University of Michigan Men's Glee Club
The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club is a male chorus group at the University of Michigan. The group is composed of members from several of the University's several schools, who sing a variety of choral arrangements. The pieces the Glee Club performs can range from Renaissance to African Spiritual pieces. The Glee Club has two annual performances each school year, one in the Fall, typically in late November, and one in the Spring, typically mid-April.
History
The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, organized in 1859, is the second-oldest collegiate chorus in the United States, and has long been acclaimed one of the finest male choruses in the world. It is the oldest musical group on the campus, as well the oldest student organization at the University. Once, only a group of six or eight men usually from only one academic class, it has blossomed into a group of 100 men typically representing the majority of the schools and colleges at the University of Michigan. The Men's Glee Club sets itself apart from other University choirs by way of its student leadership. From 1894 to 1908, the group was student-run and conducted. After 1908, a School of Music faculty member was added but served in an advisory capacity until the 1920's. Student leadership has continued to be a strong characteristic of the Glee Club. Its student officers are responsible for overseeing all of the operational aspects which include bookkeeping, planning tours, publicity, and fundraising.
The Glee Club has undergone many changes since its inception. During the 1860's and 1870's, there were separate Glee Clubs, which usually numbered somewhere in the tens or twenties, for each graduating class. In 1876, the classes came together to form the University Glee Club, which numbered eight men during its first year and then jumped to sixteen the next year. In 1890, the Glee Club was joined by a banjo club and in 1897 by a mandolin club, and during the 1890's and the first few years of the twentieth century, there was also a Freshmen Glee Club. Programs featured combined numbers, along with each group having a separate part in the concert. The name of the group also changed with the addition of the ensembles; for example, in 1897 the group was called the University Glee, Banjo, and Mandolin Club. In 1905, the Banjo Club ceased to exist, and in 1923, the Mandolin Club also dropped from the group and the group became simply the University of Michigan Glee Club. Due to the increasing popularity of the Girl's Glee Club in the 1930’s, the group was renamed the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club in 1938, and in 1944 the group added "Varsity" to the title, but was dropped four years later. Finally, as an indicator of the cautious and businesslike 1980's the group added "Inc." to its official name in 1989.
For a great part of the twentieth century, the Glee Club continued to improve by expanding its membership, maintaining a strong presence on the local entertainment scene, and by continuing the tradition of touring set forth by their earlier counterparts. During the funding of the Michigan Union in the early 1900s, Union Operas were held to raise money for the proposed building. Women were not allowed to act in these operas, so men played all the parts. Not surprisingly, the Glee Club played a prominent role in the operas, providing many of the singers and several of the composers. In fact, some of today’s favorite Glee Club songs, such as The Bum Army and Ann Arbor Days, were originally written for the Michigan Union Operas. Tours in the early twentieth century were usually undertaken during Christmas break. These tours were by train, and the Glee Club manager would communicate with concert sponsors through telegrams. Most of these were local, but the Glee Club did take some extended tours, such as the "prairie states" tour in 1926 and 1941. This was the last tour for some time, as World War II had broken out; the six-year hiatus that followed (1942-1947) was the longest gap without tours in the twentieth century.
Dr. Philip Duey, who conducted the Glee Club from 1947 to 1969, began the transition of the Glee Club from a quality Midwestern chorus to a world-renowned organization. In the history of the Glee Club, no other director brought more media attention to the Club during his tenure than Dr. Duey. Through radio, television, recordings, and motion pictures, Dr. Duey made a national name for the Michigan Men’s Glee Club. In 1954, the Glee Club provided the music for an RKO film, Songs of the Colleges, which featured scenes from colleges and universities from around the country. In the fall of 1951, the Glee Club started an enduring Michigan tradition of performing joint concerts with the Glee Club of a football opponent when they invited the Cornell Glee Club to Ann Arbor. All this was happening as choral music was becoming increasing popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s. In this period, the Glee Club actually had two concerts on the same night for both its fall and spring concerts. But probably the biggest gain from Dr. Duey’s tenure was the start of overseas touring. The Glee Club had never had the membership base or the financial resources to attempt an international trip before. But in the spring of 1955, a four-week trip to Western Europe was undertaken, and it was a great success. Highlights included an appearance at the American Embassy in Rome and a command performance before Queen Juliana of The Netherlands. Dick Bailin, historian for the 1955 tour, recounts the events of that day:
"Finally, we arrive at The Hague, home of the Dutch government and a city in its own right. There is time to spare, so we eat our first meal in Europe--a full three-course dinner for $ .60! At last the Club piles into the bus and drives on to the City Hall. Here we wait in hushed expectation, and finally it happens--the Queen herself appears on the steps and the large crowd of Dutch people gathered around us applauds wildly. The Glee Club sings three songs, including the Dutch National Anthem, and while Dr. Duey is being presented to the Queen, numerous carefully concealed cameras are whipped out and many pictures are taken. Thus our tour starts in an exciting and illustrious way." One of the greatest achievements in Glee Club history occurred during the European tour in 1959, which commemorated the centennial of this organization. In addition to a grueling four-week concert tour, which included performances at the Free University in West Berlin, the group competed in the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. The tour was planned so that this competition would be at the very beginning of the tour, but this plan almost backfired as the boat they were traveling on (the S. S. Seven Seas) was almost a day late getting into England. After a 3 a.m. arrival and only three hours sleep, the Glee Club became the first American choir ever to win the male choir competition.
After winning the Llangollen prize in 1959, the Glee Club planned four subsequent trips in which they stopped in Wales for the competition. In 1963, a five-week tour included special performances at the residence of the American Ambassador in Athens and the American Embassy in London. The Glee Club once again won the first place prize. In 1967, the Glee Club celebrated the University’s sesquicentennial year by embarking on a gargantuan world concert tour between May and July. This tour will always hold the reign of being the longest in the history of the Glee Club. After traversing the world for eight weeks, an exhausted Glee Club took a respectable third place--the only time that the Glee Club did not receive the first place prize at Llangollen. In 1971, the Glee Club returned to Europe under the direction of Willis Patterson and won the male competition at the International Music Eisteddfod yet again, and in 1978, the task was repeated under Leonard Johnson. This victory in Wales marked the fourth time the Michigan Men’s Glee Club had won the coveted prize. Unfortunately, changes in the school calendar and the fact that the competition is held in early July have prevented the Club from attempting another victory. However, to celebrate this accomplishment, the Glee Club gives out four Llangollen Awards annually to members who embody the spirit of this competition.
Many other highlights come from the Duey years. In September of 1965 the Glee Club--along with Harvard University, Smith College, and Howard University--was invited to represent the United States at the first International University Choral Festival. This event was held at the Lincoln Center in New York and at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The Glee Club also made appearances on the Dinah Shore Show, the Pat Boone Show, and Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town". David Wallingford, member from 1951 to 1953, recounts the events of that evening on Ed Sullivan's show.
"The first [memory that I want to share] has to do with our opening song Laudes atque Carmina. We were to appear on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town". We were permitted because of time limitations to sing only two songs, but we wanted to sing our traditional opening hymn also. Ed Sullivan said there wasn't time--but like all loyal and resourceful Glee Clubbers, we hummed it behind the curtain through the commercial and through the introduction--the tradition was not broken." The 1980’s showed that the Glee Club still had some of the world’s attention. Under the direction of Patrick Gardner, the group made appearances at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, the pre-game festivities for the final game of the 1984 World Series at Tiger Stadium, and at the Intercollegiate Musical Council National Seminar at Harvard University in 1986. One unique highlight occurred in 1983 when the Glee Club, on their West Coast Tour, performed a concert in San Diego and performed The Hymn and several other Michigan songs for Earl V. Moore--former Dean of the School of Music and composer of several Michigan songs.
Under the direction of recent conductor, Dr. Jerry Blackstone, the Michigan Men’s Glee Club broke new ground while embarking on four historic overseas tours. In 1989 the Glee Club spent three weeks touring Asia with concerts in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. In 1992 the Club embarked on a much-anticipated trip to Eastern Europe, where they were one of the first American groups to visit the new country of Estonia, which had recently declared independence from the defunct Soviet Union. 1996 brought the Club to South America including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru, and the Club most recently traversed Australia in 2000. The highlight of this tour was the inaugural Men of Song Festival hosted by the Brisbane Boys’ College in which 132 young blokes participated in a workshop and joint concert led by the Glee Club. Under Dr. Blackstone the Men’s Glee Club attained a new echelon of musical excellence as was paid testimony by countless reviewers around the world. "I was completely enchanted. It is unbelievable that an amateur group could surpass our most professional choirs with such ease of execution" exclaimed the secretary of the Warsaw Philharmonica. A reviewer for Voces, Journal of the Federation of Choral Music, Chile further codified this distinctive sound.
"They performed with a rich, expressive sound that never lost its warmth, even in the most extreme ranges. A distinctive trait of the group is its spontaneity, maintaining a fluency and uninhibited manner...and a controlled dose of humor that earned the affection of the audience." Not surprisingly, under Dr. Blackstone’s direction the Club was invited to perform at three conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, including the 1997 National Convention in San Diego where they performed two concerts to filled houses. The Club also released six compact discs during this time and in 2001 was featured on two tracks of Manheim Steamroller’s double platinum album Christmas Extraordinaire.
The Blackstone era not only ushered in a new sound, but also a new resolve. In 1989 a new constitution was adopted and in 1991 the first annual Male Vocal Arts Day, a workshop for high school men, was held. Fiscal responsibility has also been a priority as the 1990’s saw the Club’s endowments blossom from one to four as well as the institution of the annual Phone-a-Thon fundraising drive which serves as a primary revenue source. The Glee Club saw another first in the spring of 2001 as a combined Men’s Glee Club and Smith College Glee Club and Chorale staged a performance of Brahms’ monumental Ein deutsches Requiem in Northampton, MA. The following fall the endeavor was repeated in Hill Auditorium with the Smith and Michigan Women’s Glee Clubs, thanks to generous University support. The Men’s Glee Club is currently well poised to continue the successes of the past decade after a successful transition year under the direction of Stephen Lusmann. Plans are presently underway for an appearance at the IMC National Convention at Harvard University and a sixteen day tour of Great Britain and Ireland in 2004 and a second collaboration with Smith College in 2005. As the Club approaches its sesquicentennial in 2009 it remains a international leader among male choruses.
Values
The Glee Club is founded on three pillars:
Tradition
Founded in 1859, The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club is the second oldest collegiate chorus in the United States and the oldest continually-run student organization on the Michigan campus. Long acclaimed as one of the finest male choruses in the world, the Glee Club has achieved this stature by sustaining and respecting the traditions which have been established during its 146 year history. The graduate and undergraduate members of the Glee Club, chosen by audition at the beginning of both the Fall and Winter terms, represent a wide spectrum of majors in a majority of the University’s 19 schools and colleges and its student officers are responsible for the management of all non-musical Glee Club operations. The Glee Club has become renowned for its wide repertoire of music that incorporates selections from different musical styles and periods including Renaissance motets, Romantic anthems, opera choruses, folksongs, spirituals, contemporary works, and, of course, Michigan songs. The Friars, an eight-member subset of the Glee Club, are in their 50th year and serve as an extension of Club as they maintain an ambitious performing schedule.
Camaraderie
The scope of the Men's Glee Club reaches far beyond rehearsals and performances; the Club is vibrant social organization. Rehearsals are supplemented by weekly post-rehearsal gatherings, tailgate "record" sings, intramural sports teams, and a myriad of other events that allow for fraternization. Collaborations with other choirs, the Club's annual Male Vocal Arts Day (a workshop for high school men), and touring also play a vital roles in establishing a brotherhood. The Club performs regularly within the state of Michigan, and each year tours a region of the United States or goes abroad. In February of 2001 the Glee Club traveled to Northampton, MA for a performance of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem with the Smith College Glee Club and Chorale and hosted a second performance the following October. Last year the Club embarked on an extensive tour of Great Britain and Ireland including performances in Galway, Dublin, Flint (Wales), Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Cambridge. This past spring marked the Glee Club's return to the east coast with joint performances with the Cornell and Rutgers Glee Clubs, and the club's premiere performance in Carnegie Hall with the Smith College Glee Club.
Musical Excellence
The Glee Club was honored in 1959 to be the first American male chorus to win first place at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, (and has since won three more first prizes at the same competition), and in 1967, circled the globe in celebration of the University's sesquicentennial year. Recent international tours have included Southeast Asia (1989), Eastern and Central Europe (1992), South America (1996), and Australia (2000). The Club has also made appearances at Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls at the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the pre-game festivities for the 1984 World Series, the Intercollegiate Men's Choruses (IMC) National Seminars at Harvard University in 1986 and 2004, and Carnegie Hall in New York City (2005). The Club has also had the esteemed privilege of performing at the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conventions in 1992 and 2000 and the ACDA National Convention in San Diego in 1997. In addition to the numerous recordings to its name, the Club was recently honored to be featured on Manheim Steamroller’s double platinum CD Christmas Extraordinaire.