Rivalry in Harmony: U-M Men’s Glee Club & MSU Singing Spartans

Rivalry takes a harmonious turn as MSU’s Singing Spartans share the stage with the U of M Men’s Glee Club for an evening of spirited choral collaboration. In this rare cross-state event, two of Michigan’s premier collegiate ensembles unite in song, celebrating the joy of music-making beyond rivalry. The program features treble and bass repertoire that blends energy, humor, and heart—woven together with traditions from both institutions and a shared love for choral artistry.

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University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club

Laudes Atque Carmina
Albert A. Stanley (1851-1932)

Shakespeare Songs
Theodore Morrison (b. 1938)

When daisies pied
Take, 0 take those lips away
Full fathom five

Unclouded Day from Heavenly Home: Three American Songs
Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970)

Let Beauty Awake from Songs of Travel
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
arr. Philip Duey

Temporal
traditional Puerto Rican plena
arr. Diana V. Saez and Suzzette Ortiz

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
T6nu K6rvits (b. 1969)

Vive l’amour
arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
Ellis Shickman and Mario Sales Solorzano, soloists
Jon Madden, conductor

Heia Viri
Michael McGlynn (b. 1964)
Jack Kernan and Jon Faydenko, soloists

Gryning vid havet
Hugo Alfven (1872-1960)

 

Intermission

 

MSU Singing Spartans

Shelter Me
Stuart Chapman Hill (b. 1986)
Roger David and Keilah Ussi, percussion

You Are Enough
Aron Accurso

III.    You Are Enough

Stand in That River
Moira Smiley (b. 1976)
Jaxon Egge, Matthew Gagea, James Hoover, Noah Parker, and Dawson Call, soloists
Andrew Burns, guitar
Tirian Cooper, viola

The Tree of Peace
Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)

 

University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club and Michigan State University Singing Spartans

We Are All Bound Up Together
Joan Szymko (b. 1957)

Until I Reach My Home
arr. Brandon Boyd
Kevelin Jones, soloist

 

ENSEMBLE BIOS

Founded in 1859, the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club is one of the oldest collegiate choruses in the United States. Guided by its three pillars of Tradition, Camaraderie, and Musical Excellence, the ensemble has blossomed from a group of only six to eight musicians to a bustling community of 100 students from around the Michigan campus. The Glee Club is known for its wide repertoire of music that incorporates selections from different musical styles and periods including Renaissance motets, Romantic anthems, opera choruses, folksongs, spirituals, contemporary works, and, of course, Michigan songs. Since 2011, the Club has premiered over twenty-five new arrangements and compositions.

In 1959, the Men’s Glee Club was the first American tenor-bass chorus to win the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales (and has since won three more first prizes at the same competition). In 1967, the Glee Club circled the globe in celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial year. The Club tours annually, rotating regions of the United States. Recent international tours have included Asia (1989), Eastern and Central Europe (1992), South America (1996), Australia (2000), the British Isles (2004), Spain

(2008), Cuba (2011), China (2012), South Africa (2016), and South America (2024). Among numerous noteworthy recorded albums, the Club was honored to be featured on Mannheim Steamroller’s double platinum CD Christmas Extraordinaire in 2001. The Club has made appearances at Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls at Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and the pre-game festivities for the 1984 World Series. Other notable appearances include the 1986, 2004, and 2016 IMC National Seminars, the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conventions in 1992, 2000, 2010, 2018, and at the esteemed ACDA National Convention in San Diego in 1997, Salt Lake City in 2015, and Cincinnati in 2023.

In 2016, the Michigan Men’s Glee Club recorded and premiered its documentary film, “Love, Life & Loss.” This film documents the Club’s performance of “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” a multi-movement work by Joel Thompson commemorating the lives of African American men lost due to brutality. The documentary was featured in a broadcast on Detroit Public Television, and has received seven Michigan Emmy Awards for directing, performance, and compositions. Other recent large-scale commissions include “You Are Enough: A Mental Health Suite” composed by Aron Accurso to elevate conversations through music for mental health advocacy. And, in 2022, the Glee Club premiered “To Repair,” a multi-movement commission composed by Tesfa Wondemagegnehu giving urgent voice to our country’s long history of systemic racism and racial inequality.

The Men’s Glee Club extends well beyond rehearsals and performances, serving as a dynamic social organization with a national outreach program called “Brothers in Song.” Through this initiative, the Club partners with groups such as the Detroit School of Arts, Chicago Children’s Choir, and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The ensemble also collaborates with collegiate Glee Clubs nationwide, including those at Michigan State, Cornell, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Miami of Ohio, Harvard, and Yale. Members come from diverse academic fields across the University’s 19 schools and colleges, with student officers managing non-musical operations. The Friars, an a cappella subset, extend the Club’s reach with an active performance schedule.

 

The Singing Spartans, formerly the Men’s Glee Club and once known as the Singing Statesmen, represents one of the oldest organizations on the campus of Michigan State University. Originally established in 1880, the chorus functioned primarily as a social club where men could sing together and enjoy themselves. In the early 1900’s, the chorus became more oriented toward musical performance than social activity. Sometime thereafter, the ensemble was absorbed by the Department of Music (now the College of Music) which enabled the ensemble to be conducted by a faculty member. Since that time the Singing Spartans have grown in stature and in numbers and have enjoyed a considerable reputation as a touring choral ensemble.

Over the course of Singing Spartans’ history, the ensemble has performed throughout the Midwest and Michigan in addition to its concerts on campus. Touring internationally in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2007, and 2013, the Glee Club has presented concerts in Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Eisenach, Modling, Salzburg and Munich, throughout the Netherlands, France, England, Cremona, Verona, Siena, Florence and Rome. The choir has appeared at state and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. In 2015, the club performed at the famed Carnegie Hall. Over the years the choir has enjoyed a wide audience that included concert performances in Europe, on the Ed Sullivan Show, and a presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.

 

University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club

Matthew Abernathy, music director

Jon Madden, assistant conductor; Eric Jenkins, piano

 

Tenor I

Henry Baldwin
Jack Begeman

Riley Callais-Jackson

Sikander Choudhary

Mason Dennis

Jonathan Faydenko

Jonathan Gosbee

Nathan Hickner

Kevelin Jones

Matthew Krakowiak

Carter Krumins

Roshan Kumar

Grady McMillan

Frank Mendes

Ethan Palms

Mark Pettaway

Nico Puerto

 

Tenor II

Mateo Alvarez

Gabe Ashley

Riley Bollock

Collin Burns

Benjamin Carlson

Connor Casey

Owen Druzgal

Gabe Dubois

Aidan Hammel

Jack Kernan

Navek Leonard

Dylan Maldonado

Andrew Mazurek

Rory Morter

Ryan O’Shaughnessey

Wesley Ramsey

Tate Russell

Jonah Schloerb

Gursahej Singh

Aiden Sokol

Michael Villeneuve

Martin White

Peyton Woeller

Albert Wu

Bass I

Elliott Brown

Jack Brummer

Joshua Cisneros

Jacob Emmelot

Ashton Fell

Carson Flores

Daniel Gross

Samuel Knot

Isaiah Liggins

Elliot Measel

Leo Parikshak

Ben Radmore

Eli Richey

Thomas Riccinto

Jake Sachs

Mateo Salazar

Joe Schnack

Ellis Shickman

Thomas Sikes

Nicholas Spruce

Adhvaith Suresh

Reid Tang

Alex Vovakes

Jordan White

Yingnan Yan

 

Bass II

Seth Amoguis

Aiden Becker

Colsen Castle

Ben Devries

Joshua Gill

Caleb Lorenz

William Moore

Charlie Morrison

Tim Nagel

Brian Roberts

Rayan Sawan

James Sharlow

Mario Soloranzo

Luke Stibor

Gavin Tomasco

Osamu Tsuda

Oliver Van Note

Nik Walling

Samuel White

Dillon Wright

Kallen Schwark

 

SINGING SPARTANS

Stuart Chapman Hill, conductor

Keilah Ussi and Dee Mason-Walker, assistant conductors

Connie Gamage, piano

 

Tenor

Rosemary Buchtel

Andrew Burns

Dawson Call

Paul Campbell

Carmelo Coleman

Tirian Cooper

Jonathan Dahn

Roger David

Adam Duffy

Tyler Ellis

Caleb Johnson

Luke Klochack

Dee Mason-Walker

Drew McKenna

Mason Truett Neeley

Isaac Napier

Clarence Oliveros

Keilah Ussi

 

Bass

Robin Bernard

Austin Blackmer

Dylan DeMarco

Jaxon Egge

Samuel Fenning

Christian Alejandro Flores Gonzalez

Ethan Fountain

Matthew Gagea

Isaiah Gifford

Theo Greer

James Hoover

lkenna lyioke

Daniel Jaggars

Caleb Jones

Jacob Kantzer

Ceco Maples

William Mason-Walker

Declan McGrath

Noah Parker

Michael Patterson

Kyle Poyma

Mars Robinson

Eric Ryan

Hunter St John

 

PRIVATE GIFTS play a vital role in our ability to maintain and enhance the quality of the programs we offer. Donations support student scholarships, fellowships, student travel and performance opportunities, instrument acquisitions, guest artists, outreach activities, operations, and other crucial areas that make the College of Music an exemplary place of learning.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2025-2026 SPONSORS 

• Sam and Mary Austin Fund for New Music (Musique 21 concerts)
• Ken and Sandy Beall (Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival Series)
• James and Susan Bonfiglio (Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 26; Fall Opera)
• Jenny Chung and Family for Human Rights Fund (Rucker, Feb. 15)
• Joanne and Bill Church (West Circle Series)
• April Clobes and Glen Brough (USA at 250 Years)
• Trustee Emerita Dee Cook in memory of her husband Byron Cook (Four Seasons)
• Susan Davis (Spring Opera)
• Dean Transportation (Celebrating the Spectrum)
• Alena Fabian, D. (Votapek, Mar. 23; Khristenko, Mar. 30)
• Jim Forger and Deborah Moriarty (Lunar New Year Celebration Concert)
• John and Gretchen Forsyth (Wagner, Sept. 19)
• Barbara and Bill Given (Four Seasons; Alegria Navidena)
• Anonymous (Rucker, Feb. 15)
• Howard and Pam Gourwitz (Lulloff, Oct. 30)
• Kevin and Amy Guskiewicz (Alegria Navidena)
• Hamilton-Dodson African Diaspora Endowment for the College of Music (Musekiwa Chingodza, Oct. 2)
• Lauren Harris (Symphonic Dialogues; Celebrating the Spectrum)
• Anne Hiller (Celebrating the Spectrum)
• Stanley and Selma Hollander Endowment for Chamber Music (Gems for Cello)
• Eileen G. Houston (Wagner/Johnson/Wang, Sept. 19; Thompkins/Dease/Tang, Oct. 14; Trombone Ensemble, Nov. 8; Kanda, Nov. 18; Tuba/Euphonium, Jan. 28; Huiet, Feb. 24)
• Taylor Johnston Early Music Series Endowment established by Taylor Johnston (Taylor Johnston Early Music Series)
• Mary and Ron Junttonen (A Celebration of the Beautiful Voice)
• Hari Kern and the late Ralph Edminster, M.D. (Votapek, Mar. 23)
• Henry Kopek and Patricia Foreman (Red Cedar Organ Series)
• Michael and Paula Koppisch (Votapek Piano Festival, Aug. 15-17; Sherman/Zuber, Mar. 24)
• Lansing Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (Organist Nicole Keller, Sept. 14; Organist Peter Sykes, Mar. 22)
• Jill Canny and Robert Last (MSU Federal Credit Union Jazz Artist in Residence, A. Cohen, April 18; Jazz Spectacular Finale Concert)
• Eleanor H. and Harold Leichenko Opera Endowment established by Lauren Julius Harris (Fall and Spring Opera)
• Ann, John and Abby Lindley (Alegria Navidena)
• Merritt Lutz (Celebrating the Spectrum)
• Joseph and Jeanne Maguire (A Jazzy Little Christmas)
• Marshall Music (Symphonic Dialogues)
• Pat and Mary McPharlin (Jazz Infusion; Jazz: Spirituals Prayer and Protest)
• Friends of Jay Meetz (Fall Opera)
• Roy and Christine Meland (Four Seasons)
• Gordon Miracle (Four Seasons; Votapek, Mar. 23)
• MSU Federal Credit Union (Showcase Series; Spartan Spectacular; Celebrating the Spectrum; MSU Music on The Road in Detroit)
• George Orban and Rae Ramsdell (Jang/Moriarty, Feb. 8)
• Liz and Tony Raduazo (Pass a Good Time, Oct. 5; Sensory Friendly Spartan Concerts)
• Charles and Nancy Seebeck (Bagratuni, Mar. 16)
• Leonard and Sharon Tabaka (Jazz Spectacular Finale Concert)
• TechSmith (Celebrating the Spectrum)
• Robert W. Uphaus and Dr. Lois M. Rosen (Symphonic Dialogues; Four Seasons; Beethoven; Happy Birthday Mozart!; Yehuda/Warren, Jan. 29; Bagratuni, Mar. 16; and Bagratuni, Mar. 31)
• Linn Van Dyne and Mike Knox (Happy Birthday Mozart!)
• Barbara Wagner (Wagner Chamber Music Competition)
• Anonymous (Beacon Hill Music Series)
• Richard Witter (A Celebration of the Beautiful Voice)
• Richard and Joan Witter Endowment for MSU Opera Theatre (Fall and Spring Opera)
• WKAR (Artist-Faculty and Guest Recital Series)
• Worthington Family Foundation (Opera Season)
• Andrea Wulf (Piano Monster)

 

SPONSORSHIPS AND RECOGNITION

Sponsorships are available at $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000. Sponsors will receive recognition in the form of event publicity, promotions, programs, and through online recognition. For information about event sponsorships and giving to the college, please call

(517) 353-9872 or e-mail music.giving@msu.edu.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

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TICKET PRICES

$           $14 Adults, $12 Seniors (age 60 and older), Students with ID and anyone under age 18 are free but require a ticket for admission.

$$         $19 Adults, $17 Seniors, $9 Students with ID and anyone under age 18.

$$$       $24 Adults, $22 Seniors, $14 Students and those under age 18.

Please note: All events scheduled in Murray Hall are general admission seating.