Al McNeil
Albert John Joseph McNeil is a native Californian, born in Los Angeles. He earned Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles and did his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California, the Westminster Choir College of Princeton, and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. His mentors have included distinguished names in choral music: Raymond Moreman, Charles Hirt, J. Finley Williamson, Roger Wagner, Howard Swan, and Jester Hairston.
He is Professor Emeritus of Music, the University of California at Davis, where he was Director of choral activities for 21 years and headed the Music Education program. He taught courses in ethnomusicology at the University of Southern California for 12 years. He began his teaching career as a teacher of music in the elementary, junior and senior high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers ensemble is his creation, and he has
dedicated himself to upholding a choral tradition of excellence with
the presentation of the classical spiritual around the world. Under his
direction, the group has performed in 70 countries in addition to a
score of transcontinental tours of the United States, Canada, and
Hawaii.
In addition to his work at the university and conducting the Jubilee
Singers, Professor McNeil was author and editor on a series of music
education textbooks for Silver Burdett-Ginn Publishing Company. He
co-authored an educational packet for Bowman Publishing Company as
well. He was Director of the Sacramento Chorale for ten years and
co-founded the Sacramento Symphony Chorus.
He currently directs the choir of the Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship in Los Angeles. He is in demand as an adjudicator and choral clinician and is often invited to conduct "honor choirs." In 1991, McNeil was honored by his alma mater, UCLA, as Alumnus of the Year in the area of Professional Excellence. In 1994, McNeil was honored with the title of Honorary Life Member in the Puerto Rican Choir Directors Society. He is on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Chorus America, and the Neighborhood Music School. He served two term as member of the Choral Panel, National Endowment for the Arts, and is Life Member of the American Choir Directors Association, having appeared before that prestigious organization with the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers in 1981, 1985, and 1997.