Miami Glee Club Takes Off For Four-State Winter Tour

BY ROBERT O’BRIEN

Miami University journalism student

The Miami Men’s Glee Club will begin its annual winter tour Friday.

This collegiate all-male singing group will visit four states and seven cities in 12 days: Indianapolis, Indiana; Evanston, Illinois; Chicago,; Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Cleveland,; and ending in Columbus, Ohio on Jan. 21.

The Men's Glee Club has been traveling on annual tours since its founding in 1907. In the past seven years, the group has traveled in 20 states and nine countries.

The tour across the Midwest will be a faculty-led field trip which will offer no credit for those in attendance. Jeremy Jones, assistant professor of music at Miami University, conducts the scholastic Men’s Glee Club and will be overseeing the scheduled concerts.

Student leaders for the tour will include Charlie Rumsey (president), Kyle Wagoner (VP), Jack O'Brien (marketing and publicity), and Ryan Anderson (Winter Tour Manager).

Jones has conducted numerous concerts across the U.S. He has also conducted intercontinentally throughout Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, England, Wales, Luxembourg, and China. In May of 2014, Jones guided the Men’s Glee Club to achieve First Grand Prize in a multinational choral tournament in Luxembourg.

“I enjoy all of our performances and opportunities to visit alumni and prospective students in each city we visit,” Jones says. “It's also a great time for our members to spend more time with one another, strengthening the brotherhood within the group.”

Although Jones is looking forward to each concert, two stand out: a collaborative concert at Notre Dame with their Men's Glee Club and a performance at the Michigan Music Educator's Conference.

For a taste of the performer’s abilities follow the link to to MU Glee Club Media page where you can find examples of the group's various works.