For Prospective Members

The Glee Club dates back over 100 years and each new group of singers adds to the group's history and legacy. Much has changed since the Glee Club was first established, but it has always been a group devoted to the study and performance of advanced choral repertoire, with the more recent addition of world and pop music. In order to achieve this exceptional level of quality, members in the group commit a considerable amount of time to the group. 4.5 hours class time per week as well as performances, traveling, and competitions means that the Glee Club is a serious time commitment...but members (both past and present) say it’s worth it!

The Glee Club Community is an extremely welcoming, charismatic, and caring group. Our members play an active role in many organizations and offices on campus, and they represent majors from Theater and History to Physics and Politics and everything in between. Additionally, the Glee Club has come to be a significant presence on Oxy's campus and performs at a wide variety of campus events, as well as those around the community.

If you're interested in joining Glee Club, are a current member, or are one of our fans, you will find a number of helpful links below! If you're curious about College Chorus, Occidental's audition-free choir, you can find more information on the College Chorus page.

Each Fall during the first week of the semester, Glee Club holds auditions for those interested in joining. It is a multifaceted process; the details are below. Please fill out this form to start the audition process. The schedule is listed below, along with PDF's of the audition sheet music as well as rehearsal and performance tracks.

Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page. If you have specific questions, please contact Glee Club Director Desirée LaVertu.

Audition Schedule

I. Preliminary Audition

1. Sign up for an audition
   • Thursday, August 31 - 6:00pm-9:00pm
   • Friday, September 1 - 6:00pm-9:00pm
2. Sing the assigned song (list is below) for your voice part. Sheet music can be found below. Recording tracks for the assigned songs are also provided for your practice convenience, but a pianist will accompany you during the audition. You must sing the song with the accompaniment; do not sing a cappella!
   • Soprano : I Love All Graceful Things (sheet music)
     • I Love All Graceful Things (accompaniment)
     • I Love All Graceful Things (melody)
   • Alto : Willow Song (sheet music)
     • Willow Song (accompaniment)
     • Willow Song (melody)
   • Tenor : Down by the Salley Gardens (sheet music)
     • Down by the Salley Gardens (accompaniment)
     • Down by the Salley Gardens (melody)
   • Baritone -  Weep You No More (sheet music)
     • Weep You No More (accompaniment)
     • Weep You No More (melody)
   • Bass : Isis and Osiris (sheet music)
     • Isis and Osiris (accompaniment)
     • Isis and Osiris (melody)

3. Prepare 2 minutes of another song of your choice (any style; show us what you love to do). It must be accompanied, not a cappella; please bring sheet music in the correct key for our pianist to play for you. 

4. Your sight-reading skills will be tested.

II. If you pass the preliminaries

1. Learn your part in the Quartet Audition piece.  The Quartet Audition piece and guide tracks will be available Friday, September 1.  Download the Quartet Audition piece or get a copy from the door of Booth 220.  Section leaders will be available to help you. 
2. Sign up for a Quartet Audition time slot
3. Rehearsal with current members of your section (required)
   • Tuesday, September 5 - 12:00-1:00pm
4. Quartet Auditions
   • Tuesday, September 5 - 6:00-11:00pm

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many concerts does the Glee Club put on each year?

The Glee Club gives 5 to 6 full formal concerts on campus each year: Homecoming, Winter, Home (post-tour), Pops, Sinfonia combined concert, and sometimes a Spring Concert with College Chorus. Additionally, The Glee Club gives 4 to 5 concerts while on tour each January. Additionally, we sing for other events on campus as well as at venues in the community.

What is the weekly time commitment?

Glee Club is a 2-unit class, MUSC 121 and 122, which meets 4.5 hours per week, in 3 rehearsal periods. Additionally, there are 7-10 performances during the academic year, culminating in Commencement in mid-May.

Does Oxy have another choir I can join?

Yes! Oxy's other singing group is College Chorus. College Chorus meets Monday nights from 7:15 PM to 9:45 PM and performs one concert per semester. No formal audition is required, but you must have a preliminary meeting with the director. Additional information can be found on the College Chorus page.

I'm interested in joining an A Cappella group; can I just do that?

In order to join one of our small ensembles, the Accidentals, Cadence, or Bengalshop, you have to be a member in good standing of either College Chorus or Glee Club. There are also separate auditions for all of these groups. You can find more information on our A Cappella Groups page.

Does Glee Club travel?

Yes! The tradition of Glee Club touring goes back over 75 years and has enabled generations of members to share their music all over the world. Destinations alternate between local, regional and international spots and price varies with them. For more information, visit our Tour page.

If I am not accepted to Glee Club, can I audition again next year?

Yes! We encourage people who do not join Glee Club to brush up their skills in College Chorus and to audition again the following year. Many of our members have sung with College Chorus and have since joined the Glee Club and have loved being a part of both groups.

I want to join Glee Club, but I'm not a music major and I don't know if I have enough experience!

That's not a problem. In fact, most of our members aren't music majors and have all different musical backgrounds. If you're at all interested in joining, we highly recommend coming to auditions. Your supplementary song can be of any genre, so show us what you love to sing!