Our History
The Amherst College Sabrinas are Amherst College's oldest female and non-binary a cappella group. The first female students began at Amherst in 1976, and by 1980 the Sabrinas were up and running as a singing group. At first, the group experimented with names like "The Kumquats", but quickly abandoned these monikers in favor of something more historic.
The Amherst College Sabrinas performing on the Freshman Quad in 1997
The Sabrina statue
The group got its name from “The Sabrina” (pronounced sə-BRY-nə), a statue of a goddess that was donated to the College in 1857. Until 1976, it was the only "female" on Amherst's campus. In the past, the odd and even classes would compete to steal The Sabrina from each other, but now The Sabrina is safely locked away. Her name, however, lives on in the Amherst College Sabrinas.
The Sabrinas are committed to putting on a great show while making sure to have fun together. Its members share an obvious passion for music and singing, but are also involved in a broad range of activities on campus. At the end of the day, the Sabrinas enjoy singing and spending time together whether on or off stage.
The 2011-2012 Amherst College Sabrinas
The Sabrinas' 2016 Valentine's Day Show
At their shows they are known to sport black and red, despite the fact that original group’s garb consisted of denim overalls. Their repertoire spans a variety of genres, covering artists such as Amy Winehouse, Etta James, Elton John, Lake Street Dive, Crosby Stills & Nash, Hozier, and Aretha Franklin.
The Sabrinas are proud of their rich history and strive to sing sweet songs to the best of their ability in honor of all the Sabrinas that have come before!
The 2015-2016 Amherst College Sabrinas