by Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
One of the oldest choral ensembles in the country, the Highland Glee Club was founded in 1908 in Newton Highlands. On Saturday, December 9, they continued their glorious tradition with a joyous, reverent, and spirited holiday concert at Christ Episcopal Church in Needham.
The club's director, Sarah Robinson Seeber, explained that the Highland Glee Club is comprised of male singers of all abilities. Some members sing with the Boston Symphony, while others are just learning to sing in an ensemble. The singers enjoy a great camaraderie and singleness of purpose, as they learn and perform multiple choral works in all styles, including "gregorian chant and classical part-songs, to jazz standards, sea chanties, and psychedelic rock."
The Feast of Song concert began with a chant, "Ecce Quam Bonum." The uniquely deep, rich sound of the men's ensemble blanketed the church, and put the capacity crowd of listeners in a sacred frame of mind. After the next piece, "Choral Fanfare for Christmas" by Ron Nelson, the group continued with some beautiful medieval carols, Renaissance compositions. and other earlier music.
In the notable "Echo Song" by Orlando di Laso/arranged by A.T. Davison, a smaller group of singers moved to stage right. The smaller group echoed the phrases sung by the larger group, in a unique composition. This piece was followed by "Hashivenu," an Israeli Folk Song, In "Beams of Gentle Light" by Robert Evans Holmes, the talented treble soloist and 5th grader, Benjamin Sachs, added his glorious, clear, high voice to the group's range. Benjamin returned after intermission to solo in "Psalm 23," from Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein and Christmastime is Here by Mendelson/Guaraldi. With his assured stage presence and flawless performance, it can be expected that Newton and Needham will be seeing much more of Master Sachs in the future.
To finish the first part of the concert, the group sang "March of the Toys" by Herbert, transcr. William Reddick. The audience delighted in the familiar melody from Babes in Toyland, while the basses marched in an energetic staccato with the lyrics "right, left, right left." This piece was a perfect transition to the more modern pieces in the second part of the concert.
An outstanding "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by R. Thompson/Robert Frost drew the audience into Frost's meditation on choosing to peacefully tarry in the woods and watch the snow, before he resumed the responsibilities and tasks of daily life ("promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep"). The reflective piano phrasing by accompanist Dr. Johnthan Reddix extended the metaphysical feeling of the piece and the original poem.
A Holiday Singalong toward the end of the program, allowed the audience to enthusiastically share in the group's camaraderie and celebrate the holiday spirit.
The concert ended with a rousing spiritual, "A Tiny Little Baby" by Besig/Price. The group's contrasting piano and forte sections added so much power to the piece.
After reading about this amazing concert, male readers might want to explore singing with the Highland Glee Club. If you are interested in joining, the group invites you to join them for an Open Rehearsal in January. Please see details on Open Rehearsals and concerts planned for the rest of the year at https://highlandgleeclub.com/.
