- Penn State Glee Club
The Penn State Glee Club is the men's collegiate chorus of the
Pennsylvania State University and one of the most active and distinguished clubs in theUnited States . Founded in December 1888, it is Penn State's oldest musical organization and is composed of 60-80 singers from all majors in the university. The current director is Dr.Christopher Kiver .Style
The Glee Club sings music for men's voices from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including sacred and secular works,
folk song s from around the world, African-American spirituals, traditional college songs, and songs of Penn State. Also performing during concerts are two small ensembles: the Hi-Lo's, a specialty group founded in 1933 to perform madrigals, glees, and popular songs; and the Varsity Quartet, dating from the 1920's, performing barbershop standards.Traditional Penn State songs sung by the chorus include "The Nittany Lion", the "
Penn State Alma Mater ", and "Victory".Concerts
The Annual
Homecoming Concert is a traditional capstone of Homecoming Weekend as returning alumni join the singers on stage to sing footballfight song s. The chorus also holds an annual Blue and White Concert during the university's Blue and White Weekend in April and usually participates in the School of Music's Winterfest celebration of choral music. In addition to formal concerts, the Glee Club and its small ensembles have sung at various events for the university and the surrounding community ofState College, Pennsylvania .Since its first spring tour in March 1889, the Glee Club has toured throughout the United States and abroad, with recent tours to
Wales ,Trinidad and Tobago ,France , andCalifornia . In recent years, the group has sung at theNational Cathedral inWashington, D.C. , the Cathedral of St. John the Divine inNew York City , andNotre-Dame de Paris . They have sung for conventions of thePennsylvania Music Educator's Association and the Intercollegiate Men's Choruses.Each year, the Glee Club participates in a Spring Tour during the university's
spring break . It has toured such domestic sites asFlorida ,Colorado , and California, and has traveled abroad to experience the musical traditions of Whales and France. The Glee Club also makes smaller trips to sing at churches, schools, and other venues who wish to experience its sound.Recordings
The Glee Club has made many recordings and television appearances and in 1994 released their first compact disc recording, "P.S. - Happy Holidays", a selection of holiday favorites. The "Blue and White Album" features traditional college songs and songs of Penn State. "The Green Album" is a collection of songs from the
British Isles and the United States. The club's newest recording, "Glee Club Gold" is a collection of its greatest performances from 1949 to the present. The Glee Club also takes part in various choral and musical performances in the Centre Region of Pennsylvania, including the premiere of "The Last Voyage of CaptainMeriwether Lewis " in November 1999.External links
* [http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/gleeclub/ Penn State Glee Club homepage]
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