Slade’s seasonal hit is given an Oxbridge twist
University of Oxford a cappella group ‘Out of the Blue’ is back with its latest Christmas charity track.
Giving Slade’s 1970’s hit ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ the Oxbridge treatment, the 13-strong all-male ensemble — which we are pleased to report includes two law students — is raising cash on behalf of Oxford children’s hospice Helen & Douglas House.
Sporting blue suits and club stripe ties, their latest musical offering features the usual mix of flawless vocals, camp-tastic choreography and historic Oxford backdrops. The troupe’s video (embedded above), released yesterday, has already racked up 10,000 views.
So who are our vocally talented law students?
Deon Fang (pictured below), who was voted one of Britain’s most influential law students by Legal Cheek readers in 2016, is currently completing his Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL). According to his LinkedIn, Fang — who finished his BA in Jurisprudence at Oxford earlier this year — has undertaken vacation schemes at Linklaters, Baker McKenzie, Slaughter and May, Skadden and Allen & Gledhill.
“We produced the single and video relatively quickly, with the studio time taking a day and the filming taking two, from early morning to night,” Fang told Legal Cheek. He continued:
“But it did take many hours of rehearsal, planning, and preparation over a course of weeks to be able to execute the recording efficiently.”
But how has the wannabe lawyer found juggling his legal studies with his musical commitments? He told us:
“Unexpectedly, I’ve found all the recording and gigging with Out of the Blue to be helpful to my studies. It’s been good having something I love to look forward to three times a week, and knowing that I have to arrange my work around it.”
Meanwhile, Jasper Gold — the squad’s other law student, according to its website — has a host of mini pupillage and marshalling placements under his belt. He is currently leading a small team of researchers to produce part of an upcoming report on the Human Rights Act and its possible repeal.
The group first hit headlines in 2014 after its rendition of Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ earned international acclaim. The video — which was spotted and subsequently tweeted by Shakira herself — chalked up over 7 million views.
In previous years, the talented students have given us a mash-up version of Ariana Grande’s ‘Into You’, and produced their own unique take on Eartha Kitt’s 1953 hit ‘Santa Baby’.