The Undertones (Notre Dame a cappella)
Encyclopedia
The Undertones are an all-male a cappella
singing group formed at the University of Notre Dame
in 1996.
, and select their members from the Glee Club each spring. The Undertones have performed throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, and in almost every state in the Union. In Summer 2010 the Undertones embarked on a national tour, touring from South Bend to California and back, and most recently, in January 2011, traveled on a New Years' tour through Colorado. The group is student-directed and arranges their own music. They perform on the University of Notre Dame campus throughout the academic year. In addition to their annual Christmas and spring concerts in Washington Hall, The Undertones perform after each home football game in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore on campus.
The Undertones were selected for the Best of College A Cappella 2K album
The Undertones performed recently at the 2008 CAFE (Coolest A Cappella Festival Ever)
The Undertones held their first-ever reunion concert in February 2009 in front of nearly 1,000 fans.
Over the past several years, the Undertones have released five albums, with a total discography of 8 albums. In that time span, they have also traveled across Texas, Florida & the Gulf Coast, California, New England, and made countless trips to Chicago and other parts of the Midwest. In Summer 2010 the Undertones embarked on a tour to the West Coast, with concerts in St. Louis, MO; Hobbs, NM; Poway, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Vail, Colorado and Fort Dodge, IA. In January 2011 the Undertones traveled to Colorado to perform in Denver, Colorado Springs, Vail and Beaver Creek, CO, returning to Denver to perform a joint concert with the University of Denver's Idiosingcrasies, DU's premier coed a cappella group, on the University of Denver campus.
George Barry Campion, second tenor ('12)
Mikey Clark, baritone/first tenor ('12)
Hal Melia, baritone ('12)
Tim Schumer, bass/vocal percussion ('12)
Mitch Speer, second tenor ('12)
Peter Baxter, baritone, President ('13)
Dante Garcia, baritone ('13)
John Kemnetz, baritone ('13)
Michael Possin, bass/vocal percussion, Music Director ('13)
Andrew Cloetingh, second tenor ('14)
Alex Leslie, baritone ('14)
Billy Raseman, second tenor ('14)
& Firebird Chamber Orchestra in South Florida.
Original members Keith Cosbey ('00), Justin Gagnon ('00), and Ryan Mariotti ('00) formed Choicelunch, a health-conscious and environmentally friendly school lunch provider based in California
.
Stephen Smith ('01) helped jumpstart Gameday Housing, a company that rents out homes in the South Bend area to be used on Notre Dame football weekends.
Tom Schreck ('05) founded Nashville Outsider Music in 2008, a growing production company through which he released his critically acclaimed debut album, Outsider.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
singing group formed at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1996.
History
The Undertones are a subset of the Notre Dame Glee ClubNotre Dame Glee Club
The University of Notre Dame Glee Club is a 75-voice, all-male choral ensemble at the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1915 in the tradition of English and American glee clubs, it is the oldest Glee Club at a Catholic University in the United States....
, and select their members from the Glee Club each spring. The Undertones have performed throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, and in almost every state in the Union. In Summer 2010 the Undertones embarked on a national tour, touring from South Bend to California and back, and most recently, in January 2011, traveled on a New Years' tour through Colorado. The group is student-directed and arranges their own music. They perform on the University of Notre Dame campus throughout the academic year. In addition to their annual Christmas and spring concerts in Washington Hall, The Undertones perform after each home football game in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore on campus.
Awards and appearances
The Undertones placed FIRST in the Midwest quarterfinal region of BOCA in 2000, and second in the semifinalsThe Undertones were selected for the Best of College A Cappella 2K album
The Undertones performed recently at the 2008 CAFE (Coolest A Cappella Festival Ever)
The Undertones held their first-ever reunion concert in February 2009 in front of nearly 1,000 fans.
Over the past several years, the Undertones have released five albums, with a total discography of 8 albums. In that time span, they have also traveled across Texas, Florida & the Gulf Coast, California, New England, and made countless trips to Chicago and other parts of the Midwest. In Summer 2010 the Undertones embarked on a tour to the West Coast, with concerts in St. Louis, MO; Hobbs, NM; Poway, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Vail, Colorado and Fort Dodge, IA. In January 2011 the Undertones traveled to Colorado to perform in Denver, Colorado Springs, Vail and Beaver Creek, CO, returning to Denver to perform a joint concert with the University of Denver's Idiosingcrasies, DU's premier coed a cappella group, on the University of Denver campus.
Current members (2011-2012)
Members of the Undertones for 2011-2012 are as follows:George Barry Campion, second tenor ('12)
Mikey Clark, baritone/first tenor ('12)
Hal Melia, baritone ('12)
Tim Schumer, bass/vocal percussion ('12)
Mitch Speer, second tenor ('12)
Peter Baxter, baritone, President ('13)
Dante Garcia, baritone ('13)
John Kemnetz, baritone ('13)
Michael Possin, bass/vocal percussion, Music Director ('13)
Andrew Cloetingh, second tenor ('14)
Alex Leslie, baritone ('14)
Billy Raseman, second tenor ('14)
Discography
| Album Title | Year Released |
|---|---|
| 8 Degrees & Rising | 1998 |
| For Your Eyes Only | 1999 |
| The End of the Beginning | 2000 |
| Standing Room Only | 2002 |
| Overworked, Underpaid | 2005 |
| Stranded | 2007 |
| Best of the Undertones: 1997-2007 | 2008 |
| 12 Items or Less | 2008 |
| Under the MistleTones | coming December 2011 |
Alumni ventures
Founding member Patrick Dupré Quigley ('00) has established himself as a leader in the classical music arena, winning the 2004 Robert Shaw Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chorus America. He is now the artistic director of Seraphic FireSeraphic fire
Seraphic Fire is an American professional chamber choir based in Miami, Florida. Seraphic Fire collaborated with Shakira on the opening track of her album Oral Fixation Vol. 2 and became the first classical ensemble to be featured on a Billboard 200 rated album Seraphic Fire is an American...
& Firebird Chamber Orchestra in South Florida.
Original members Keith Cosbey ('00), Justin Gagnon ('00), and Ryan Mariotti ('00) formed Choicelunch, a health-conscious and environmentally friendly school lunch provider based in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Stephen Smith ('01) helped jumpstart Gameday Housing, a company that rents out homes in the South Bend area to be used on Notre Dame football weekends.
Tom Schreck ('05) founded Nashville Outsider Music in 2008, a growing production company through which he released his critically acclaimed debut album, Outsider.