Last night I went to the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club 153rd Annual Fall Concert. I brought my friend along, and we had great seats on the main floor front and center. Hill Auditorium is a great place for concerts, with a big, open, well-lit stage and comfy cushioned red seats. As I walked into the auditorium, my first impression was overjoyed at the sound of such harmonious singing. I was impressed at how the men sang in such perfect harmony and with such poise. They exhibited great stature and confidence throughout the entire concert. This was not surprising to me since they were taking instruction from conductor Eugene Rogers. Dr. Eugene Rogers is the associate director of choirs at the University of Michigan as well as the conductor of the Men’s Glee club, and he also teaches undergraduate conducting here at Michigan. Rogers was an enthusiastic host and so grateful to all the people who came to see the show. I was amazed at how he could lead such a large group of singers with a single gesture or motion of his hands. The Men’s Glee club was also looking quite classy in their professional concert attire (black suit, white tie) and red boutonnieres.
One of my favorite parts of the show was when Vision, the male ensemble from the Detroit School of Arts conducted by Cheryl Whitney Valentine accompanied the stage. These high school boys blew me away. Their rendition of “Rock-A-My-Soul” was soulful and impassioned. By the end, they had the whole audience clapping along. Another highlight of the show was the Friars’ hilarious appearance after intermission. The Friars are the oldest a cappella group on the U-M campus and are a popular Ann Arbor Act. They prepare their own music and choreography and are known for their spontaneity. Two of their members in charge of the introduction were joking around that due to budget cuts, their group had been reduced from eight to two. But I loved their final line when introducing the rest of their group: “And Now due to unfortunate circumstances we present you..”
They started their act out with Bright Sunshiny Day which captivated their light-hearted, carefree spirit spot on. They are surely a spontaneous bunch and their humor was effortless; they left the entire crowd laughing. The reason I found them so amusing is because they seemed like they were having genuine fun and loved to entertain people. For future notice, their 57th Annual Study Break Concert is on Thursday, December 6th at Rackham Auditorium. I have never been to one of their concerts, but after seeing their performance last night, I am definitely planning on going!
Towards the end of the show, the Men’s Glee club sang some Christmas songs—it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit! They sang Silent Night and Joy to the World, but they were both very upbeat, quick, and kind of jazzy versions. I had never heard either of these songs sung in such a manner, so it was interesting to hear them in a different tune and setting. Overall, the Men’s Glee Club did a fantastic job last night. I give them two thumbs up. You have to check them out!!!
