An inside look: meet three campus a cappella groups
Wesleyan Argus- November 12, 2002
by John Wright, Contributing Writer
(excerpt below)

The Diva Factor

Twenty-seven years in the making, the Cardinal Sinners, Wesleyan University’s oldest all-female a cappella group, prides itself on a repertoire of songs that continually defies what it calls “the traditional college a cappella genre.” They derive their influences from classical and jazz arrangements, traditional as well as pop music, rhythmic stylings alongside folk ballads.

“Our music needs to be a little complex,” said Laura Vickers ’04. “I feel our music is successful if you wouldn’t expect that sound to come from a group of chicks singing.”

From Bartok to Tory Amos, the group covers pieces from a disparate group of artists. According to Vickers, Zap Mama’s “Take Me Coco” possesses a certain rhythmic complexity easily translated into a vocal arrangement, while the ‘diva factor’ of a song like Christina Aguilera’s “Lady Marmelade” gives it instant appeal.

Although the Cardinal Sinners enjoy pop hits, they also maintain a genuine commitment to music as an art form and a desire to better their talents.

“It is a Sinners staple that the music is first,” said Sarah Kavanagh ’04. “I have never been without singing in my life, and I think that’s true for pretty much everyone in the group.”

“We are putting out a CD now,” she added. “We spent all of senior week last year recording. It has been a long process, but it’s almost finished and should be coming out this semester.”

A preview of the new CD includes a take on Tonic’s “If you could only see”, a rhythmic-sounding “Carry” by Ani Difranco, “When I’m Gone,” by Phil Oaks, “Trouble” by the Whetstones and Natalie Imbruglia’s “Criminal.” All in all, the preview reveals a troupe of dedicated female voices that have rightfully inherited a twenty-seven year- old legacy.

When they aren’t laying down tracks or singing at one of their near-weekly performances, the Cardinal Sinners offer their services to the Middletown community. From singing at local soup kitchens and senior homes to headlining this year’s “Take Back the Night,” the group has made good use of its talent outside of the concert-hall.

“It’s nice to have an all female group open ‘Take Back the Night,” Vickers said. “It was really powerful.”

For the coming months the group has planned a small tour of the Northeast, where they will perform for audiences at area colleges and high schools. As for the immediate future, the Cardinal Sinners will be singing this Sat., Nov. 9 at Chi Psi at 9 p.m.