Ohio State University Men's Glee Club
The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club | |
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Origin | Columbus, Ohio, US |
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The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club is an all-male choral ensemble at The Ohio State University. Officially founded in 1875, the Men's Glee Club is one of the oldest student organizations on Ohio State's campus[1] and is the 12th oldest collegiate glee club in the United States. The group has garnered many accolades, most notably winning Choir of the World 1990 from the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. They were the first all-male choir and the first choir from the United States to do so since modern competition began in 1987.[2]
Membership consists of approximately 75 singers auditioned from all academic colleges within the university.[3] A smaller a cappella group, The Statesmen, is auditioned from within the group. Their repertoire consists of lighter, contemporary fare, which complements the Men’s Glee Club’s more classical selections. The current director is Robert J. Ward, who is also the Director of Choral Activities at Ohio State.[4] He has held the position since 2004, before which he was a member of the music faculty at Oklahoma State University for sixteen years.
History
Founding
The informal beginnings of the Men’s Glee Club date back to 1873, the first year the university was open to students.[5] At the time, the group was little more than a social club, but by 1875, with the opening of the North Dorms, Ohio State’s student newspaper, The Lantern, began making significant references to an organized chorus operating within the dorms. Since the dorms would have been occupied solely by men, it is likely that the membership of this chorus significantly overlapped with the Glee Club.[6] Although dates listed on early recorded albums corroborate the Men’s Glee Club’s founding date of 1873, the official date is listed as 1875 due to the foundation of the North Dorms chorus. Thus, the Men’s Glee Club is the second-oldest currently active student organization on Ohio State’s campus, the oldest being the Agricultural Education Society.[7]
Throughout the 1880s, the Glee Club failed to reorganize many times due to apathy from the student body, despite the popular sentiment that a Glee Club was one of the most important aspects of collegiate social life.[8] However, the arrival of football on Ohio State’s campus revitalized interest in the choral arts as a means of raising school spirit at sporting events. Specifically, the growing collection of school songs and yells demanded a Glee Club to sing them.[9][10] By 1890, the Glee Club was reorganized and began writing and performing many school songs, including the oldest college yell still in use at Ohio State:
The Glee Club quickly gained esteem and was called on to perform for the Secretary of State during the summer of 1890. Such widespread support for the Glee Club directly inspired the assembly of the first University Orchestra during the next school year.[13] The Glee Club’s support for other extracurricular endeavors continued into 1891 when Kate E. Morhart became the first woman, first freshman, and first Ohio State student to win the state oratory competition, thanks in part to a Glee Club performance that put Kate’s audience into a more receptive and jovial mindset.[14][15]
Continued apathy toward organized musical groups, combined with a membership that was struggling academically, promised to doom Men’s Glee Club to obscurity by the end of the century.[16] Luckily, an initiative headed by professor William Lloyd Evans, Walter Von Steck Snyder, and Charles Herbert sought to permanently re-form the Glee Club on October 13, 1895.[17] Evans became the group’s first official director, and under his leadership, the group began giving performances that were said to be "in every way particular all that could be desired…a success from start to finish" and were said to attract "the best culture of city and University".[18]
Word of the Men’s Glee Club’s fame continued to spread. By the end of 1896, their musical superiority caused visiting members of the Yale Men’s Glee Club to ask the men from Ohio State to postpone a concert that was scheduled for the same night as a concert from the Yale Men’s Glee Club "for fear they [would] prove too much of a counter attraction".[19] The second official director of the Glee Club, Charles Welton Gayman, became the first truly prominent director of the club. His focus on community outreach led him to take the club on their first multi-stop tour around the state of Ohio during the 1898-1899 school year.[20] He also introduced the (currently defunct) tradition of the Glee Club taking part in musical theater productions by having them put on a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore.[21]
Perhaps most important, in 1900, Gayman pushed the Glee Club to compile and publish Songs of the Scarlet and Gray, the first official songbook of The Ohio State University.[22] Although it initially proved to be commercially unsuccessful, it was nonetheless reprised in 1904 with a second edition containing additional material.[23] The need for a school songbook can best be summed up by the book's preface:
- Of the one hundred and two songs in the present edition, forty-two belong distinctly to the Ohio State University, which is an unusually large percentage of Alma Mater songs in such works, and which is noteworthy, considering the actual and the traditional status of college music at O.S.U. More than a dozen of these songs have never before been published. Several national hymns and patriotic songs have been included among the songs which every loyal college student knows and loves to sing. While this edition might be greatly improved, it is still hoped that it will fulfill the purpose for which it is designed: —the purpose of affording a means of increasing the pleasures of our college life, and perhaps, a means of enlivening and ennobling the college spirit which prevails among the hundreds who proudly affirm their allegiance to the Scarlet and Gray.[24]
Carmen Ohio
One of the most monumental improvements to Songs of the Scarlet and Gray came in 1903. On December 11, the Men’s Glee Club gave a joint concert with the Women’s Glee Club, the first of its kind since the formation of the Women’s Glee Club earlier that year.[25] The performance ended with the debut of Ohio State’s Alma Mater, "Carmen Ohio". The circumstances surrounding the concert were far more dubious than the eventual outcome. Continued apathy from students caused Glee Club membership to dwindle by 1901, eventually forcing them to combine with the Guitar and Mandolin Club.[26] However, the merger, along with support from Alfred Rogerson Barrington, the first official professor of music and eventual inaugural head of the music department, eventually brought the Men’s Glee Club back into a place of prominence.[27][28] The collaboration with the Women’s Glee Club was out of necessity, since their newly formed group did not yet have enough material prepared to allow the women to put on their own full concert.[29]
Fred A. Cornell, a freshman football player and member of the Glee Club who was well known for his intellect, was called upon to write an Alma Mater for that December 11 concert.[30][31] Although the story is often romanticized to include Cornell penning the lyrics on the back of a napkin during a train ride home after a particularly nasty defeat by the Michigan football team, in reality the creation of the composition was much more deliberate.[32][33][34] Cornell recounts in a 1915 interview with the Ohio State Monthly: "The Glee Club of 1903-1904 wanted an Alma Mater, as the most generally-sung college hymn is generally designated. Howard Rector suggested that I try my hand."[35] In particular, the music, which was adapted from the well-known "Spanish Hymn," was carefully chosen:
- Now, 20 years later, I cannot recall just where and when, with pencil and pen, at home or on the campus, the text was composed…The ease of singing the Spanish Hymn accounts for much of its use…Other music was considered and discharged, both original and adapted; all of us know the hymn;…There is a real and lasting quality about such simple harmonies that lends dignity to the phrases.[36]
Although initially well-received, the song was lost for a few years. Eventually, The Lantern re-published it before the 1906 football game against Michigan, solidifying its significance and leading to its adoption as Ohio State’s official Alma Mater. In fact, the Men’s Glee Club premiered two songs in the concert about their Alma Mater, though only one would make a lasting impression:
- Two compositions written for this concert found place on the program, a Hymn to Ohio, used as the opening number, and Carmen Ohio, with words and music by F. A. Cornell, ’06, the closing song. This last song might well be made a part of every glee club program, as it has all the elements of a good college chorus, easily sung and easily remembered words, and a simple, catching air. We have too few songs to call our own.[37]
Early to Mid 1900's
Under the direction of A.R. Barrington, the Men’s Glee Club became a regular fixture on Ohio State’s campus. Their notoriety inspired both John Philip Sousa and Victor Herbert to serve as guest directors in 1910.[5] As the Glee Club continued to contribute to the growing collection of Ohio State songs, the Ohio State University Association (currently known as the Ohio State University Alumni Association) would continue where Songs of the Scarlet and Gray left off by publishing Ohio State’s second official songbook, Songs of Ohio State University, in 1916.[38][39] Later given a second edition in 1923, this book included modern Ohio State fight songs such as "Across the Field" and "Buckeye Battle Cry".[40][41]
World War I forced the Glee Club to temporarily disband in 1918 (as World War II would also force it to do in 1945), but the ensemble eventually reorganized by February 1919. The Glee Club’s earliest known recording was made in 1926 at the Victor laboratory during a tour to Camden, New Jersey. In 1929, the Glee Club participated in their first series of choral competitions. They won Ohio’s statewide intercollegiate contest, going on the next week to participate in the National Intercollegiate Contest held in Carnegie Hall. Dartmouth won the competition, but the men from Ohio State placed third, finishing ahead of Yale, Harvard, and Princeton.[5] The next year, they placed second, after a recount of the score left them trailing George Washington University by 0.4 points.
During the 1930’s, the Men’s Glee Club often had no formal director. Instead, the group was divided into two subgroups, one for underclassmen and one for upperclassmen. The subgroups were often led by student directors, much as the Glee Club had been during its formative years in the late 1800’s. When Ohio State’s department of music became the School of Music in 1945, it reorganized the Men’s Glee Club into an official School of Music choral ensemble.[42] This meant that the group was now a credit-granting class and students who wished to join now had to register for it as they would any other class.[43] Interestingly, the group also retained its registration with the Ohio Union as a student organization.[44] This dual registration granted the Men’s Glee Club a unique position that is shared by only a few other student organizations, such as the Women’s Glee Club.
On March 24, 1957, the Men’s Glee Club made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.[5][45] The next year, they appeared on The Voice of Firestone. In 1965, shortly after the premier of The Ohio State University Marching Band's arrangement of "Hang On Sloopy", the Men’s Glee Club joined the Marching Band on the football field to perform a choral arrangement of "Hang On Sloopy" during a halftime show. This performance was the first of only four collaborations between the Marching Band and the Men's Glee Club; the second would not happen for more than 40 years. Other notable performances from this era include singing at the United States Capitol in 1969 and 1977, as well as singing for the Rose Bowl and National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame banquet in 1970.[5]
Late 1900's to Present
The Men’s Glee Club performed under the baton of Robert Shaw in 1984, 1993, and 1994. They also performed in the Washington National Cathedral in 1988. Overseas trips to England and Wales occurred in 1990, and again in 1995, to compete in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. In 1991, the Glee Club performed on the Hour of Power television program, based out of Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. In 1994, they shared the stage with theater greats like Lauren Bacall and Tommy Tune in a television tribute to Betty Comden and Adolph Green.[5]
Two more international tours occurred in 1999 and 2002, when the group traveled to Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Italy. The Men’s Glee Club often shares the stage with other local choruses as well, including the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, the Bowling Green Men’s Chorus, and the Columbus Gay Men's Chorus.[46] When touring locally, the Glee Club makes a point to travel to middle schools, high schools, and churches within the area to promote singing and musicianship.[47][48][49]
The Men’s Glee Club has been chosen to sing at various musical conferences throughout the years. They have sung at: regional American Choral Directors Association conventions in 1986, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2010, and 2014; the national American Choral Directors Association convention in 1985 and 1999; the Music Educators National Conference in 1988 and 1994; the Ohio Music Education Association conference in 2012; the Ohio Choral Directors Association conference in 2007; and the national seminars of the Intercollegiate Male Choruses in 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2014.[1][5][50]
These trips have taken them all over the United States, to locations including Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and New Brunswick, New Jersey.[51] The Glee Club returned to Ohio Stadium to sing with the Marching Band for a halftime show in 2006, their first collaboration in over 40 years. They also sang with the Marching Band for a halftime show in 2010 commemorating the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and another halftime show in 2013 commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.[52]
The most distinguished of the Men’s Glee Club’s achievements is winning Choir of the World 1990 from the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales under the direction of Professor James Gallagher. They were the first all-male choir and the first choir from the United States to do so since modern competition began in 1987.[2] During the competition, the Glee Club won the male chorus division by 20 points, then went on to win the overall competition through a unanimous secret ballot by nine judges from eight different countries. The Men’s Glee Club also competed in the competition in 1995, placing second in the male chorus division that year.[5]
List of Directors
(Note: an asterisk* by a name indicates a temporary, unofficial, interim, or guest director)
Years active | Name |
---|---|
1882-1883 | L.C. Springer* |
1890-1891 | Orlando Ransom* |
1891-1892 | Eugene E. Davis* |
1892 | W.H. Lott* |
1892-1893 | C.R. Hamilton* |
1895-1897 | William Lloyd Evans |
1897 | George K. Dowd* |
1898-1901 | Charles Welton Gayman |
1901 | Roscoe C. Skiles* |
1903 | Howard Rector* |
1903-1919 | A.R. Barrington |
1910 | John Phillip Sousa* |
1910 | Victor Herbert* |
1919-1928 | Karl H. Hoenig |
1928-1934 | Herbert Wall |
1946-1977 | Norman Staiger |
1977-1981 | J. Eugene McKinley* |
1981-2002 | James Gallagher |
2002-2004 | Bevin Keating* |
2002-2004 | Richard Schnipke* |
2004–present | Robert J. Ward |
The Glee Club Today
Overview
Today, the Men’s Glee Club consists of approximately 75 singers. Around 35 percent of them are music majors, with the rest coming from all other academic colleges at Ohio State. The majority of the singers are undergraduates, but the Glee Club is open to graduate students. The Men’s Glee Club describes itself as a "brotherhood that commits itself to excellence through artistry, achievement in academics, and outreach to the community."[53]
Auditions are held within the first couple of weeks of autumn semester of each school year. Although singers may join halfway through the year during spring semester, the audition criteria will be more difficult due to the extra work that must be done in order to catch up to the rest of the singers. For non-music majors, auditions consist of singing scales, sight-reading a simple tune, rhythm exercises, and aural drills where the singer must sing back intervals that are played on a piano. Music majors are tested on all those skills, and must also sing a prepared solo.[3] The singers must re-audition every year for a spot in the Glee Club.
The repertoire of the Men’s Glee Club varies considerably, consisting of moderate to difficult choral works ranging in style from classical to contemporary. The contemporary pieces come from varied genres, including African American spirituals and musical theater. Many pieces are accompanied by piano, and some have featured guest musicians on other instruments as well. Opportunities for solo performance are frequent. The Men’s Glee Club often presents joint concerts with other Ohio State choral ensembles, including the Women’s Glee Club, Symphonic Choir, and Chorale.[54] They have also taken part in School of Music masterwork performances. These large-scale works combine both choral and instrumental ensembles in order to put on famous pieces such as Mozart’s Requiem or Verdi’s Requiem.[55][56]
Weigel Hall on Ohio State’s campus is where the Men’s Glee Club both practices and performs. Rehearsal consists of one 55-minute class three times a week. This semester-long class is taken for variable credit hours and participants receive a letter grade. Like all other School of Music ensembles, the course fulfills no degree requirements other than an ensemble participation requirement for music majors. Occasionally, extra rehearsals will be scheduled in order to introduce new members to Glee Club traditions or to do a dress rehearsal of upcoming concerts. The Men’s Glee Club usually has eight to ten performances per semester. Some of them are full-length formal concerts where the Glee Club is the main attraction, and some are less formal run-outs to perform just a few songs at other local area events. These concerts take place both in local venues like Weigel Hall and area churches, as well as all over the state of Ohio.[57][58]
Performance attire consists of: a scarlet-colored blazer with the Men’s Glee Club crest emblazoned on the front; medium heather gray slacks; a long-sleeved white button-up dress shirt without buttons on the collar; a white undershirt; the Men’s Glee Club tie, which is cut from scarlet and grey striped fabric that features the crest; a black belt; black socks; and black shoes. All attire is purchased by members except for the blazers, which are owned by the club and are distributed at the beginning of each school year.[59] At the end of their first year, members are given a pin to wear on the lapel of their blazer, which signifies their continuing contribution to the club.
Travel attire is often worn on long bus trips or for less formal performances, and consists of: a black polo with the crest emblazoned on the front; khaki pants; a white undershirt; a black belt; black socks; and black shoes. A new crest was introduced in 2014 as part of the Decade of Distinction concert that celebrated Dr. Ward’s tenth year at Ohio State.[60]
The Statesmen
From within the Glee Club, the Statesmen are a small a cappella ensemble that are auditioned separately from the rest of the Glee Club. Their repertoire usually consists of moderate to difficult modern tunes or songs with a generally "lighter" tone compared to the more classical repertoire of the Glee Club.[61] The Statesmen consists of 16 to 20 singers, and in addition to participating in all Glee Club rehearsals, they also hold their own rehearsals outside of class for 2 to 3 hours per week.
The Statesmen are often hired to perform at venues that are too small to hold the entire Glee Club or cannot afford to transport the entire Glee Club. Such locations include parties, nursing homes, and awards ceremonies. They are also usually featured during Glee Club concerts. The director for the Statesmen varies from year to year, and could be a professor or accompanist from the School of Music, a guest lecturer from another school, or current undergraduate or graduate students within the School of Music.
Alumni Society
The Ohio State University Men’s Glee Club Alumni Society is an active choir based out of Columbus, Ohio. With membership consisting of community members who were in the Men’s Glee Club during their time at Ohio State, the Alumni Society presents regular reunion concerts and sings at various run-outs in the Columbus area, sometimes joining up with the current membership of the Men’s Glee Club. The Alumni Society also maintains various endowments in order to provide scholarships to current Glee Club members.[62]
Traditions
The Men’s Glee Club has collected many traditions throughout its history. The most long-lived tradition is that of singing the Buckeye Tunes to end every performance. The Buckeye Tunes consist of four Ohio State songs that have been written at various points in Ohio State’s history: "Buckeye Battle Cry", "Campus Echoes", "Carmen Ohio", and "Hang On Sloopy". "Campus Echoes" is a medley that was written in 1952 specifically for the Glee Club by then-director Norman Staiger and Ohio State Marching Band composer Richard "Dick" Heine.[12]
"Campus Echoes" contains many of the school songs that had been made popular by the marching band over the previous few decades, including "Round on the End and High in the Middle", "I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State", and "Across the Field". Most notably, "Campus Echoes" opens with an arrangement of "Wahoo! Wahoo!", a yell written around 1889.[63] Since "Campus Echoes" is still being performed today, that makes the over-125-year-old "Wahoo! Wahoo!" the oldest school song/yell still in use.
In addition to being performed in concerts, the Buckeye Tunes are also used for many less-formal run-outs. The most common type of run-out involves tailgating during football season. During every home game, the Men’s Glee Club meets together around three hours before kick-off and then travels around campus, stopping at various spots to perform the Buckeye Tunes. Common stops include the Ohio Union, the Faculty Club, Thompson Library, Tuttle Parking Garage, Ohio Stadium, and the Blackwell Inn. At many of these stops, CD’s containing the Glee Club’s various recordings are sold, making tailgating a major Men’s Glee Club fundraiser.
Another common use of the Buckeye Tunes is for Oval Singing. When weather permits, after Friday rehearsals, the Men’s Glee Club heads out onto the Oval to perform the Buckeye Tunes for passers-by. When weather does not permit, such as during the winter, the Glee Club will occasionally head instead to the Ohio Union to perform. In particular, "Carmen Ohio" is performed on its own for other occasions. One such occasion in upon returning from a tour or bus trip. After unloading the buses, all the men gather in Mortar Board Court outside of Weigel Hall and sing Carmen.[64]
Another occasion for the performance of Carmen is at the end-of-year Glee Club banquet. The banquet itself involves the handing out of many awards and superlatives, statements from the conductor and outgoing student officers, and ends with singing all three verses of "Carmen Ohio". This rendition of Carmen is often significant for many Glee Club members because it is both their last chance to sing with the group for the year, and it is also one of the few opportunities to sing all three verses of Carmen at once.
The most prestigious award given to a Glee Club member is the James Gallagher Spirit Award. According to the official student handbook:
- The award is given, by a vote of the membership, to an individual with at least three years of service to the group. The winner should be the member who best demonstrates a devotion to excellence, who exudes the pride associated with being a Buckeye, and moreover a member of the OSU Men’s Glee Club. Their commitment to the love and betterment of the organization should have been evident in all his actions.[59]
The following is a list of all Spirit Award winners:
Year | Name |
---|---|
1995-1996 | David Peterka |
1996-1997 | Michael Striff |
1997-1998 | Bradley Corso |
2000-2001 | Zebulon Highben |
2000-2001 | Jason McLaughlin |
2001-2002 | Jason Mahan |
2002-2003 | Robert Thompson |
2003-2004 | Steven Blower |
2004-2005 | Scott Wendell |
2005-2006 | Scott Hofmeister |
2006-2007 | Mark Basil |
2007-2008 | Nicholas G. Marconi |
2008-2009 | Scot Helton |
2009-2010 | Tim Sarsany |
2010-2011 | Eric Neuenschwander |
2011-2012 | Aaron Kleer |
2012-2013 | Wayland Hinds |
2013-2014 | Tyler Higgins |
2014-2015 | Joshua Bodner |
2015-2016 | Christopher Gillmore |
One non-musical tradition upheld by members is that of snapping their fingers instead of clapping to show approval or commendation. This tradition started when the Glee Club performed at a Catholic girls’ school where clapping was prohibited. In response to the Glee Club’s performance, the girls instead wildly snapped their fingers. The Glee Club was so moved by the response, they immediately appropriated the tradition and have since continued to uphold it.
Leadership
Conductor
The current musical director and conductor of the Men’s Glee Club is Robert J. Ward. Dr. Ward came to Ohio State in 2004, prior to which he was a member of the music faculty at Oklahoma State University for 16 years. He also serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Ohio State, conducts the Ohio State Chorale, and teaches courses in conducting and choral literature.[4]
Additionally, Dr. Ward serves as the editor of both a children’s choral music series and a men’s choral music series published by Santa Barbara Music Publishers. The Robert J. Ward Choral Series contains over 30 pieces for men’s, women’s, and mixed choirs.[65] Currently, 10 pieces in the series have been dedicated to, recorded by, or commissioned for the Men’s Glee Club:
- "And Draw Her Home with Music", by Nancy Hill Cobb
- "Bright Morning Stars", arranged by Shawn Kirchner
- "Down by the Riverside", arranged by Brant Adams
- "In Exitu Israel", edited by Martin Banner
- "Invictus", by Nancy Hill Cobb
- "Musica!", by Brant Adams
- "Ose Shalom", arranged by Brant Adams
- "Prayer of Black Elk", by Karen P. Thomas
- "Solstice", by Tim Sarsany
- "Terminus", by Nancy Hill Cobb
Notably, Dr. Ward has ties to three of the above composers: Brant Adams, who was a colleague of Dr. Ward’s at Oklahoma State; Nancy Hill Cobb, who was a peer of Dr. Ward’s during his time at Michigan State University; and Tim Sarsany, who was a student of Dr. Ward’s at Ohio State.
While most conducting duties and rehearsal leadership fall to the director, graduate students in the School of Music are often given a piece to rehearse with the Glee Club and conduct during concerts. Sometimes, conducting duties fulfill requirements for graduate-level coursework, and are thus graded by the director, solidifying the director’s role as both a music educator and as a conductor. Other times, conducting duties are part of a teaching associateship. Teaching associates may have additional duties within the Glee Club, including lesson planning and leading sectional rehearsals. Additionally, undergraduate music majors within the Glee Club are occasionally given the opportunity to conduct the processional or Buckeye Tunes during concerts or informal run-outs.
Accompanist
The School of Music employs full-time accompanists for all choral ensembles. The current accompanist for the Men’s Glee Club is Casey L. Cook, principal accompanist for the School of Music choral program. Ms. Cook was educated at the Eastman School of Music and also currently serves as the pianist for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Chorus, a position she has held since 2000. She is also currently an associate member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.[66][67]
Student Officers
As a student organization, the Men’s Glee Club maintains a group of student officers who perform various duties and are responsible for much of the day-to-day operation of the Glee Club. The Executive Board consists of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Public Relations Chair. All Executive Board officers are elected by popular vote at the end of the current school year for the upcoming one. To run for President or Vice President, a Glee Club member must be entering at least his third year with the group. In addition to the Executive Board, a Support Staff is maintained to perform more specialized duties. The Support Staff is appointed by the Executive Board. The following are the officer duties as outlined in the student handbook:[59]
Executive Board Positions
- President: Responsible for the general functioning of the Glee Club and the delegation of duties to other members of the Executive Board. The President is expected to organize and chair all Executive Board meetings. The President should act as a liaison between the conductor and members of the group when needed.
- Vice President: Second in command and assumes the responsibilities of Presidential leadership in the absence of the President. The Vice President is responsible for coordinating autumn tailgating, the spring semester banquet, and daily attendance.
- Secretary: Acts as the main means of communication with the group. He will be responsible for sending e-mails to the email list detailing dates, times, and locations of events and any other matters that are pertinent to the group. Additionally, the Secretary is expected to take minutes of Executive Board meetings and record attendance at tailgating events.
- Treasurer: Responsible for all expenses associated with the Glee Club. Primary expense responsibilities include the collection and recording of social fees as well as fees for travel polos. The Treasurer is also appointed as chair to any fundraising committees established for the group and is responsible for reporting to the conductor, Executive Board, and members of the group the status of Glee Club accounts.
- Public Relations Chair: Responsible for promoting Glee Club events to the public. This may include concert promotion, advertisement for auditions and any other aspect of communication that might enhance the visibility (both on and off campus) of the Glee Club. The Public Relations Chair should also assist the conductor in creating special invitations and letters of gratitude when appropriate.
Support Staff
- Section Leaders: Responsible for recording attendance at rehearsals and concerts.
- Social Chair: Expected to aid Vice President and Executive Board in planning social events for the group. With help of the Executive Board, the Social Chair may form a committee to aid in event planning. The social chair may request funds from the Treasurer to offset the cost of club events.
- Wardrobe Manager: Responsible for the distribution, collection, and maintenance of uniform components not purchased by group members. Also manages purchased uniform components with assistance of the Treasurer.
- Property Manager: Assists the conductor in planning the movement of performance equipment on campus and on the road. The Property Manager also assigns individuals to assist with logistics.
- Alumni Representative: The primary conduit of communication between the current club and the Alumni Society. The Alumni Representative attends Alumni Glee Club meetings and, in conjunction with the conductor, should communicate with the Alumni Glee Club and invite Alumni to Glee Club events.
- CD Manager: Directs the sale and distribution of the Glee Club CD’s. The CD manager shall be appointed an assistant by the Executive Board to aid in his responsibilities. The CD manager may appoint additional members to assist in the sale of CDs during tailgates and concerts.
- Recruitment and Retention Chair: Responsible for the membership experience of the group for both joining and returning members. Responsibilities include organizing the Glee Club’s presence at the Student Involvement Fair and coordinating the subsequent cookout. A committee may be formed to aid in the chair’s duties.
- Historian: Responsible for maintaining the written history of the Glee Club and to continue to document the group’s activity. He should take pictures at Glee Club events in order to preserve the history of the club. The Historian should work closely with the Women’s Glee Club Historian to create an all-encompassing history of the two groups.
- Webmaster/Social Media Chair: Responsible for keeping the Glee Club website up to date at all times throughout the year (including summer). He should work closely with the Executive Board and the conductor to keep information as up to date as possible. He should also work closely with the Historian to keep pictures on the website current.
- Librarian: Responsible for distributing music at the beginning of the season and collecting and filing music at the end of the season.
Current Discography
The Men's Glee Club currently offers a selection of recent recordings available to purchase on CD. All of these recordings can be found on their website's store and certain recordings can be found for digital download on iTunes.[68][69] Current recordings available for sale include:
Release Date | Title |
---|---|
2014 | A Decade of Distinction |
2012 | Musica! |
2010 | Resonet |
2008 | Holiday Highlights |
2007 | We Sing |
2006 | Brothers In Song |
2000 | 125th Anniversary Celebration |
1997 | Cum Jubilo |
1996 | How Firm Thy Friendship |
1993 | With One Voice |
1990 | Choir of the World |
See also
References
- 1 2 "Official webpage of The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- 1 2 "Llangollen Competition Winners 1987 - 2008". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- 1 2 "Men's Glee Club Audition Process". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- 1 2 "Biography of Robert Ward". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History of the Men's Glee Club". Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- ↑ "Chapter 4: The Ohio State University School of Music". The Ohio State University Centennial Histories, College of the Arts. The Ohio State University. 1970.
- ↑ "An Annotated History of the Agricultural Education Society". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The Lantern, April 1881". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). April 1881.
- ↑ "The Lantern, January 21, 1886". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1886-01-21.
- ↑ "The Lantern, March 18, 1886". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1886-03-18.
- ↑ "The Lantern, May 23, 1890". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1890-05-23.
- 1 2 "Campus Echoes". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The Lantern, October 3, 1890". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1890-10-03.
- ↑ "The Lantern, January 21, 1891". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1891-01-21.
- ↑ "The Lantern, May 12, 1891". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1891-05-12.
- ↑ "The Lantern, October 17, 1893". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1893-10-17.
- ↑ "The Lantern, November 23, 1898". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1898-11-23.
- ↑ "The Lantern, February 19, 1896". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1896-02-19.
- ↑ "The Lantern, December 16, 1896". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1896-12-16.
- ↑ "The Lantern, December 21, 1898". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1898-12-21.
- ↑ "The Lantern, May 31, 1899". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1899-05-31.
- ↑ "Songs of the Scarlet and Gray". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The Ohio State University Monthly" VI (7). March 1915: 34.
- ↑ Charles Welton Gayman, Dudley Scott, Harry Porter Weld, eds. (1900). Songs of the Scarlet and Gray (1st ed.). Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Homepage of The Ohio State University Women's Glee Club". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The Lantern, May 13, 1903". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1903-05-13.
- ↑ "The Lantern, November 20, 1901". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1901-11-20.
- ↑ "The Lantern, November 12, 1902". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1902-11-12.
- ↑ "The Lantern, February 24, 1904". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1904-02-24.
- ↑ "The Lantern, December 3, 1902". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1902-12-03.
- ↑ Script Ohio: Centennial Edition. The Ohio State University. 1979. p. 139.
- ↑ "A History of Carmen Ohio" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Carmen Ohio". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The History of Carmen Ohio". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ Script Ohio: Centennial Edition. The Ohio State University. 1979. p. 138.
- ↑ History of the Ohio State University 2. The Ohio State University. 1926. p. 251.
- ↑ "The Lantern, December 16, 1903". The Lantern (The Ohio State University). 1903-12-16.
- ↑ "Songs of Ohio State University". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ Songs of Ohio State University (1 ed.). Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge Incorporated. 1916. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Across the Field". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Buckeye Battle Cry". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "History of The Ohio State University School of Music". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Ohio State Choral Ensembles". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "List of Ohio State Student Organizations". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 10, Episode 27". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "Columbus Gay Men's Chorus partners with OSUMGC". Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- ↑ "The OSU Men’s Glee Club to perform at Northmont". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "An Afternoon With Mozart". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "OSU Men's Glee Club to give free concert in Mount Vernon". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Intercollegiate Men's Choruses". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "(OSU) GLEE (Club) Comes to Hilton Head". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Ohio State marching band performs patriotic halftime show". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Homepage of the Men's Glee Club". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Ohio State musical groups unite for a ‘choral music lover’s buffet’". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Mozart's Requiem". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Verdi's Requiem". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "OSU Men's Glee Club to Wrap Up Cambridge Concert Association Season on April 10". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "OSU Glee Club Sings a Sweet Tune for SOPAA". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- 1 2 3 "OSU Men's Glee Club Student Handbook" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Men's Glee Club celebrates "Decade of Distinction"". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Glee club furthers old OSU tradition". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "MGC Scholarships". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Wahoo! Wahoo!". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Alma Mater Reaches Centennial Birthday". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Robert J. Ward Choral Series". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Men's Glee Club Roster and Leadership". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Casey L. Cook". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "Men's Glee Club Store". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
- ↑ "The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club on iTunes". Retrieved 2015-02-06.
External links
- The Ohio State University Men's Glee Club Official Website
- OSU Men's Glee Club Alumni Society
- The Ohio State University School of Music Website