August 25, 2008

Purdue Varsity Glee Club to perform during First Nighter concert

Sponsored by Purdue Musical Organizations and the Purdue Student Union Board, the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms. Doors will open at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

The concert will mark the first performance of the year for the ensemble, which has 28 new members, said Bill Griffel, director of Purdue Musical Organizations.

"The entire group just finished a week at 'glee club camp' in southern Indiana, where the new and seasoned performers had a chance to bond and learn what life will be like as a Varsity Glee Club member," he said. "The men have not only been learning new songs, but learning ways to improve their performances and serve as ambassadors for the university."

The Purdue Varsity Glee Club, which contains 66 members, performs more than 100 shows each year. The group has toured South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, China and the United Kingdom. The group has been featured at many prestigious events, including five presidential inaugurations and the Rose Bowl. They also have worked with performers such as Skitch Henderson, Marvin Hamlisch and Garrison Keillor.

The glee club is one of a variety of performance opportunities within Purdue Musical Organizations. More than 200 students perform with the organization annually. Purdue has no school of music, so nearly every academic major is represented in the organization.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Bill Griffel, (765) 494-3941, wgriffel@purdue.edu

Steve Schlenk, Purdue Musical Organizations communications specialist, (765) 496-6091, sschlenk@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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