The return of glee

The Cornell University Glee Club, conducted by Scott Tucker, kicks off the new semester with its "Return From Tour" concert Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. in Sage Chapel. The Glee Club -- the oldest student organization on campus -- appeared in Austin, Texas, Houston, New Orleans and Atlanta earlier this month with a repertoire in honor of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, including works by Stephen Foster, Steven Sametz and Bernard Rands; folk music from South Africa and the Republic of Georgia; and an encore performance of Lee Hoiby's "Last Letter Home," which takes as its text a letter from a U.S. soldier in Iraq to his family. Tickets are $5.

Box office hits and football

Cornell Cinema reopens Jan. 18 with a new slate of films and special events. This week the cinema will screen recent popular hits including "The Duchess," "The Dark Knight," "Synecdoche, New York" and "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist." Showing Jan. 22, 24 and 25: The Ithaca premiere of "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29," a riveting, entertaining documentary about an excruciatingly close football game in the fall of 1968 and the events surrounding it.

Dulcet tones

Ken Kolodner and Friends make their Bound for Glory debut Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. in the Anabel Taylor Hall's Cul de Snack café. Kolodner is a virtuoso hammered dulcimer and fiddle player known for his improvisational, expressive style. The evening's offerings will include "old timey" tunes, waltzes and French Canadian songs. Free.

FeederWatch

Every Saturday and Sunday until April 3, learn about local birds of winter at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Watch feeders from the comfort of the Johnson Visitors' Center and learn about birds and Project FeederWatch. Docents will lead a bird walk in Sapsucker Woods (conditions permitting) at 10 a.m. and will assist with bird identification and answer questions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Some binoculars will be available in the visitors' center. Free. Information: 800-843-BIRD.