Scott Tucker, assistant professor of music and conductor of the Glee Club, poses in Sage Chapel, site of Glee Club practices. Charles Harrington/University Photography
After 38 years under the baton of legendary Cornell music Professor Thomas Sokol, the Cornell Glee Club is learning to sing a different tune. One may not hear the difference today, but in due time the all-male chorus will sing notes it hasn't sung before.
"I think some students were really fearful that anything I did that was a variance would threaten 126 years of tradition and history," said Scott Tucker, assistant professor of music, who took over as conductor of the Glee Club, Chorus and Chorale last year. "I think the anxiety has subsided and many are supportive of what I want to do."
The Glee Club opens in 1996-97 season Saturday, Sept. 21, at 8:15 p.m. with a performance in Sage Chapel.
Even as the Cornell Glee Club enters a new era of leadership, it remains one of the most hallowed and respected organizations on the Cornell campus, largely because it is one of the oldest collegiate singing groups in the country, having debuted in 1868. Reverence for the Glee Club also is linked to its gloried history and tradition.
The late Cornell President Deane Malott called the Glee Club "one of Cornell's prime ambassadors to the world" on the occasion of the group's 1960 tour of the Soviet Union. The club has toured Asia and Europe, performed before a future President and international royalty, recorded a national anthem, appeared on national television and earned the praise of maestro Eugene Ormandy. Its legendary tour stories are snapshots of Americana, such as sleeping in Pullman cars on a cross-country tour. Keeping this heritage alive are some 1,700 Glee Club alumni, whose staunch support for the singing group has helped it amass one of the largest endowments of any student organization.
But the thought that what had gone before would be sacrificed for the future did cross minds after the retirement of Sokol, who guided the Glee Club from 1957 to 1994.
"Many members were anxious about Professor's Sokol's departure," said Glee Club president Eric Saidel '97. "We didn't know what to expect. There were questions and concerns from alumni and others who had such a fond attachment to the Sokol era."
How drastically would the Glee Club change its repertoire? Would international tour dates be as plentiful? Would the new conductor favor a particular sound or vocal style over another? Would the Glee Club still fill Sage Chapel? What would the new conductor's style be like?
"The anxiety that presents itself in these instances is predictable," Sokol said. "But change is good and indeed necessary. It is the task of the conductor and music director to help shape the students' vision into his vision; when that happens, it's very exciting artistically."
And from all accounts, things are changing.
Under Sokol, the Glee Club was noted for its big, masculine sound, which skillfully portrayed the power of the all-male chorus. Tucker wants the ensemble to develop a new sound that will highlight the smaller, subtler and lighter aspects of the male voice. "I am moved by an intimate and well-balanced sound," he said. "I may sacrifice some of the volume for blending."
The new conductor, whose résumé includes chorale- conducting jobs at Milton Academy and Harvard University, will complement this new sound with a new repertoire. Tucker will look beyond choral music of Brahms, Schubert and Mendelssohn and others to composers and cultures not ordinarily found on performance programs.
"We will examine the choral music from African and Latin America countries, for example," he said. Tucker already has scheduled a joint Glee Club and Chorus (the all-women's vocal ensemble) performance, featuring Ugandan singer Samite for Feb. 9, 1997. The concert, to benefit AIDSWork, will feature the singing of traditional Ugandan folk songs.
Along with a change in substance, comes a change of style. Where Sokol was the kindly gentleman conductor who extracted excellence from his ensemble with a regal toughness, Tucker challenges his young charges to do better with a candid frankness befitting a big brother. "I'm very opinionated when it comes to music and what it should sound like," he said. "I'll say what's on my mind and tell them that what I just heard was an ugly sound. I'm not sure Tom Sokol would be as direct. I think that's been an adjustment for students."
Indeed it has, notes Saidel. But with a class of new men joining the ranks those who have no firsthand knowledge of the Sokol era the dramatic change in substance and style is being well received. "We're very excited about what Scott is bringing to the Glee Club with his new plans and new opportunities," Saidel said. "There's a new kind of excitement and energy in the group."
Part of the new energy comes in the form of the new singers who joined the Glee Club this semester. Jon Ivers, an 18-year-old freshman from Dryden, N.Y., was one of only 19 out of the 70 students who auditioned to make the ensemble. "I really wanted to sing in a group, and this is one of the best groups on campus," said Ivers, who like others in the club has a history of performing choral music with various singing groups. "I'm delighted to become a member."
The rigorous audition requires students to sing "My Country Tis of Thee," a cappella, without accompaniment, sight-read and sing notes played on the piano. Even the best voices can sound off-key and awkward on this test. The final cut comes after the men sing in a quartet with current Glee Club members. "This allows me to see how they sing in a group, how expressive they are in the context of an ensemble, whether they sing in balance with the other members, and how well they match vowels," Tucker said. "It's the most important test of the audition."
Glee Club members must make time for at least four hours of rehearsal each week, and more during a performance week. The time commitment to the group can be overwhelming for some, said Saidel, especially for newcomers who are still green when it comes to juggling 19 credits and extracurricular activities.
Tardiness and absences can end a singing career. Points or demerits, meted out by the executive board, are given to students for being late and being absent from rehearsals.
"There is a lot to gain from the Glee Club," said Saidel, a senior who's been a member since freshman year. "You develop a degree of confidence in yourself, not only as a vocalist, but also as a student. You develop lasting friendships that carry with you throughout your college experience and beyond."
Former second tenor John Hedlund '91, who now works for the Department of Alumni Affairs and Development, said the close camaraderie between alumni and current members arises from the group's focus. "Singing is one of the most participatory things one can do," he said. "It's very easy to come back for Homecoming and sing Cornell fight songs and the alma mater and feel like a member of the group again."
Glee Club alumni show their allegiance in many ways, by attending concerts around the country and by giving generously during Glee Club fund-raisers.
"We solicit alumni twice a year, and they are all so supportive," Saidel said, "especially when seeking support for our international tours."
Performing overseas is a longstanding tradition of the Glee Club, which has visited China, the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Germany, England, Sri Lanka, Japan, the Philippines and other countries. The annals of Glee Club lore include stories of alumni who have met their future spouses while abroad and others who have returned overseas to find employment.
Tucker believes that while interest in choral music will wax and wane, it can be assured to fill concert halls or Sage Chapel so long as it remains of the highest quality. "That's what will keep people coming back to hear. That's what will make some people discover it for the first time.
"My goal is for the Glee Club, in six or seven years, to be so good that when we are rehearsing in the chapel, people stop and come in because they want to listen," Tucker said.