocks surrounding the sirens’ island.
The Loreleis create a CD every year and tour internationally every year. On campus they always have a fall and spring concert and occasionally perform in the Pit or for a campus gathering. Stylistically, the group covers many genres and sings popular contemporary songs, simulating the instruments with vocalizations. On their 2008 CD “On the Record!” they recreated songs by Fiona Apple, Ben Folds, the Dixie Chicks and Amy Winehouse.
Throughout the years they have received awards and performed around the world. Memorably, they sang the national anthem during the American League Baseball Championship Series in 2004. They are also featured on “Ben Folds Presents University A Cappella” CD.
Though all of the choral groups on campus share a passion for singing, they each have a unique approach. This weekend, three groups will bring their own styles to the stage.
“Every group kind of has their shtick,” said Katie Paxton, president of the Loreleis.
If you see someone handing out fliers in the Pit this week dressed as a gorilla, don't be surprised.
It's just an example of how far some student performance groups will go to attract new recruits.
While UNC student organizations help students find their niche in campus life, the organizations themselves are having difficulty finding their places on campus.
Hark the sound of Tar Heel voices. All-male, all-female and co-ed a cappella groups around the University are warming up for a busy year with auditions beginning this week.
Clef Hangers
The birds aren't the only ones singing as UNC's a cappella season kicks into high gear.
Many groups are presenting their marquee concerts as the year draws to a close.
"Spring is definitely the busier semester for us," said Cassie Criswell, concert manager for the Loreleis.
The Loreleis' cresting voices have carried them everywhere from local radio stations to "The Today Show."
Last Wednesday, their notes swept over Yankee Stadium, rising and falling to the words of the national anthem.
A typical show at Memorial Hall for two of the major a cappella groups at UNC is a sight to see. A sold-out house of screaming fans awaits the talented musicians, and when the singing starts, the screaming doesn't stop there.
It was October 1981. Eight girls, all UNC undergraduates, got together to sing at a Morehead banquet. They called themselves the Loreleis, after their favorite song, and they sang that song along with "Sentimental Journey" and other ballads.
The audience loved their a cappella vocal harmonies; a thank-you note described them as "eight women who could sound like 50."
Remember the first "Divas Live" on VH1? At the end of the show, Aretha Franklin sauntered on stage, out-singing and out-performing the other divas-in-training. "Divas Live" might have been an ensemble concert, but it was ultimately Aretha's show.
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