Do You Love to Sing? Audition Now for Our Fall 2008 Season

If you have musical experience or have sung in theater, a chorus, or a choir and possess some ability to read music, please consider auditioning for our upcoming season. We will be rehearsing (Upper West Side) in preparation for our 143rd consecutive holiday   concert on December 9. The program features classical and contemporary seasonal and folk songs from around the world and includes pieces by Felix Mendelssohn, Giacomo Puccini, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Jerry Herman.  For more information or to make an appointment for an audition, contact our conductor, Gene Wisoff, at 212-362-8550; genewisoff@aol.com.

The Mendelssohn Glee Club of New York City was founded in 1866. Named for composer Felix Mendelssohn, the Club has offered for the enjoyment of our members and friends at least two concerts in every year of our existence. The nonprofit organization is the oldest men’s chorus in the country and the second oldest independent musical organization (after the New York Philharmonic).

Repertoire
We are always adding to our eclectic library of over 1,600 male choral pieces. Our repertoire includes art songs, ballads, spirituals, hymns, seasonal works, operatic choruses, lieder, barbershop songs, and selections from musical theater. Recent performances.

Historic Highlights
The glee club received accolades from Sir Arthur Sullivan and Arturo Toscanini and sang at the dedication of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1888.  Its conductors have included Joseph Mosenthal, Edward MacDowell, Frank Damrosch, Cesare Sodero, Emerson Buckley, and John Royer Bogue. Guest soloists have included Victor Herbert, Helen Traubel, Aprile Millo, and Emily Pulley.  Detailed history. 

MGC on NPR
Listen to Lars Hoel's feature about MGC on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday (December 23, 2007). Click here.

The Club gives two major performances a year, in the spring and winter. For details about past performances, click here.

Spring 2008

Annual Spring Concert

The Club presented its annual spring concert on May 13 at Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on West 69th Street.

The guest artist was mezzo-soprano Elspeth Kincaid.  

The Club performed 18 pieces, including the following: I Bought Me a Cat (Aaron Copland); Auf Flugeln des Gesanges (Felix Mendelssohn); Battle Hymn of the Republic; With Cat-like Tread (from The Pirates of Penzance); medley from South Pacific; Sweet and Lovely; and Vive L'Amour.

Past Performances

The Club performed with the Harvard Glee Club Saturday evening, March 29, at St. Bartholomew's Church as part of St. Bart's 2007-08 Great Music Series. Mendelssohn was invited to participate by HGC, which is celebrating its 150th year by presenting concerts throughout the U.S. Each Club offered a varied musical program, from early to modern, classical and popular.

For details about other performances, click here.
 

We hope that our audiences have enjoyed our performances as much as we have enjoyed singing. Please keep in mind that the ability of the Club to continue depends on financial support from friends like you. Donations.

Benefit recitals and special performances

The Club serves the community by performing at local hospitals and senior centers and singing at special events. 

Click here to read about benefit recitals.

We welcome the opportunity to share our joy of singing. If you would be interested in having the Club perform for your organization, please contact us.

To make an appointment for an audition, please contact the conductor at 212-362-8550 or send email to GeneWisoff@aol.com. 

For general questions about the Club or for additional information, please contact the President, John Memmolo: jamskier@aol.com.  

The Mendelssohn Glee Club would like to thank radio station WQXR for its generous support.

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