Performing Groups

Cantus

Acclaimed as “the premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States” (Fanfare), Cantus engages audiences in a meaningful music experience and ensures the future of ensemble singing by mentoring young singers and educators. Cantus was founded on the ideals of collaborative music-making: The ensemble works together to reach new levels of artistic excellence, innovation and audience engagement. Their vision is to give voice to shared human experiences.

Case Men’s Glee Club

Case Men’s Glee Club joined the Department of Music in fall 2018 as the lower voice choral ensemble open to all students enrolled in the University who enjoy singing. CMGC has the distinction of being the oldest continually operating student organization on its campus, dating back to 1897! Long-standing traditions of fellowship and excellence in singing continue this fall as CMGC becomes an official Department ensemble. The ensemble performs a wide variety of accompanied and a cappella repertoire written specifically for tenor, baritone, and bass voices.

Grand Valley State University Varsity Glee Club

Varsity Glee Club is an auditioned ensemble that performs intermediate and advanced TTBB choral music of all musical styles. The ensemble frequently performs on campus, in the community and regularly appears at regional and national choral and music education conferences.

University of Illinois Varsity Men’s Glee Club

Founded in 1886, the Varsity Men’s Glee Club is the oldest recognized Registered Student Organization on campus, and from its beginning, it has upheld a standard of musical excellence and brotherhood that continues today. As the premiere all-male ensemble within the School of Music Choral Division, the Varsity Men’s Glee Club (VMGC) members serve as ambassadors of the University of Illinois while participating in numerous US and international tours and campus events, such as Dad’s Day and Mom’s Day festivities. Not only is the Varsity Men’s Glee Club a part of the School of Music, but it is also the oldest Registered Student Organization on campus, celebrating over 125 years of excellence. The Varsity Men’s Glee Club consists of both undergraduate and graduate students. We are all gathered for our love of music and passion for singing. In addition to the main chorus, Varsity Men’s Glee Club also features a smaller subset a cappella group.

Bowling Green State University Men’s Chorus

An auditioned large ensemble, open to all male students at Bowling Green State University, the chorus’ motto and reputation as “America’s Finest Singing Machine” is well deserved, emanating from over forty years of musical excellence. The ensemble encompasses students from all majors; over half are non-music majors, representing all seven colleges at the University. The chorus organizes and presents two tours each academic year. Fall finds the singers traveling to locations in Ohio and Michigan, performing at high schools during the day and various concert venues in the evenings. The spring tour ventures to a new location each year, and past trips have taken the men to Colorado, Florida, New York City, Washington D.C., and Toronto. These off-campus pursuits provide opportunities to perform for diverse audiences, serve as musical ambassadors for BGSU, see different parts of the country, and bond and create lasting friendships with fellow chorus members. The ensemble, which has produced numerous CDs, has performed with distinction at a number of regional and national ACDA conferences, as well as the North Coast Conference of NAfME, OMEA state conferences, and IMC National Seminars. The group has commissioned works by composers including Dave Brubeck, Timothy Takach, Michael Cox, Stacey Gibbs, and Zebulon Highben.

MEME

MEME (Michigan Educators Male Ensemble) is a group of music teachers, dedicated to strengthening the choral art in the state through performances and workshops. Their members teach music at the elementary, junior high, high school and college levels, and lead church and community groups as well. Founded in 2013, MEME has performed with the United States Army Chorus and the Battle Creek Symphony, and for the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses National Seminar, the Michigan Music Conference, and the Bay View Music Festival. For more information about MEME, consult their website at michiganmeme.com

Langsford Men’s Chorus

One evening in the fall of 1999, six men casually gathered around a piano and began to sing. While this event might not seem particularly unusual, it did hold a special significance in that the men were holding the first rehearsal of a group that is now known as The Langsford Men’s Chorus. Since that first informal session, the LMC has evolved into a world class male choral ensemble, now numbering 60 men. The Chorus was formed in part to honor its namesake, Dr. Harry M. Langsford, who founded the WSU Men’s Glee Club in 1945 and was its sole director for almost half a century. Dr. Langsford was committed to the attainment of vocal excellence through the performance of the finest, and often the most challenging choral literature written for men’s voices. The Langsford Men’s Chorus has proudly carried on this tradition. In the summer of 2008, the LMC gained international acclaim by placing second in the male chorus competition in the prestigious International Musical Eisteddfod held in Llangollen, Wales. The group returned to Europe in the summer of 2012 for a successful concert tour of Scotland, England, and Wales. Also, in 2012, LMC was a featured performing group for the American Choral Director’s Association of Michigan Fall Conference. In 2014, LMC completed a concert tour of the Washington, D.C area, singing at several national monument sites and performing a joint concert with the US Army Chorus. The chorus has also performed the national anthem several times for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park In Spring 2019, under the direction of founding member and conductor Steven SeGraves and associate conductor Justin Umbarger, the Chorus took the stage to perform “Made in America” as a part of its semi-annual Spring Concert series at several Detroit area locations. Audience Retreated to a concert of all-American music, featuring spirituals, folk songs, popular standards, and patriotic favorites. The group also embarked on a Chicago area concert tour in June including an opportunity to perform at the “House of Blues Chicago”. The chorus celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Fall of 2019!

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro Community Men’s Chorus was founded in Adrian, Michigan in 2013 by Susan Matych-Hager, director, Alan Ballenberger, accompanist, and thirteen charter singers. Chiaroscuro is a community men’s choral experience for singers within driving distance of Lenawee County, Michigan. Our mission is to touch the hearts and minds of our listeners with beautiful expressive singing. We strive for excellence as choral musicians. Chiaroscuro maintains an active performance schedule. Members of the chorus represent a diversity of professions, ages, and musical experience, however, all the men in the group love to sing and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with singing four-part harmony in a tenor-bass chorus.

Baldwin-Wallace Men’s Chorus

The BW Men’s Chorus is an offering of the Community Arts School and is open to men high school age and up from throughout the Greater Cleveland community including BW faculty, staff and students. This collaborative effort seeks to bring outstanding male chorus singing to Northeast Ohio. The group has performed to standing-room-only audiences, has collaborated in concert with several outstanding music organizations and has received rave reviews from throughout the Greater Cleveland Community. The chorus performs a wide variety of chorale literature written especially for the male voice. This includes classical literature, as well as some pop and Broadway. Members should have some background in music (instrumental or vocal) and a basic knowledge of music reading and pitch matching.

Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure was founded in 1988 by five alumni of the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, to provide an opportunity for men to perform music composed and arranged for male chorus. Under the leadership of its founding conductor, Dr. Leonard L. Riccinto, Measure for Measure debuted with seventeen singers in April 1989.The men of Measure for Measure embrace the belief that singing is for a lifetime, and every season hold concerts that encourage young men to continue singing. Measure for Measure’s efforts to promote male choral singing have led to collaborations with the men’s choruses from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Azusa Pacific University, Ball State University, Bowling Green State University, Grand Valley State University, Miami University (OH), and Ohio University, among others.

Primus: Amabile Men’s Choir

Formed in 2000 and conducted by Carol Beynon and Mark Payne, Primus involves students and professionals from all walks of life who enjoy the pursuit of the choral arts and the camaraderie that develops so naturally in male ensembles. Primus is known for its deeply rich sound that rewards listeners with a strong identity without sacrificing the sound of one uniform voice. Members act as active mentors to the Amabile Young Men’s Ensemble and Treble Choirs of the Amabile organization. The men also provide leadership development workshops on a regular basis for music educators, university music education classes, and students in schools, promoting the healthy benefits of being a male singer.

Miami University Men’s Glee Club

The Miami University Men’s Glee Club, founded in 1907, has maintained a tradition of musical excellence, brotherhood, and camaraderie throughout its storied history. Comprised of students from across academic disciplines, it is among the oldest glee clubs in the nation. As advocates for the creation and performance of new repertoire, the Glee Club established an annual commission series in 2013. Recent recordings include We Are (Albany Records), bringing messages of social conscience to the forefront, and Old and New Worlds (Centaur Records), a collaboration with Ars Veritas of Sweden.

Western Michigan University Amphion

Amphion is Western Michigan University’s tenor/bass choir, an important part of the choral landscape at Western, which includes Chorale, Anima (SSAA), Amphion Campus Choir, and Grand Chorus. Founded in 2008, Amphion took a brief hiatus some years ago, returning triumphantly… in 2019, right before the COVID-19 lockdown. Now, we feel like we’re truly “back,” and are excited to establish our role in the campus community, as well as in the wonderful arts landscape in Southwest Michigan and beyond. Amphion is open by audition to all students regardless of major concentration or gender presentation, though we acknowledge – and strive to thoughtfully examine through our performances – the inextricable ties of gender to TB repertoire. This year, for instance, Amphion was invited to perform at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts for the unveiling of an exhibit entitled “Unmasking Masculinity in the 21st Century,” and we hope to continue this exploration – alongside a foundation of beautiful choral singing – in the future.