National Ensembles
Every National Conventional Brothers have the opportunity to showcase their talents in one of our four National Ensembles. These ensembles provide an unparalleled opportunity to experience true Brotherhood in Music. Ensemble members are provided the music to be performed in the Convention concerts before the event and come together for concentrated rehearsals during the Convention. Some ensembles may require audition and information relevant to each ensemble will be announced as the Convention draws near.
The 1898 Jazz Orchestra
The premier jazz ensemble of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is selected and directed by Brother Bincins Garcia (Omicron Pi – 2000). This superlative ensemble has performed with guest artists Jamey Aebersold, Gordon Goodwin, Wayne Bergeron and Andy Martin in recent Conventions, and inherits a legacy that includes legendary performances by Clark Terry and Dave Grusin.
Men of Song Chorus
The Men of Song Chorus is the Fraternity’s signature choral ensemble, offering participants a wonderfully challenging experience with diverse repertoire. Few will ever forget the standing-room-only concerts in the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans in 2015 and 2018, where the Power of Music was sublimely shared with more than 2,000 people in each performance.
The Sinfonia Winds
The Convention tradition of a select wind ensemble was discontinued following the triennial re-organization plan in 1964 due to a lower number of delegates but was reintroduced in 2006 under the direction of Col. John Bourgeois. The ensemble allows participants to perform under the direction of some of the top artists and conductors in the band world.
The Sinfonia Strings
This is the newest Convention ensemble, introduced in 2012. We encourage all string players to join Dr. Robert Hasty (Iota 2014) in reviving this tradition and adding the opportunity for instrumentalists who prefer orchestra literature to experience the one-of-a-kind musical immersion our Conventions offer. As Brother Hasty notes, “The lyre is a stringed instrument, after all.”