Slope Media Group

A Night of Song with the Glee Clubs of Morehouse College & Cornell University

Tonight, the Glee Clubs of Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA) and Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) put on quite a musical spectacle to a packed audience. For two hours, Sage Chapel swelled with spiritual songs and masculine notes that swirled to the rafters.

The Cornell Glee Club directed by John Rowehl began the concert with a few short pieces. Although the first song consisted of repetitive phrases, the various dynamics took this song to another level. The layered voices swelled, one of the signature abilities of this glee club. Dressed smartly in black suits with black bow ties, they continued with a traditional sounding Georgian folk song. Then varying the pace, The Hangovers, a subset of the Cornell Glee Club, took center stage singing Smashmouth’s Allstar. Serious personas and melodic phrasing infused with energetic beat-boxing created an interesting rendition of this popular song, quite enjoyed by the audience. The next song featured two soloists whose voices supplemented the exquisitely-blended background vocals. Cornell ended their set with a soulful selection, featuring Ryan Smith. Beginning in a low voice, he captivated the audience with his smooth notes and left the audience hungering for more melodies.

The Morehouse Glee Club directed by David Morrow delivered just that after literally running to their respective spots on the risers. They made quite an appearance, standing at attention in black suits and white bowties as the audience quivered in the pews, in eager anticipation of their first notes. Beginning with a short selection, it soon became apparent their ability to create a multitude of sounds. Their blending was impeccable. A signature feature was always the last note; when holding onto the fermata, the purity of their voices could clearly be heard. The third song expressed such a fervor of sound that one could imagine an impending storm while the next song began with one synchronized intake of breath and ended with many voices swelling as one. A piano was added to the next song which also featured dynamic hand-clapping and snapping as the glee club broke into two groups. They ended their set with a passionate piece featuring loud, commanding voices warmed by the opening piano trills.

Following the intermission, the Morehouse College Quartet, a subset of the Morehouse Glee Club, performed two songs. The second provided comic relief as they whipped out colorful handkerchiefs and sang as a barbershop quartet about Coney Island. Their performance recalled an era gone by, yet they succeeded in engaging the audience. Their fellow members joined them in the front and unleashed an even greater array of songs in the second half of the night. The first piece featured more instruments to supplement the glee clubs’s vocal instruments but didn’t overpower the voices. Betelehemu, the second piece, was the pinnacle of their portfolio and was rewarded with many hoots and hollers from the audience. It was incredible how one song could be such an intense and powerful experience. Shakers, cowbells, and drums established a rhythm that was echoed as the singers marched from side to side. Tambourines flashed as the players dipped down and swirled them in the air. Singers clapped in large, controlled motions from side to side. At the end, I overheard a woman say, “… and ain’t nobody broke a sweat.” The atmosphere remained electric with some fast-paced songs and others of a spiritual nature highlighted with soloists. Their last song proved the strength of their voices as the thunderous sounds announced their presence to all.

To conclude the night, the two glee clubs combined their talents for two songs.  Ave Maria could only be described as magical as the Cornell Glee Club sang from the back of Sage and the Morehouse Glee Club sang at the front. Their sounds spanned the entire chapel and floated on the air in between. Then, the Cornell Glee Club approached the front and sang from the aisles, surrounding the entire audience with beautiful notes. There was nothing electronic about this surround sound; it was purely human and perfectly blended. The Cornell Glee Club continued up to the front to join the visiting choir. Members were squeezed in amongst the others, creating a quilt of alternating white and black hues all united in song. The audience was transfixed. The ending song Got a Mind to Do Right was powerful yet controlled. Voices reached such a volume that they echoed around the corners and moved the audience to their feet with captivating applause. The Morehouse College Glee Club and the Cornell University Glee Club created nothing short of a spectacle tonight.