Men’s Glee Club to Perform Concert Thursday

by Hannah Deane

The musical athletes of Cedarville University’s Men’s Glee Club are working hard to prepare for their upcoming concert.

The Men’s Glee Club, consisting of 15 men with varying vocal ranges, has been an important element of Cedarville’s musical ensembles since it was formed in 1992.

“This is of course a university-level singing ensemble and so it is primarily, aside from the obvious, to glorify God in the stewardship of people’s gifts vocally to present the gospel,” Dr. Lyle Anderson, senior professor of music and director of both the Men’s Glee Club and the Concert Chorale, said. “And, also, to help these young men develop vocal habits that will serve them well their entire lives, long past their Cedarville years.”

Although small, both the members and Anderson enjoy their time together.

Thomas Folkerts, a freshman broadcasting and digital media major and member of the Men’s Glee Club said, “Getting with a group of guys and being able to sing together is really fun.”

Just like every performing group, practice is an important aspect for members of the Men’s Glee Club. They meet for an hour and a half twice a week to rehearse. Anderson also enjoys working with members individually outside of class time.

“I’ll have each one of them come in and work on solos, and just working out some parts that are tricky outside of class,” he said.

The members of the Men’s Glee Club are like members of sports team in that they seek to perform at a high level and work toward achieving their goal.

“We are quite comfortable with our speech voices, but we like to remind them that they are singing athletes,” Anderson said. “They use their voices in a very athletic way.”

To see how the hard work of the Men’s Glee Club has paid off, come see their free concert this Thursday. The Men’s Glee Club would appreciate the support of the university they represent.

“We sing a broad gamut of praise and worship music in chapel,” Anderson said. “I’d like to encourage people to broaden their horizons and come out and hear some of that, yes, but also other literature that is typical of a university music program.”

The concert will be held in the Dixon Ministry Center Recital Hall on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7-8 p.m. Admission will be free.