On Monday, May 12th, at 7:30 PM in the Center for the Performing Arts, members of the Scituate High School music department will host a remarkable free concert—one that brings a story full circle.
Duncan McConaughey, a 2021 SHS graduate, is returning to participate in a performance with the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club. A recent graduate of the University, McConaughey is a member of the prestigious vocal ensemble.
At SHS, McConaughey was no ordinary student. According to SHS music teacher William Richter, he stood out from the beginning: “He told me his freshman year, ‘Mr. Richter–I want to be you,’” he recalled. Accordingly, McConaughey dove into every high school musical opportunity—school choirs, after-school groups, and jazz choirs.
As a student, McConaughey was also accepted into prestigious music festivals, engaged in private voice lessons, mastered the piano, and eventually earned a spot at the University of Michigan, where he studied music education with a vocal concentration.
Now, as a leader in the Men’s Glee Club, McConaughey planned the group’s East Coast tour, which entails traveling to cities such as Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston—and making a special stop in his hometown. During the Scituate performance, he will conduct a song that is a collaboration of SHS and University of Michigan vocalists.
Members of the glee club arrived in Scituate on Sunday, May 11th, and rehearsed and collaborated in a workshop with SHS students during the school day on Monday. To defray costs, the University of Michigan students were hosted by local families, thanks to support from the Scituate Friends of Music, local churches, and community members. While visiting the South Shore, they enjoyed spending time relaxing at Minot Beach in Scituate and Nantasket Beach in Hull.