Fairfield University Glee Club
Encyclopedia
The Fairfield University Glee Club is a mixed chorus of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate singers at Fairfield University
in Fairfield, Connecticut
. The Glee Club has performed in churches, schools and recital and concert halls throughout Europe, singing from Galway to Rome and Florence to London. The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall
, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Westminster Cathedral
in London, the Aula Paolo VI at the Vatican and the U.S. military academies at West Point and Annapolis.
, Netherlands
, a medieval city surrounded by stone walls; and The Cologne Cathedral
in Kohn, Germany, where the Glee Club’s a cappella performance reverberated throughout the Gothic stone structure." In 2006, the choir sang its way through Italy during spring break, performing in Rome
, Assisi
, and Florence
including singing a liturgy at Chiesa del Gesù and performing a concert at the residence of the Knights of Malta. And in 2008, the Glee Club toured Eastern Europe performing at the St. Ignatius Church in Prague, Czech Republic; the Minoritenkirche (Minorite Church) and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vienna, Austria; and Waldorf School in Budapest, Hungary.
. The texts for these songs are taken from a series of "Freedom Songs" which Thomas Merton
wrote in 1966. Michael A. Ciavaglia '04, a Fairfield University alumnus and Assistant Conductor of the New York Choral Society, conducted part of the 60th anniversary concert. The Glee Club also joined the Greater Bridgeport Symphony in a concert performance of Giacomo Puccini
's Tosca
.
The Mendelssohn Choir is now the resident choir of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
at Fairfield
University.
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. The Glee Club has performed in churches, schools and recital and concert halls throughout Europe, singing from Galway to Rome and Florence to London. The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
in London, the Aula Paolo VI at the Vatican and the U.S. military academies at West Point and Annapolis.
Background
The Glee Club performs a varied repertoire of early, classical, and contemporary music in numerous engagements with other choruses, and with festival and symphonic Orchestras. The mixed chorus is the parent organization of three additional ensembles: the Chamber Singers; the Men's Ensemble, now known as the Bensonians; and Sweet Harmony.Director
Carole Ann Maxwell, director of choral and liturgical music at Fairfield University, is one of America's preeminent conductors of collegiate, community and professional choral ensembles. She also serves as the artistic director and conductor of the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut and the chorus master for Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra.History
The Fairfield University Glee Club, under the direction of Fr. John Murray S.J. and musical director Simon Harak became the first student organization formed by the first ever incoming class of Fairfield University in 1947.European tours
Europe has been a recurring tour destination of the Glee Club since 1985. In 2000, the Glee Club made an eight-day singing tour of Europe making appearances at "the Church of the Immaculate Conception (the Jesuit church in London, England) for the evening mass; The Alla Grande at the University of Maastricht in MaastrichtMaastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, a medieval city surrounded by stone walls; and The Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
in Kohn, Germany, where the Glee Club’s a cappella performance reverberated throughout the Gothic stone structure." In 2006, the choir sang its way through Italy during spring break, performing in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Assisi
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
, and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
including singing a liturgy at Chiesa del Gesù and performing a concert at the residence of the Knights of Malta. And in 2008, the Glee Club toured Eastern Europe performing at the St. Ignatius Church in Prague, Czech Republic; the Minoritenkirche (Minorite Church) and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vienna, Austria; and Waldorf School in Budapest, Hungary.
60th anniversary
In celebration of its 60th Anniversary in 2007, the Fairfield University Glee Club premiered a commissioned work, Songs to the Lord of Peace, by renowned American composer, Gwyneth WalkerGwyneth Walker
-Personal:Walker grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut and is a graduate of Pembroke College in Brown University and the Hartt School of Music and holds B.A., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees in music composition...
. The texts for these songs are taken from a series of "Freedom Songs" which Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
wrote in 1966. Michael A. Ciavaglia '04, a Fairfield University alumnus and Assistant Conductor of the New York Choral Society, conducted part of the 60th anniversary concert. The Glee Club also joined the Greater Bridgeport Symphony in a concert performance of Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
.
Notable alumni
- Kim DiVine '02 - singer/songwriter; voice of Jell-OJell-OJell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....
national TV campaign - Brian Duprey - star of The Rat Pack is Back! at the Las Vegas Plaza Hotel & CasinoLas Vegas PlazaThe Las Vegas Plaza is the working name for a future $5 billion to $8 billion multi-use ultra-luxury hotel, private residences, retail and gaming complex to be developed on the Las Vegas Strip by ElAd Properties. Construction was scheduled to begin in early 2008 for completion in 2011, but no sign...
; Frank Sinatra impersonator - Kristen Record '99 - Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingPresidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingThe Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1983, this program authorizes the President...
recipient; 2010 Connecticut Teacher of the Year - Tim Warren '03 - singer/songwriter for The Alternate RoutesThe Alternate RoutesThe Alternate Routes are an American rock band out of Bridgeport, Connecticut formed by Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly in 2002 while studying at Fairfield University....
Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut
The Mendelssohn Choir was formed in 1984 by members of the Fairfield University Chamber Singers, who, upon their graduation, wished to continue a musical association under the baton of Dr. Carole Ann Maxwell. Since that time, The Mendelssohn Choir has grown to more than 100 members, chosen by audition, many of whom began singing with Dr. Maxwell while in college.The Mendelssohn Choir is now the resident choir of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
There is also a Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is the major center of theatre and the arts at Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Center includes events such as popular...
at Fairfield
University.