[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 49 (Friday, March 26, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S2160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN'S MEN'S GLEE CLUB

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I would like to call attention to 
the 150th anniversary of the Men's Glee Club at the University of 
Michigan, the second oldest collegiate chorus in the Nation. Long 
recognized as one of the world's best male choruses, the Men's Glee 
Club is a talented and highly entertaining group. This impressive 
milestone will be marked by a series of events in early April. Alumni 
from across the Nation will gather in Ann Arbor to commemorate this 
occasion, celebrating 150 years of outstanding musical achievement.
  The Men's Glee Club, which currently numbers more than 100 and is led 
by director Paul Rardin, was started by a handful of students in 1859. 
This chorus has evolved from its early years when it was divided into 
groups by academic year and some of those groups were accompanied by 
instruments. Ultimately, these groups would unite, and ever since, the 
chorus has enjoyed steady and growing success.
  In the 1920s, the Glee Club began to venture beyond Michigan's border 
to tour the Nation, often by train. After World War II, the Glee Club 
sought to widen its audience through the use of radio, television and 
recordings. In 1955, the Glee Club decided to venture internationally, 
touring Western Europe. In 1959, the chorus won its first international 
competition, the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. 
This accomplishment was especially gratifying because the Glee Club was 
the first American group to do so. Since then, the Men's Glee Club has 
won this prestigious competition on three more occasions.
  In the ensuing years, the U-M Men's Glee Club has continued to travel 
internationally, cementing an international reputation for excellence. 
In 1967, the Glee Club embarked on an 8-week, around the world tour to 
mark the University of Michigan's 150th anniversary of its founding. In 
the 1980s, the Glee Club performed at Avery Fisher Hall in New York and 
at Tiger Stadium in Detroit prior to a World Series game.
  Among the group's notable alumni are individuals such as former New 
York governor Thomas Dewey, Metropolitan Opera star Russell 
Christopher, CNN medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, and Bob McGrath, a 
tenor who sang on the Mitch Miller Show before becoming a star on 
Sesame Street.
  The University of Michigan is renowned for excellence across many 
disciplines, so it is no surprise the Men's Glee Club has had such a 
rich history. I know my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the 
University of Michigan Men's Glee Club on their 150th anniversary. I 
look forward to another 150 years of harmony and outreach.

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