On Saturday night, Men’s Glee Club presented a strong program that combines traditional, contemporary, and familiar works. They have shown the strength of collaboration, and provided a nice break from the busy, pre-Thanksgiving workload.
“The value of one, the power of all” — this is the phrase that I heard at the retreat I have attended in the past called LeaderShape. To me, this concert was demonstrative of this quote. Each and every member of the Men’s Glee Club puts in significant effort into rehearsing and memorizing the works, as well as marketing and managing their own concert. Then, they all come together on stage to perform a phenomenal show. From doing choreographies together to marching on and off the stage, the members of the Men’s Glee Club really used their energy and enthusiasm to create a show that was entertaining both musically and visually.
While the commissioned works, familiar Michigan songs, and the entertaining act by the Friars were all wonderful, I must say that the most favorite part of that night was Part III and IV, in which the Men’s Glee Club shared the stage with the Carman-Ainsworth High School Choir. As a part of the Brothers in Song program, the Men’s Glee Club members have been collaborating with various young men’s choirs in nearby high schools for six seasons. While the Men’s Glee Club made great presence in the first half leading to this, the two choirs combined provided the audience with heartfelt connections. And to think most of those students had never sung in a choir before… It was truly impressive, and reminded me that music education can truly affect students’ lives. I hope they remember this night, when they rocked the gig at the historic Hill Auditorium.
Another moment of sharing the stage happened at the very end of the concert, in which the alumni of the Men’s Glee Club were asked to come up on stage and sing the alma mater, “The Yellow and Blue,” together. Some 50 or so men came up on stage, both young and old, and it was an impressive sight. It just goes to show how many people have sung in this ensemble in the past 155 seasons — that 50-or-so men must have been just a tiny fraction of the entire alumni network. I chuckled as I saw Dr. Jerry Blackstone, the current Director of Choral Activities and former conductor for the Men’s Glee Club, walk up on stage and join the alumni discreetly.
Michigan is very lucky to have one of the most prestigious male chorus groups in the country — and they lived up to that title at their 155th Annual Fall Hill Concert. They have shown the value of the Men’s Glee Club as a strong choir, as well as the power of combining the aspiring singers and the seasoned singers in one night.
