Penn State Glee Club
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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 the United 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.
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[edit] Style
The Glee Club sings music for men's voices from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including sacred and secular works, folk songs 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.
[edit] Concerts
The Annual Homecoming Concert is a traditional capstone of Homecoming Weekend as returning alumni join the singers on stage to sing football fight songs. 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 of State 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, and California. In recent years, the group has sung at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, and Notre-Dame de Paris. They have sung for conventions of the Pennsylvania 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 as Florida, 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.
[edit] 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 Captain Meriwether Lewis in November 1999.
