In the bustling, ever-changing landscape of New York City’s choral scene, there is a constant that has hummed beneath the surface for over thirty years. If you walk into a rehearsal room on the Upper West Side on a Monday night, you’ll find a group of men—tenors, baritones, and basses—gathered around a piano. At the center of it all is Gene Wisoff, the conductor who has served as the musical heartbeat of the Mendelssohn Glee Club since 1993. To lead any musical organization for thirty years...

In the Mendelssohn Glee Club (MGC), the man standing in the row next to you is often more than just a fine singer—he is a creative force whose work has graced some of New York’s most prestigious stages. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Jon Pohlmann, a long-standing member of our ensemble and a composer whose reach extends from the traditional TTBB choral world to the cutting edge of contemporary dance. He follows in the footsteps of Burleigh and Oley Speaks, who sang with the group as well...

When we think of the "Golden Age" of American song, we often picture the glitz of Broadway or the rise of jazz. However, much of the era’s soul lived in the booming, disciplined harmonies of men’s choral music. At the center of this world was Oley Speaks, a man whose melodies became the soundtrack of early 20th-century American life. Someone we celebrate in our Spring Concert on May 12. Who was Oley Speaks? Oley Speaks (1874–1948) was a quintessential American success story. Born in Ohio, he...