Since 1906, the Occidental Glee Club has played a central role in the life of the College, drawing musicians of the highest caliber and giving voice to our college spirit.
In March 2020, Oxy community members were informed that classes would continue online, and that all in-person events would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Glee Club, this meant not only that we would not return from Spring Break to sing with our friends in the choir room, but that the three events we were preparing for (Fauré Requiem with the Oxy Orchestra and Pops & Senior concerts) would no longer occur. In the face of this situation, instead of allowing the pressures of the awful situation to silence our songs, we remembered that Glee Club as a community is also a support system, and we continued our work. We finished that Spring semester with two “virtual choir” recordings to share with our supporters, one of which was Billie Eilish's "When the Party's Over", which can be viewed below.
In this 20-21 academic year, with no concerts planned and with our tour to Italy cancelled, our singing continued on in this virtual world. Informed by our experience from the past semester and fueled with the energy of our new members, we directed our energy into releasing five virtual choir recordings. In the fall, we prepared the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” for the Homecoming virtual celebration; in December, we recorded Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” with which the Glee Club ends every annual Winter Concert; and in January, we released John Tavener’s serenely epic “Song for Athene,” which we had worked on all semester. Transitioning into a pop focus for the Spring, we started the semester with a recording of “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac. Then to honor the Glee seniors, we recorded not only the Beatles’ “Ob La Di'' but also created a fresh recording of the “Occidental Fair," our college alma mater. ALL of these “virtual choir” videos (going back to Spring 2020) can be viewed below. We invite you to take a look and listen!
We will return in the fall to learn our new repertoire for the 21-22 year, which will culminate in a Course Abroad (performance tour) to Italy in May 2022. We are excited to sing together again (wearing official “Singer’s Masks”) and use the lessons we learned about our abilities as individual singers while recording independently to strengthen the power of the art we will make as an ensemble.
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Want to hear more Glee Club recordings? The new Oxy CD has just been released. Contact director Desiree LaVertu to purchase a copy!
Fall 2019 and Tour 2020 Repertoire:
Pops 2019
Fall 2018 and Tour 2019 Repertoire:
Pops 2018
Fall 2017 and Tour 2018
Pops 2017 Concert Repertoire
Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Scarborough Fair/Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel
Mad World/Madness - Tears for Fears/Muse
Woods - Bon Iver
Hummed Low - Odessa
I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
Edge of Night - from The Lord of the Rings
Misty Mountains - from The Hobbit
Skyrim - Jeremy Soule
You've Got a Friend - Carole King
To Make You Feel my Love - Bob Dylan
Heroes - David Bowie
Freedom 90 - George Michael
Purple Rain - Prince
Somebody to Love - Queen
Tour 2017 Repertoire
Your Voices Tune – Handel
Jesus bleibet meine Freude - J.S. Bach
Selig sind die Toten - Schütz
Rytmus - Hrušovský
Os justi - Bruckner
Adinu - Sufi Melody
Salut Printemps - Debussy
Son de Camaguey - Cuban, arr. Hatfield
Te Quiero - Favero
The Parting Glass – Irish, arr. Sametz
Balleilakka – Rahman, arr. Sperry
Bright Morning Stars – American, arr. Kirchner
2016 Winter Concert celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Herrick Chapel organ
Christmas Hymn (While by my Sheep) – traditional
Jesus bleibet meine Freude – J. S. Bach
Sir Christèmas - William Mathias
Ding Dong! Merrily on High - traditional French, arr. David Willcocks
Ma'oz tsur (Rock of Ages) - traditional Hanukkah Hymn, arr. Samuel Adler
Shalom, Friends - Lee Kesselman
Bidi Bom - David Eddleman
Winter Wonderland
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
White Christmas
Carol of the Bells
