The V-8's of Mount Holyoke College (circa 1961)

Soprano I: Kaye Bensinger 1963, Bloomington, Indiana Mary Ann Harley 1961 (Secretary), Wilmington, Delaware Carolyn Kimball 1961, Colonia, New Jersey Dorothy Ann Smith 1961, Winchester, Massachusetts Soprano II: Barbara Baldwin 1961 (Records Chairman), Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania Susan Metzger 1963, Lewistown, Pennsylvania Susan Rhodes 1961, Denver, Colorado Sally Stearns 1961 (Leader), Philo, Illinois

Alto I: Roxane Hill 1961, Chevy Chase, Maryland Elaine Schnitker 1962, Ottawa Hills, Ohio Katerine Weigel 1962 Bonne Terre, Missouri Paula Whitney 1961, Belmont, Massachusetts Alto II: Nancy Dingwall 1961, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Chris Gruehr 1962 (Publicity), Ridgewood, New Jersey Elizabeth Hottell 1961, Winchester, Massachusetts Jane Rea 1963, West Hartford, Connecticut

Contrary to what emcees seem to think, it's not a vegetable drink OR an automobile engine! There may be a similarity or two: the music can "refresh," and flow with the "precision of a machine," but there the similarity ends!

It's a distinctive group in many ways. Begun during World War II as the Victory Eight, the original group entertained on campus and at nearby bases for servicemen. Since that time, things have changed. There are no longer eight who stand in a V-formation. The group has sixteen members, and perform with twelve in a semi-circle! The traditional name, the V-8's, has come to symbolize good music. And traditionally, you can expect just that.

Good music is hard to pinpoint. It isn't the song alone. It needs the song, first of all, but the arrangement can make or break its raw material. Feeling and meaning the words are important. Shadings of tone can pull an audience into the mood - whether it's the pure fun of PERSIAN KITTEN, the romance of TILL THERE WAS YOU, or the rich harmonies of FOGGY DAY with its surprise fugue ending.

There's one more important ingredient. Individual voices must be able to blend together. This is a distinctive feature of the V-8's. Each song has its specific needs. A solo such as EV'RY NIGHT or HEY, JACQUES requires a firm yet complementary background. The V-8's excel in both solo work and group blend. They are noted for their arrangements. Their songs are pitched four or five notes lower than most other women's groups - creating a unique richness and depth of tone.

The sound of the V-8's is heard and welcomed as far away as weekend transportation permits. They have appeared at campus dances, Dartmouth, Yale, Trinity, New York's Ivy Ball, concerts in Boston and Hartford, and the Sitzmark Lodge at Mt. Snow. If they can get there, they'll go! Wherever you find them you can be sure of this: The V-8's love to sing, and they sing well.