by Dr. Les Hale, The UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club traditionally has drawn its membership from students with widely varying academic interests.

For almost half a century, Northern Iowa men have given their best in music to audiences at the University, throughout Iowa, the Midwest and across Europe. Today, and throughout its illustrious history, the Glee Club brings honor and acclaim to the University of Northern Iowa.

In it's early years, the Glee Club was truly a varsity group - many early glee clubbers also were athletes, representing every sport, and every academic major at Iowa State Teacher's College. The Glee Club performed their first Spring Concert in 1961, in Lang Hall Auditorium.

The Glee Club began producing and performing in the annual Christmas Variety Shows in 1978, in Russell Hall Auditorium. With the 11th production of the shows in 1988, all performances have been sold out.

The Glee Club moved to the 1,680-seat Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in 2000. To date, the Glee Club can claim more sold out performances in the Great Hall than any other group, student or professional.

The group also has performed in the Midwest and across the state of Iowa on annual tours. Members of the Glee Club have traveled to Europe every other year since 1980. During past tours, concerts were performed in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and Wales, including performances at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in 1996, 1998, and 2004.

In May of 2008, the Glee Club performed in Poland for the first time.

The Glee Club has visited many of the great cities in Europe - from Amsterdam to Zurich - and countless places in between. The powerful strains of "Brothers, Sing On!" have been sung from such amazing places as the summit of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, a glacier in the Tyrolean Alps, an ancient castle in Wales, the deck of a ship over the tossing Irish Sea, and the Coliseum in Rome.