5th Ranked SMC Choir Plans Tour To New Zealand

Just in from CollegeRank.com: Saint Mary's very own Chamber Singers/Glee Club (one choir, two names) is ranked 5th out of the Top 20 Most Impressive College Choirs in America.

From College Rank:

We have selected these amazing choirs based on things like competition results, world rankings, touring, historical significance, performing schedule, and audition competitiveness. Please enjoy our list of the 20 most impressive college choirs in America.

Number Five: Saint Mary's College of California

The Chamber Singers and Glee Club of Saint Mary’s College of California is two ensembles in one. It is made up of approximately 30 members. Most are non-music majors who go through a highly competitive audition process to get one of the spots. Once in the ensemble, members must commit much of their time to rehearsals, concerts, and fundraising for tours.    

This choir has a short but very accomplished history. The Chamber Singers and Glee Club was formed in 2011 by musical director Dr. Julie Ford and assistant director and accompanist Sharon Lee Kim. They wanted an extremely versatile group that could easily switch from classical and traditional choral styles to jazz and pop.    

Although it has only existed for over a decade, this group has racked up an impressive resume. The Chamber Singers and Glee Club took home double gold at the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia 2014. These wins led to a booking for a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Other honors include:

• Cum Laude and Summe Cum Laude honors at the Laurea Mundi “Grand Prix of Nations” Choral Competition in Budapest, Hungary in 2016.
• Silver Medals at the World Choir Games in South Africa in 2018
• A subgroup called Jazz Singers won first place (college category) in the California Jazz Competition in April 2023.
• The choir hopes to add to their wins at the World Choir Games in New Zealand in July of 2024.

The Chamber Singers and Glee Club keeps an extensive concert schedule on campus and in the local community. They regularly perform at regional, state, and international events. The members of the choir are true musical ambassadors of their school.  

In July 2024, Saint Mary's Chamber Singers/Glee will compete in the World Choir Games, the world's biggest choir competition, in Auckland, New Zealand. Approximately 25 singers from Saint Mary's will be competing to qualify for a Medal in "The Olympics of Choral Music." They are currently raising money for much needed travel scholarships so that all of the singers participating in the choir tour can attend. Please consider a contribution of any amount to help us represent Saint Mary’s! You can access the choir tour fund by clicking here to donate and can also decide to join them on the tour—extra travelers help to lower our costs. See details here. Contact Tara Sundy at tms8@stmarys-ca.edu with any questions. 

Upcoming choir events include performing the national anthem on April 23 at the San Francisco Giants game (during the Saint Mary's College Game Day), and concerts on May 16 and May 18 at 8pm in the SMC Chapel (their end-of-the-semester shows will help fundraise for the New Zealand trip). No tickets required for the concerts.