In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Bowling Green State University Men's Chorus

Male Choral Chorus from Bowling Green, OH, United States.

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 35 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 OMEA and at OMEA state conferences. It recently commissioned a work by famed jazz artist Dave Brubeck titled Love Flows from God, which the group performed at OMEA with the composer present. The chorus has also commissioned works from Timothy Takach of CANTUS, Michael Cox and Steven Sametz, as part of the Male Chorus Commissioning Consortium, sponsored by CANTUS.

Discography

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God is My Rock

Bowling Green State University Men's Chorus : Reconciliation

Review: The Men's Chorus, open to students from all majors at BGSU, has a motto and a well-deserved reputation as being "America's Finest Singing Machine." Founded in 1923, the BGSU Men's Glee Club began touring Ohio, sang as far away as Chicago and Niagara Falls, and was doing very well until World War II pulled most of its singers away. Reuniting again after the war, the group contained only 15 members when it disbanded in 1953. Beginning again under the baton of Prof. Richard D. Mathey in 1971, the group grew into the active, touring group it is today. After 29 great years, Mathey retired and passed off the leadership of the ensemble to Dr. William Skoog in 2000, under whose direction the group is thriving today, with a membership of over 100 talented men. There are 21 tracks on "Reconciliation," with some lovely, powerful spiritual songs like Randall Thompson's "The Last Words of David," Michael Cox' "I Sought the Lord" and "The Fear of the Lord," Charles Gounod's "Sanctus," Uzee Brown Jr.'s spiritual "I'm Building Me a Home," Glad's "God is My Rock;" popular and folk tunes like Timothy Takach's "The Highwayman," the Irish folk song "Dulaman," Richard Nance's "When I was 1-and-20" and "Loveliest of Trees" from "Songs of a Young Man;" and the title tune, a moving, trumpet-accompanied anti-war requiem. There is some light accompaniment on several of these cuts, but the voices and the effortless, soaring harmonies are the focus and beauty of this wonderful ensemble.

Songlist: The Last Words of David, Behold Man, Ave Maria, I Sought the Lord, Sanctus, I'm Build' Me a Home, God is My Rock, Prayer of the Children, Laudamus, O Vos Omnes, The Fear of the Lord, The Highwayman, In Taberna from Carmina Burana, Reconciliation, Kang-Ting Love Song, Dulaman, Dirait-on, When I was 1-and-20 from Songs of a Young Man, Loveliest of Trees from Songs of a Young Man, Touching Shoulders, Brothers Sing On