The University of Michigan’s Mens Glee Club filled the walls with sounds of song in Hill Auditorium Saturday, November 24 for their 154th annual Fall Concert. “Songs of Experience and Innocence” featured 10 different sections as listed in the program, with an intermission to let the performers’ voices rest. Conductor Eugene Rogers did an excellent job directing the powerful voices and explaining the theme or messages in pieces that did not have English lyrics. For the audience’s convenience, many selections were embedded into the program with English translations to follow along and make sense as to whatever-the-heck the men were singing. I was pleased to find traditional Russian numbers that I have never been exposed to before through my Russian mother. During the Russian piece “Kalina,” a group of about five members did traditional Nutcracker-like dancing that mustered many hoots and hollers from the audience in awe and appreciation.
Perhaps the coolest part of the night came when members of Dearborn High School’s Glee Club took the stage to perform “Vive L’Amour,” conducted by their director Carmelle Adkins. She described the group as coming together in such a short amount of time to learn and perfect their selections for the concert. Interestingly, over half of the group had no prior singing experience, but that did not detract from their talent. Adkins thanked the UMMGC tremendously for their support of the high school program that connects University Glee Club members with high school students, and for the opportunity and desire instilled into the young men through the collaboration. The Dearborn members sang together with UMMGC members for two selections, including a Caribbean-themed Jamaican Folk Song.
I was suprised to see many percussion instruments and the aid of a pianist on many numbers because when I think of the style of glee music I picture music created entirely through voice. I don’t think the added instruments hindered the peformance, and their aid definitely aided in the overall experience of sitting for two hours intently focusing on the show.
One of my favorite parts of the show was the Friar selections, a subset of eight UMMGC members. They sang two original numbers including a ballad expressing the frustration of not making into the selective Ross Business School to the tune of Les Miserable’s “I Dreamed a Dream.” Equally has hilarious and sticking to the rejection theme was a number about not being selected in the sorority rush process to the tune of “Beauty School Dropout” from Grease.
Nearing the end of the program, Michigan song selections filled out the last of 10 sections for the night. Audiences rallied behind a slower paced version of “The Victors” during “The Varsity and the Victors.” As per tradition, UMMGC alumni members crowded the stage to sing the finale “The Yellow and Blue,” and there were many of them who stood alongside current members.
Even though it was a cold and snowy night, the UMMGC warmed the hearts of many for a beautiful night of song.
