Read the Spring 2024 Edition of Laudes, the official Newsletter of the Men’s Glee Club since 1972.
This edition of Laudes seeks to illuminate the experience of singing and touring with the Glee Club, featuring articles by Alumni Terry Bangs and Ben Saukas, Musical Faculty Mark Stover and Eric Reyes, and clubbers from the 2023-2024 executive board.
Each semester, the Alumni Relations Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on our semester, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. You can read this semester's Laudes below.
Each semester, the Alumni Relations Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on our semester, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. You can read this semester's Laudes below.
The Men’s Glee Club is thrilled to announce the launch of the Livestream and Concert Production Fund!
UMMGC is committed to community building and strives to share their music with broad and diverse audiences. The first livestreamed Fall Hill concert in 2019 was viewed by more than 800 people in 17 different countries. The Club seeks to build resources to keep livestreaming a permanent feature of their concerts in Hill Auditorium. Costs range from $2,500-$5,000 for each livestream, so any amount you can contribute will help share the music of the Men's Glee Club with the world.
Your gift to this fund will help their concerts be livestreamed for free to audiences world-wide, enabling alumni, parents, and fans to experience the Club's tradition, camaraderie and musical excellence without needing to be on campus.
The Men's Glee Club Livestream and Concert Production Fund will be used at the discretion of the director to make performances accessible to audiences online and through other media. If this fund receives sufficient gifts and pledges by June 30, 2021, the University may convert the fund to a quasi-endowment so that this can become a fund that perpetually supports streaming efforts. If a quasi-endowed fund is established, then distributions from the fund shall be made in accordance with the University’s then existing endowment distribution policy.
Donate here!
Each semester the Alumni Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on favorite memories, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. Needless to say, there’s been a lot to write about in this edition! You can read this semester's Laudes below.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others make clear that racism remains a systemic and pervasive disease in American society. Countless Black lives have been lost, many more have been unjustly diminished by racism, and in certain places “Black Lives Matter” is seen as a political statement rather than a statement of basic human rights.
So, let us say it here, simply: Black Lives Matter. We stand with Black U-M students, Black Glee Club alumni, and all Black members of the greater U-M alumni community and beyond.
Injustice affects us all, and therefore we must all act. We are encouraged by the words of President Schlissel and SMTD Dean David Gier, which reinforce the importance of cultural and educational institutions in building a more just community and nation. In particular, we believe that musical organizations have an important role to play in making us better citizens, by awakening our empathy and reminding us that shared musical experiences unite all and transcend our individual experience.
The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club has led the way throughout its history: it was the first college glee club to tour the country and then the world, and, in recent years, tackled the unjust killing of Black people through the powerful work “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed." Most recently, the Club addressed the stigma of mental health with the ground-breaking “You Are Enough” program at the last Hill concert.
As alumni of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, we must continue to do what we learned during our time in the Club -- we must lead. We must tackle uncomfortable issues and be a champion for just causes; we must hold ourselves to high standards as ambassadors for the University's mission of developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. Lastly, we must not lose heart, or fear that the battle is lost.
We, as the UMMGC Alumni Network (A-Net), write this message to renew our commitment to lift our voices in support of things that matter. We will not be silent in saying "Black Lives Matter," and we encourage you to join us. Moving forward, we are educating ourselves, we are listening, and we want to learn. We welcome your input into how the A-Net can support this conversation.
In Tradition, Camaraderie, and Musical Excellence,
Scott Roffman, A-Net 2019-20 President
Michael Ferrante, A-Net 2020-21 President
Anthony Alcantara, A-Net 2018-19 President
Michael Foley, A-Net Board
Scott Venman, A-Net Board
Ben Rizzo, A-Net Board
Ben Saukas, A-Net Board
Craig Brennan, A-Net Board
Matt Hill, A-Net Board
Sky Lance, A-Net Board
Steve Ramsey, A-Net Board
Steven Fisher, A-Net Board
Dear UMMGC Community,
The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club Executive Board stands united with our Black brothers and sisters in song and the Black community across the country. We are heartbroken and disgusted by the blatant acts of violence and hatred committed against George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Racism and bigotry are antithetical to our values and will never be tolerated in the Men’s Glee Club. It is our duty and joy to celebrate and amplify the diverse voices in our community.
We must realize that these recent tragedies are not standalone events. Racial injustice has existed for centuries, often perpetuated, and therefore tacitly condoned, by the silence and inaction of large organizations. As an organization founded in 1859, the UMMGC recognizes its own complicity in the perpetuation of systemic injustice and racism.
Today, the Executive Board reaffirms our commitment to action against injustice. We believe that the Men’s Glee Club, as an organization comprised predominantly of White members, must stand in solidarity with the Black community, condemn white supremacy, and use our platform to address and combat injustice wherever we can. We encourage all of our members, alumni, and friends of the Glee Club to join us in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement in any way that you can.
The time for action and education towards anti-racism is now. As a starting point, we invite you to watch –or rewatch– Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed. Then, utilize the resources available at https://sevenlastwords.org/educational-resources/ to begin formulating dialogues in your immediate community. And most importantly, continue to educate yourself, advocate, and donate to organizations making a difference. This is a lifelong journey that we all must take together.
Every person deserves respect. Every person deserves to have a voice. Every person deserves a life free from discrimination and injustice.
No one, regardless of the circumstances, deserves to have their life ended before their time.
Black Lives Matter.
Jack Riley, President
Professor Mark Stover, Music Director
Professor Daniel Washington, Faculty Advisor
Ben DeVries
Britton Michmerhuizen
David Yang
Donovan Jewell
Doug McClure
Jonathan Lin
Matt Lichtinger
Patrick Lovelace
Zachary English
Each semester the Alumni Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on our semester, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. You can read this semester's Laudes below.
The University of Michigan is proud to present our upcoming Fall 2019 auditions on September 5th and 6th from 6-10pm in the Michigan League. There will also be a mass meeting held on September 5th at 5:30pm in MLB Auditorium 4. We encourage all male-identifying students to come and audition! For more info about our audition process, check out ummgc.org/auditions
Each semester the Alumni Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on our semester, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. You can read this semester's Laudes below.
The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club are pleased to present the Annual Male Vocal Arts Day on January 13, 2019. Because of the tremendous success of this event in the past, we are once again excited to provide this exciting opportunity for high school singers.
Male Vocal Arts Day will be a day devoted to fostering strength and passion for music. At the beginning of the day, each student will receive a Vocal Arts Day t-shirt and new music, which will be learned on-site and is theirs to keep. The day will be filled with rehearsals alongside the Glee Club college students and with vocal workshops designed specifically to appeal to the male and female high school singers. It will also provide the opportunity for the students to meet other singers from all over the state. The day will culminate in a concert at the Historic Hill auditorium in which the UM Glee Clubs will accompany the high school singers, and which will also feature individual performances by the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs.
If you think that your school’s choir would be interested in participating in this years MVAD please contact our MVAD manager James Walrad at walrad@umich.edu.
It's that time of year again! The Glee Club is excited to welcome in a new group of singers to our ranks, and we hope that you might want to be one of those singers. If you're interested in joining the Men's Glee club, click here to register for auditions. If you're not sure if we're the group for you, we'd encourage you to come out to our mass meeting! We'll be holding the mass meeting in Auditorium 3 of the Modern Languages Building at 5:30 PM on Thursday September 6th. We hope to see you there!
Each semester the Alumni Team releases Laudes, a semesterly publication from the Glee Club reflecting on our semester, sharing what we're looking forward to, and updating our alumni on our big projects. You can read this semester's Laudes below.
Regarded as a leading conductor and pedagogue in the US and abroad, Professor Mark Stover shares his passion for people and building community through pursuing the highest levels of artistry. Beginning in September 2018, he will commence an appointment as associate director of choirs at the University of Michigan where he will conduct the Men’s Glee Club and the University Choir, teach undergraduate conducting, and serve as the conductor of the Michigan Youth Chamber Singers.
Professor Stover comes to Ann Arbor from Northfield, Minnesota, home of Saint Olaf College, where he has served on the music faculty as conductor of the St. Olaf Chapel Choir (SATB) and Viking Chorus (TTBB) while teaching conducting and a new course he designed titled, Music and Social Justice. Both of these choirs regularly appear in the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a tradition held for over a century and regarded around the world as one of the great music festivals of the season. Recently, Prof. Stover led the Chapel Choir, Viking Chorus, and the Festival Mass Choir of over 400 voices in the St. Olaf Christmas Festival presented at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis at the 2017 National Convention of the American Choral Conductors Association (ACDA). Additionally, Stover served for multiple seasons as the artistic director of Magnum Chorum, a semi-professional choral ensemble of over 60 voices based in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Magnum Chorum was a featured ensemble in the 2017 ACDA National Conference in the Raymond C. Brock Commission performance under the baton of Robert Spano.
Notable performances and collaborations under Stover’s leadership with Magnum Chorum include the commissioning and world premiere of Paul Rudoi’s concert length musical drama, Sermon on the Mount; a collage concert creation with composer Jake Runestad addressing gun violence in the United States; and major works by Rheinberger and Gjeilo. Additionally Prof. Stover has conducted the annual oratorio concert with the St. Olaf Orchestra and Chapel Choir, performing Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and a new work by Charles Forsberg, titled, Cantica in Laude Sacri. In spring 2018, Prof. Stover's Chapel Choir will be collaborating with the St. Olaf Choir and Orchestra to bring an original Buddhist oratorio to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis for the world premiere of The Path by composer Justin Merritt. Among his most meaningful musical partnerships is the creation of a residency between the singers of Magnum Chorum and Voices of Hope, a choir made up of women incarcerated at the Shakopee Women’s Prison (MN), directed by Amanda Weber.
Prof. Stover has been featured as a conductor and pedagogue throughout the United States and abroad and has led ensembles in Ukraine and France. In 2014, Stover guest conducted the famed St. Olaf Choir and led the ensemble in performances throughout the Midwest. Upcoming guest engagements include the 2018 Together In Hope Project, a professional touring choral ensemble from the Twin Cities who will travel to perform several concerts in Rome and the 2019 Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools in Singapore.
Stover’s leadership has been a bridge between the academy and the broader community. He has served as the Director of Worship at Colonial Church in Edina (MN) for over a decade, overseeing multiple choral and instrumental ensembles, conducting the Colonial Chorale and founding the Colonial Chamber Singers. Prior to Colonial, he was the Director of Worship, Music and Arts at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church in the San Francisco Bay Area where he also taught choral music and contemporary a cappella ensembles at Campolindo High School. Mark is the former R&R Chair of Music in Worship for ACDA of Minnesota, and this summer, he will act as lead faculty coordinator for the biennial St. Olaf Conference on Worship, Theology and the Arts.
Prof. Stover holds degrees from St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary where he studied conducting and choral repertoire under the mentorship of Dr. Anton Armstrong and Dr. Paul Westermeyer.
UMMGC will perform with the Men of the Chicago Children's Choir, DiMension, at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit this Friday. Come join us! You can find details about the performance on our events page.
As this is Dr. Rogers' final semester with the Men's Glee Club, the School of Music, Theatre and Dance created a committee to search for his replacement. The committee will reveal the results of their search on Thursday, and Club will welcome in its new director.
Spring Hill is coming up soon! On April 7, Dr. Rogers will conduct his final concert with the Men's Glee Club; it will be a spectacular event.
Buy your tickets here, or read more about the event at our events page.
From Monday, March 19 - Wednesday, March 21 from 6 - 9 pm we will be calling all of our alumni. We're looking forward to speaking with you!
