A Brief History

The first official record of a women's choir at Syracuse University was in the 1893 university yearbook, The Onondagan. The choir was called the Ladys Glee Club. Prior to that time the university women sang as one of the unofficial clubs at the University. One such club was called Cecelia's Club. The name of the women's choir varies throughout its history. In 1911 Professor Belle Louise Brewster became the first female conductor, a position she held for 22 years. Professor Brewster was a member of the music faculty and significantly increased the size of the choir to 100 members by 1922. Most of their concerts were held in the Archibold Gymnasium. In 1917 during World War I, proceeds from Women's Glee Club concerts were given to the Syracuse University War Fund. For many years a women's choir did not exist at SU. In 1993 Dr. Lon Beery resumed the tradition of the SU Men's Glee Club and the SU Women's Glee Club. In 1996 Dr. Barbara Tagg became conductor, and the choir assumed its current name.

The cover of the December 1998 issue of The Choral Journal features a photo of the 1897 SU Women's Glee Club, and the Syracuse University alumni magazine included a feature article on the Women's Choir in the spring issue of 1999. Through competitive auditions one of the SU Women's Choir members was selected to participate in the 38-voice 2006 ACDA Eastern Division Collegiate Honors Choir in New York City. Two members of the SU Women's Choir were invited through nationally competitive auditions to sing in the 1999 and 2003 National Women's Honor Choirs in Chicago and New York City respectively as part of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national convention. These activities reflect the significant contribution of the SU women to the cultural life of the university community and beyond.

Concert highlights:

April 2005 – Performance at Inaugural New York University Women’s Choir
Festival in New York City
November 2005 – performance with The Cassatt String Quartet
November 2003 – hosted Villanova University Women’s Choir
October 2003 – 1st SU Women’s Choir Invitational Festival
April 2003 – Tour to Doylestown, PA
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Vesper Performing Arts Series
February 2003 – First SU Women’s Choir Festival
February 2002 - First international tour – Toronto, Canada
Joint concert with University of Toronto Women’s Choir
May 2000 – New York Treble Singers Festival – New York, NY – Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church
December 1998 - Guest artists for the Hendricks Chapel Holiday Concert
Spring 1997 - Guest artists with the SU Glee Club, SU Oratorio Society, and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana under the direction of Maestro Akiyama
Spring 1997 – Master Class With Gregg Smith