Dr. Les Hale, UNI Professor Emeritus,
founded the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club in 1960.

Dr. Hale served as chairman of the music
department and director of choral activities
at Price Lab School for 28 years. He took the
job at UNI only after being promised by the
University that he could start a Men's Glee Club.

His vocal experience includes operas, oratorio,
operetta, recital, musicals, jazz and barber-
shop. He played several instruments in
symphonies, concert and marching bands,
opera and musical orchestras, jazz groups,
show bands and strolling trios. While at UNI,
Les Hale founded and for 14 years directed
The UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club. He also
conducted the Metropolitan Chorale and
other vocal groups.

Les graduated from Abraham Lincoln High
School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. After attending
Graceland College, The University of
Southern California, Drake University and
Indiana University, he completed the Doctor
of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance
from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

Throughout his career, Les Hale has often served as guest conductor, visiting faculty
member, and clinician in choral and vocal pedagogy, as well as an adjudicator for all
levels of vocal performance, including the Metropolitan Opera auditions. He was guest
conductor of 'Kingdom Choral Festival' in Saudi Arabia, and a judge for the World Finals of the U.S. Air Force 'Tops In Blue' competition. His emphases have been The Les Hale Studio of Voice, the Chorale, master classes in voice and musical theatre, and
computerized music composition.

Dr. Hale was awarded the ICDA Distinguished Career Award in 1989, in addition to being recognized through a scholarship in his name at UNI. The UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club, together with director Robert Byrnes, honored Dr. Hale by establishing The Les Hale Endowment Fund, ensuring the future of the Glee Club.

In December 2000, The UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club invited Dr. Hale to return to UNI and guest conduct the Glee Club and alumni, in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the group he founded. "What a privilege and joy it is to return to guest conduct a couple of numbers with that massed Glee Club! They literally filled the stage and their voices filled the auditorium!" Again in 2007, Dr. Hale returned to the Great Hall stage as guest conductor of "Brothers, Sing On!", 47 years after forming the group.

For more about Dr. Les Hale and the early days of the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club, read the 2007 issue of the Glee Club newsletter, Camerata:
Camerata Summer 2007 (5.9 MB)

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