Men of Notre Dame,
Welcome (or welcome back!) to Notre Dame. We are the Co-Presidents of the Notre Dame Glee Club, and we’d like to invite you to join our ranks.
What is the Glee Club?
A university tradition established in 1915, the Notre Dame Glee Club is a 60-man, all-male chorus world-renowned for our rich, full sound. The group boasts a wide repertoire of music, ranging from Renaissance polyphony to American barbershop to Indian ragas. Basically, we sing everything from Beethoven to Billy Joel. We perform five regular concerts a year at Notre Dame (Fall, Christmas [x2], Spring, and Commencement) to packed audiences in the Leighton Concert Hall of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. We tour twice each year across the United States, and once every other year internationally. Last year alone, we visited 9 states and 9 countries on our tours.
But in addition to that, the Glee Club is a group of 60+ men united in appreciation of great music and great friendship. Our members form close bonds with each other and take the initiative to plan events such as trips to the Grotto, wing-eating competitions, pickup sports, Christmas caroling, and, of course, some good old-fashioned impromptu midnight concerts in front of the Golden Dome. Members also participate in service initiatives on campus and around South Bend in the spirit of giving back to the community.
Musically, the group provides a very special experience at Notre Dame. Rehearsals involve a wide range of vocal and choral techniques, as well as exposure to a number of musical styles and foreign languages. Many Glee Club concerts are sold out days before the performances, and many fans travel far distances to hear the sounds that they’ve forever associated with Our Lady’s University—the voice of the Notre Dame Glee Club.
Do you need a music background to audition?
Members of the Glee Club range from Vocal Performance majors with years of training to Mechanical Engineering majors who had previously only sung in the shower. While members are expected to utilize a basic knowledge of reading music and harmony during rehearsals, you don’t need to have ever sung in a choir to audition.
What is the time commitment?
The Glee Club rehearses four days a week in the evening for an hour and fifteen minutes, plus occasional mini-concerts and extra rehearsals. This is usually Monday-Thursday from 5:00pm-6:15pm, with members often heading to dinner together afterwards. We make a great effort to work around class and personal conflicts when they arise. It’s a sizable time commitment, but we will always work with you to ensure that you can devote the necessary time to your studies.
Where are the auditions and where do I sign up?
Auditions for the Notre Dame Glee Club will take place in 329 Coleman-Morse Center (located on South Quad) during Welcome Weekend (August 24-26). Auditions are open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Previous singing experience is not required for auditioning; several current members of Glee Club had never sung in a choir before auditioning! Holy Cross students can auditions as well!
To sign up for auditions, visit https://ntrda.me/30Upse7 and choose Glee Club as your first choice!
First-year students: Make sure to check the Welcome Weekend Schedule at welcomeweekend.nd.edu to make sure your audition doesn’t conflict with an event that you’re encouraged to attend.
What do auditions consist of?
The audition consists of singing a prepared piece or a popular hymn such as Amazing Grace, a range test, a pitch-matching test, and sightreading. In addition to the standard audition in front of the directors, the Glee Club also conducts brief, informal interviews with all of the auditionees immediately following their directors’ audition. These interviews will take place either in the LaFortune Student Center or Duncan Student Center.
Keep up to date with the club on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram
If you have any questions about auditions or Glee Club in general, feel free to contact us at gleeclub@nd.edu.
Hope to see you at auditions and go Irish!
Tim Jacklich
Joseph Cozzi
Co-Presidents, Notre Dame Glee Club
Class of 2020