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. From the beginning, the Glee Club has played a central role in the life of the College, giving voice to college spirit, and drawing musicians of the highest caliber to Occidental. Their reputation for excellence has carried the banners of Occidental far into the musical world through national and international tours and recordings and through the generations of choral conductors who have been affiliated with Occidental.
Joined in 2008 by Director of Choral Music Desiree LaVertu, the Glee Club continues to attract national and international attention for its unified tone, intense musicianship, and varied repertoire. 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. The Glee Club travels in January during the last week of Oxy’s Winter Break. Destinations alternate between local, regional, and international spots. Their 2023 tour takes them to Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, where they will perform at a variety of venues, including a collaborative concert with Copiah-Lincoln College Concert Choir and Mississippi Boychoir in Jackson, Mississippi, a lunchtime recital at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, a retirement community in New Orleans, an evening concert in Mobile, Alabama, a shared exchange with students from LSU and an evening concert at St. Alban’s Chapel in Baton Rouge.
Mississippi Boychoir, Copiah-Lincoln Concert Choir, and the Ambassadors of Co-Lin will join the Glee Club in presenting several musical selections during the concert.