The Mendelssohn Glee Club has presented at least two concerts a year since its founding in 1866. The Club's  145th season began in September 2010.

Listed below are highlights from performances since 2005 (recent concerts are listed first). Benefit recitals are noted in the column at left.

2011 Spring Concert (second performance of 145th season)

Date: Tuesday evening, May 17 Location: Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, 30 West 68th Street

Program highlights: In commemoration of the epochal events of September 11, 2001, MGC gave voice to a number of songs that resounded with the values, longings, and special spirit of America, from the wistful "Shenandoah" to the ever stirring, anthemlike "Battle Hymn of the Republic."   The Club presented an arrangement of "Lift Every Voice," whose fervent sense of hope and strength (its lyrics are from a poem by James Weldon Johnson later set to music by Johnson's brother, John) continues to have a particular association with the Civil Rights era and black churches across America.  The program concluded its tribute to 9/11 with a performance of Testament of Freedom, composed in 1943, in the midst of World War II, for the bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson's birth -- and to inspire Americans with resolve in times of trouble. Randall Thompson's four-movement work, which draws its entire text from the writings of Jefferson, had its premiere at the University of Virginia, where is was recorded and soon broadcast nationwide and to Allied forces fighting abroad. In 1945 it was performed at Carnegie Hall by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in memory of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, two days after his death. Guest artist:  Pianist Alexandra Akulich performed parts one and three from George Gershwin's Three Preludes; Piano Sonata No. 2 by Edward MacDowell; and "The Doorman's Dream," from the score for the F. W. Murnau silent film The Last Laugh, by Jon Pohlmann. Mr. Pohlmannn is vice president of the Mendelssohn Glee Club.

2010 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 145th season)

Date: Tuesday evening, December 14 Location: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Manhattan Temple

Program highlights: Comedy tonight, some seriously Romantic songs, and an African Christmas classic sung in the Yoruba language were just some of the offerings of MGC’s 145th annual winter concert. The Club paid homage to both Robert Schumann, in this bicentennial of his birth, and Stephen Sondheim, who turned eighty in 2010 – and closed the evening out by vocalizing some appropriate, infectiously familiar seasonal music. Schumann wrote not only symphonies and chamber classics but choral pieces, an opera, and lieder for voice and piano. Among the Schumann selections the Club performed were “Widmung” and “Die Lotusblume,” both four-part arrangements by conductor Gene Wisoff. Early in his career, Sondheim, Broadway’s esteemed evoker of double-edged feelings and urbanely urban wit, gave us the lyrics for both West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein) and Gypsy (music by Jule Styne). But he went on to do his own composing, often with sophisticated polyphony, in such landmark shows as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, and Sweeney Todd. The Club led off the program with “Comedy Tonight,” the opener from Forum, and the rollicking “Officer Krupke,” from West Side Story. Also heard were “Being Alive,” from Company, and the expressively wistful but slightly acerbic “Send in the Clowns,” from A Little Night Music. Additionally, the men of Mendelssohn sang “The Salvation Army Band Song,” by Mendelssohn's vice president, Jon Pohlmann; Harry Burleigh’s spiritual, “Steal Away”; and the Gospel song “Whisper! Whisper!,” by Michael Isaacson -- not to mention the cleverly concocted “Fruitcake.” The Club closed the concert with holiday fare, which will include “We Wish You a Merry Christmas"; the Nigerian Christmas carol Betelehemu" (with accompaniment by three young percussionists from West Side High School); and Conductor Wisoff’s arrangement of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Guest artists: Soprano Joyce El-Khoury, in her third year of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, performed works by Dvorak, Puccini, and Verdi, including "Song to the Moon," from Rusalka and "Mi chiamano Mimì," from La Bohème. Ms. El-Khoury was accompanied by Natalia Katyukova, a first-year student in the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

2010 Spring Concert (second performance of 144th season)

Date: Tuesday evening, May 11 Location: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Manhattan Temple Program highlights: The MGC program was one of its more contrast-rich in years -- sixteen pieces, from solid Broadway classics to traditional songs of the mountains and of the road, from heartfelt ballads of both the Old World and the New to zesty tunes with playful lyrics, from a bit of Brahms to the wit of Gershwin. The Club led off with the fiery, rhythmic "Danza!," composer Linda Spevacek's thrumming homage to the fever of Spanish dance; and Barry Manilow's plaintive, musically building exhortation "One Voice." The program included subsequently the traditional strains of the Carolina tippler's mountain song "Black-eyed Susie" and the amusing black humor of Cecil Forsythe's "Old King Cole." In the realm of the romantic, MGC sang a Brahms love song, "Der Gang Zum Liebchen," as well as the Irish-style love ballad "Till the Stars Fall From the Sky" -- and, in a more lively, brash vein, "Toot, Toot, Tootsie!" From Gershwin, there was that most rousing of marches, "Strike Up the Band," along with two other timeless tunes from the Great White Way -- one, focused beyond the blue horizon but not far from the Yellow Brick Road, by Arlen and Harburg ("Over the Rainbow"); and the other, the reigning anthem of the Big Apple, by Kander and Ebb ("New York, New York"). For their finale the Club was joined by bass soloist Matthew Anchel in a rendition of Oley Speaks's Kipling-inspired "On the Road to Mandalay. (A prolific songwriter and composer, Mr. Speaks was a member of MGC more than seventy years ago.) Guest artists: Bass Matthew Anchel performed Schubert's "An die Music," "Sorge infausta una procella" from Handel's Orlando, arias from Gounod and Verdi, and "I Am What I Am" from Herman's La Cage aux Folles. He was joined by his father, MGC bass David Anchel, in the duet "L'alto retaggio non ho bramato" from Verdi's Luisa Miller. Guest composer Jon Pohlmann ("Psalm 130," performed at this concert) has been a member (second tenor) of the Club since 1999. His wide range of musical achievements include two off-off-Broadway musicals, a theme written for an Ella Fitzgerald tribute at Lincoln Center, and all the songs performed by his blues-rock band The Hoi Polloi.

2009 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 144th season)

Date: Tuesday evening, December 8 Location: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Manhattan Temple Program highlights: The Club's program, typically varied, drew from spirituals, traditional and folk pieces, classic American popular songs, and seasonal music. In celebration of Felix Mendelssohn's 200th birthday, the Club sang "Turkish Drinking Song," "Auf Flügeln des Gesanges," and "To the Sons of Art." The men also performed Bernstein's "Dream With Me" (from Peter Pan) and, by the conductor's uncle, Gerald Wisoff, "Japanese Lullaby." To ring in the holidays the chorus offered "Oh! Christmas Tree???," "Catalonian Christmas Carol," and Mendelssohn's "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing." Pianist Ellen Farren and MGC's Alexandra Akulich provided four-handed accompaniment for the Club's classic rendition of "Ding Dong Merrily on High" (by G. R. Woodward). Guest artists: The guest artists' chamber quartet program included the first movement from Debussy's string quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (Animé et très décidé); and the Menuetto and allegro molto movements from the Beethoven string quartet Op. 59, No. 3. As part of the Mendelssohn commemoration, cellist Julia MinJeong Kang and Ms. Akulich played excerpts from his Songs Without Words. Guest artists were Juilliard graduates Julia MinJeong Kang, cello; DanBee Park, violin; So Young Bae, violin; and Chen-Erh Ho, viola.

2009 Spring Concert (second performance of 143rd season

Date: Tuesday evening, May 12 Location: Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 West 86th Street Program highlights: The Club performed Romantic works, including "Die Mainacht" by Brahms, "La Pastorella" by Schubert, and "Die Lorelei" and "Hunter's Farewell" by Mendelssohn. There was a piece by Romberg -- "Stouthearted Men" -- and Sullivan's "March of the Peers." The Club joined guest artist soprano Michelle Johnson in "Lida Rose," from The Music Man, by Meredith Willson. Spirituals, sea chanteys, and folk songs were also on the program. Guest artist: Soprano Michelle Johnson.

2008 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 143rd season)

Date: Tuesday evening, December 9  Location: Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 West 86th Street

Program highlights: The Club presented classical and contemporary seasonal and folk songs from around the world, including "Turkish Drinking Song," by Mendelssohn; "Nessun Dorma," by Puccini; "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams; and "We Need a Little Christmas" (from Mame), by Jerry Herman. The music for one of the pieces -- "Men of the Maritime" -- was composed by MGC second tenor Jon Pohlmann. Guest artist: New Zealand soprano Marie Te Hapuku.

2008 Spring Concert (second performance of 142nd  season) Date: Tuesday evening, May 13 Location: Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 120 West 69th Street Program highlights: 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." Guest artist: Mezzo-soprano Elspeth Kincaid.

Co-performance with the Harvard Glee Club   Date: Saturday, March 29, 2008 Location: St. Bartholomew's Church, 109 East 50th Street   The Club performed with the Harvard Glee Club at St. Bartholomew's Church as part of St. Bart's 2007-08 Great Music Series. Mendelssohn was invited to participate by HGC, which was celebrating its 150th year by presenting concerts throughout the U.S. Both Clubs offered, independently, a varied musical program of audience favorites, from early to modern, classical and popular.

MGC AT ST. BART'S  The Club performed at St. Bartholomew's Church in March 2008, along with the Harvard Glee Club, as part of the celebration of HGC's 150th anniversary.

2007 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 142nd season) Date: Tuesday evening, December 11 Location: Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, West 69th Street Program highlights: The Club performed 16 pieces that included seasonal songs, spirituals, and selections from Broadway and opera. The program included the following: "Gentle Annie" (Stephen Foster); "Lulu's Back in Town" (Al Dubin/Harry Warren); "Next to Lovin' (I Like Fightin' Best)" from Shenandoah (Peter Udell/Gary Geld); "Autumn Leaves" (Johnny Mercer/Jacques Prevert/ Joseph Kosma); "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" (traditional spiritual); "Melancholy Baby" (George A. Norton/Ernie Burnett); "Va, Pensiero," from Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi); "Ave Maria" (J.S. Bach /Charles Gounod); and "Maoz Tzur" (B. Marcello). Guest artist: Soprano Angela Meade.

2007 Spring Concert (second performance of 141st season) Date: Tuesday  evening, May 15 Location: Katie Murphy Amphitheatre (Fashion Institute of Technology), 7th Avenue at 27th Street Program highlights: The Club performed music from Broadway, opera, operetta, and American and world folk songs. A medley from the musical Annie included lyrics written by Annie lyricist Martin Charnin especially for the Mendelssohn Glee Club. Also performed were "All the Things You Are" (Jerome Kern), "Pilgrim Chorus" (Richard Wagner), "Italian Street Song" (Victor Herbert), and "Send in the Clowns" (Stephen Sondheim). Guest artist: Soprano Kristin Sampson.

2007 SPRING CONCERT  The Mendelssohn Glee Club and guest artist Kristin Sampson performing at the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre (Fashion Institute of Technology). (Click here to see slide show.)

2006 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 141st season) Date: Tuesday evening, December 12 Location: Merkin Concert Hall, 29 West 67th Street Program highlights: To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, the Club (with soprano Jessica Julin) performed the "Allelujah" from the motet Exultate Jubilate. The arrangement for male chorus was written by previous MGC conductor John Rover Bogue. The Club also sang the "Lacrymosa" from Mozart's Requiem. Also offered was music of the season, including "Light One Candle," Robert DeCormier's setting of Peter Yarrow’s (of Peter, Paul & Mary) Chanukah song. There was music from Guys and Dolls, Verdi, and songs and spirituals. Guest artist: Soprano Jessica Julin.

2006 Spring Concert (second performance of 140th season) Date: Tuesday evening, May 9 Location: Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street Program highlights: music from the late Renaissance through the twentieth century, including composers from Purcell to Thompson. A men's choral arrangement of Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" from the Messiah was offered, and, with soprano Daena Mireau, the Club sang Schubert's Omnipotence. Guest artist: Soprano Daena Mireau.

2005 Winter Holiday Concert (first performance of 140th season) Date: Tuesday evening, December 13 Location: Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street Program highlights: seasonal music; pieces by Mozart, MacDowell, Sullivan, Sodero, Speaks, Anka, von Flotow, and others; works: "Sylvia," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "My Way," "Chorus of Peers," and "Inno di Mameli"  among others. Guest artist: Soprano Manon Strauss Evrard.

2005 Spring Concert (second performance of 139th season) Date: Tuesday evening, May 17 Location: Advent Lutheran Church, 2504 Broadway Program highlights: arrangement for men's chorus and soprano of "O Triumph All Ye Ransom'd" from Beethoven's The Mount of Olives and "Easter Hymn" from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana; folk songs from around the world; pieces by Bacharach, Sondheim, and Porter. Phillip Hagemann, whose arrangement of Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" was performed, was in attendance. Guest artist: Soprano Janette Lallier.

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