This week’s Campus Celebrity has a great deal of talent and a whole lot of soul…
Name: Hannah Dunne
Year: 3rd
Degree: Drama
Tell us a little bit about Soul Choir:
We are a group of 55 singers with our very own Soul band, and we like our music live and with a dash of soul, whether that is Motown classics or covers of contemporary hits with a soul twist. We like to wear Black and Gold and are partial to step and click and step and clack. From charity fundraisers in venues such as Mama Stones and Amber Rooms, Christmas Concerts in St David’s and Southernhay Church, our annual joint performance with the Exeter University Jazz Orchestra at the Phoenix Arts Centre, playing at Exeter Respect Festival, Weddings and last year singing for the Queen’s visit and Forum opening, Soul Choir has built a reputation of producing great live music with bag-fulls of SOUL that makes people feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
What does your job as Head of Soul Choir entail:
Making sure the choir are happy, the band are happy, the fabulously sassy Soul committee are happy, the venues we play at are happy and most importantly our audience’s are happy. In short, if you’re happy, I’m happy.
Can anyone join Soul Choir? How does one get involved?
Anyone can audition, but not just anyone can get in. We look for the best voices across campus, and sit through hours of auditions, so we can select the loveliest bunch of people as well as the most talented mix and blend of voices that when combined make the tastiest Soul sound.
Have you always had an interest in singing?
Well being born in Wales, where some call the land of song, you could say have. My parents, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey, exposed me to the joys of singing at a young age, they sung me to sleep with renditions of Goldfinger and Delilah, and it was these lullabies that really taught me the craft of the voice.
Is this a job that you wish to pursue in the future?
I wouldn’t say no to it. It would probably be more exciting than your regular 9-5. I mean, if all else fails maybe I could become a Beyoncé impersonator.
What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you since joining Soul Choir?
I got the chance to sing for Joss Stone at Mama Stone’s at the end of 2nd year. After we had a little chat, a drink followed by a little boogie…blew my mind!
You recently performed at The Phoenix- tell us a little more about that?
Annually Soul Choir teams up with EUJO (Exeter University Jazz Orchestra) this year was no exception with our gig ‘Rumour Has It.’ We performed to a packed house and gave the good people of Exeter a good injection of Soul on a Sunday evening.
Are there any other performances in the pipeline that we can come along too? What is next for soul choir?
This Sunday, 7.30pm @ Monkey Suit we’ve got ‘I’ve Got Soul, But I’m not a Soldier’, where we’ll be showcasing some of the individual voices that make up Soul Choir and we have lots planned for next term so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Do you find it hard to juggle your work and social life with that of Soul Choir:
Well, I get the work done, go out lots with my friends, do my Soul thing with the loveliest bunch of people, do some solo gigs here and there and had time to be in Copacabana at the Northcott in January as well, and I’m still here to tell the tale.
How does it feel to be Campus Celebrity?
It’s great that Soul Choir has been noticed and spotlighted; hopefully people will see this and come along to a Soul gig. It definitely should be on the bucket list of things to do before you graduate. And as for me, I’m honoured but I won’t lie to you the title has cracked me up. I’d like to dedicate this honour to the rest of the Soul Committee and say…Stay Sassy Soul Choir.
Check out Soul Choir:
To hear more of their wonderful material, come down to one of their performances or check out their Youtube page: ExeterSoulChoir