Unexpectedly, the Notre Dame Glee Club ended up being one of the central activities of my undergraduate years at ND - really, the main one. Demanding from a scheduling standpoint, but a genuine payoff both in terms of the music and the socializing and travel. Met a lot of really fine folks. Still - and given how fine it was - when it was over, that was also OK (if not a bit welcome). And we've rarely attended NDGC reunions - the few we've attended were enjoyable enough and usually had some real high points - but always involved the hassle of a football weekend and fairly sparse/mixed attendance from folks we knew.
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| A view of the Friday evening doings at the Morris Performing Arts Center, downtown South Bend. |
Yet the weekend turned out far better than our high expectations. Just a delightful experience all around. Everyone in attendance knew that it was a "once-only" experience - there's no way that a group this size, and an agenda this ambitious, will be repeated (maybe in another 100 years)? The "once-only" sensation intensified the appreciation, but suffused events with an underlying wistfulness, if that's the word. This combination of folks obviously won’t ever be assembled again. In terms of our class - one could look around at the various events and quickly see that folks were a lot older than they were in the late 1970s. David Isele seems poised to continue indefinitely - but he isn't getting any younger, either.
(Several times I thought of that so-effective scene in book 7 of Remembrance of Things Past - where the Proust-character walks into a party with a large number of folks he'd not seen for quite some years - he couldn't immediately recognize many of the folks he had known so well (happened to me plenty often this reunion weekend) - the Proust-character was convinced that the party-goers were disguised via wearing masks and/or white-powdered wigs and such (that sensation applied here also) - the unstartling observation being that we continue to see, and see through the eyes of, our far-younger selves - I'd say this weekend was a bit of an eye-opener in that regard. Which could be a bit sobering.)
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| Wednesday evening was quite lovely as PJ and I walked around the lakes . . . |
Anyway, the reunion turnout was just amazing – quite an experience to sing with 550 or so from all those decades of NDGC classes. We were told there was an age difference of 77 years from the youngest singer to the oldest singer on stage for Friday’s concert. Yet there is enough continuity in the programming that all feel comfortably connected - nice! Choral music - among the very-very finest things.
[And it struck me that the NDGC is better-positioned to hold reunions than many or most campus organizations. For example no doubt the 1978 football team would enjoy getting together, but it would be challenging for them to "play football" in any meaningful sense ~40 years after graduation. What does the Observer staff, or the debate club, do if they even bother to get together? Etc. But for the NDGC - this is one organization where we can get together 40 years later and do the exact same things with the exact same folks - rehearse, perform for a big audience, sip a bit, sing informally (or not depending on one's mood), hang out together - the only real difference is that the beer is so much better these days. This is a fine situation to enjoy - and we definitely did.]
Here's what happened during the weekend:
Wednesday, September 30
PJ and I catch an early flight to Midway and make our way into South Bend in time for a late lunch - stopped at the O'Rourke's at Eddy Commons (staying at the hotel right down the street). Food isn't the greatest, but it's a familiar starting point. Lovely weather; we took advantage with our typical extensive campus wandering. Lit a candle for Grandma at the Grotto. Walked around the lake. Etc. The day had been designed for us just to have a little time on our own, and it worked beautifully. Dinner in downtown South Bend at Cafe Navarre - where they do a great job. This was a fine day.
Thursday, October 1
PJ and I still on our own in the morning. Gorgeous fall day; we walk around campus, stop at the bookstore, etc. Dave Kollar arrives and the three of us have a fun lunch at The Mark (Eddy Commons). Mike Hough sets up a text msg group which is an ideal outlet for smart-ass-ery in addition to useful logistics communications. After lunch the three of us wander all over campus on a lovely afternoon - a nice chance to chat through the old and the recent. Then the three of us went to dinner with Joe Gales and Mike Hough at Corndance Tavern in Mishawaka - this was just nonstop talking and laughs, a great event. (Even if the restaurant didn't meet its rave reviews.)
By the time we finished with dinner and laughs, we were a bit (OK, a lot) late (meaning we had switched seamlessly to Glee Club Standard Time) for one of the opening events on the agenda - some sort of gathering at the "Whiskey Exchange" in downtown South Bend. Weather was turning for the colder by now. Huge crowd down there, it worked well enough as an opening get-acquainted session. If a little noisy for actual conversation. But it was evident folks had arrived, and clearly were fired up for the weekend. So that was good.
We make it back to O'Rourke's by perhaps 11p or midnight - a nice-sized gathering, mostly of folks of our vintage - mostly folks we know very well and like very much - this lasted until 3a and was just delightful. No singing - just catching up, and enjoying hearing the familiar voices talk away . . . this is what we came for. Dave and I learn that Tom Conlin truly grasps the daunting challenges facing piano accompanists. As few others do, it seems. Finally we wrap up and fortunately it's a short if freezing walk to the hotel.
Friday, October 2
This was the one day during the weekend that was pretty heavily scheduled, but everything went really smoothly. Rehearsal #1 in the morning included everyone in attendance - so (as one would expect!) this involved reviewing the songs that all reunion attendees would perform. This was followed by a buffet lunch outside the rehearsal venue.
Everyone from all the classes seems to know "Prayer" from Lohengrin (per PJ's rehearsal video immediately below) - definitely a NDGC classic.
Rehearsal #2 (early afternoon) included only the reunion attendees from the "Isele years" - so this group worked on the three or four pieces that Isele would conduct and "just us" would perform. Of course this was a quite enjoyable rehearsal - in undergraduate years we rehearsed one hour every single day for four years - that creates a certain rhythm, and memory set - and while this rehearsal was different from those days, it was close enough to be plenty evocative. Isele continues to be great to work with.
I get a kick out of the "Sleigh Ride" clip below - because it includes a fair amount of DCI back-and-forthing with his singers. For the "Water is Wide" clip, we're mostly doing a straight run-through. Glad PJ caught these even if her phone struggled with audio quality.
Then a short break, after which PJ and Cricket haul too many of us to the downtown concert venue for the next phase of preparation - a fun/funny ride at the end of which we essentially tumble out of the vehicle into the street. Lots of logistics dealing with the big group of 550 singers, plus four smaller segments - but it was so well planned. Interesting video/photo presentations to cover the change-overs - those worked well. We rehearse; PJ/Cricket listen in for this rehearsal, which always is nice as they get a clearer sense of what we're doing, and it makes for a much more "shared" experience.
This is followed by a buffet dinner for singers-only - which works well enough - though of course lots of standing in line with 550 folks. But it's a success, then we go dress for the concert.
Now it's showtime. They attempt to live-stream the performance; doesn't work all that well, but our crew back in Phoenix/VA/SF makes an effort to follow along a bit, which was nice. I of course much enjoyed participating in the performance. They had arranged an effective opening - using Biebl's Ave Maria - the current Club sings verse one while the reunion masses are pretty well hidden behind a screen - then the lights come up and the entire group finishes - nice. Then the entire group did a few songs.
After that the "Pedtke era" folks performed - nicely! While this was going on we "Isele era" folks were sitting in the wings waiting to take the stage - I can say it was an unusual experience looking around and seeing all these guys - we had waited together to "go on" in dozens (certainly >100) of venues all over the United States and Europe in the late '70s - evocative to be waiting together one more (and presumably final) time with this exact group - and then it was a fine and memorable experience to sing together under Isele's direction.
Below video - good quality! - was put together by the local public TV channel. Isele-era performance commences at around 13:20.
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| PJ caught this view looking out from the Grotto (Wednesday evening). |
PJ and I catch an early flight to Midway and make our way into South Bend in time for a late lunch - stopped at the O'Rourke's at Eddy Commons (staying at the hotel right down the street). Food isn't the greatest, but it's a familiar starting point. Lovely weather; we took advantage with our typical extensive campus wandering. Lit a candle for Grandma at the Grotto. Walked around the lake. Etc. The day had been designed for us just to have a little time on our own, and it worked beautifully. Dinner in downtown South Bend at Cafe Navarre - where they do a great job. This was a fine day.
Thursday, October 1
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| PJ and I enjoyed walking the campus on Thursday morning . . . |
By the time we finished with dinner and laughs, we were a bit (OK, a lot) late (meaning we had switched seamlessly to Glee Club Standard Time) for one of the opening events on the agenda - some sort of gathering at the "Whiskey Exchange" in downtown South Bend. Weather was turning for the colder by now. Huge crowd down there, it worked well enough as an opening get-acquainted session. If a little noisy for actual conversation. But it was evident folks had arrived, and clearly were fired up for the weekend. So that was good.
We make it back to O'Rourke's by perhaps 11p or midnight - a nice-sized gathering, mostly of folks of our vintage - mostly folks we know very well and like very much - this lasted until 3a and was just delightful. No singing - just catching up, and enjoying hearing the familiar voices talk away . . . this is what we came for. Dave and I learn that Tom Conlin truly grasps the daunting challenges facing piano accompanists. As few others do, it seems. Finally we wrap up and fortunately it's a short if freezing walk to the hotel.
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| More wandering on Thursday afternoon . . . |
This was the one day during the weekend that was pretty heavily scheduled, but everything went really smoothly. Rehearsal #1 in the morning included everyone in attendance - so (as one would expect!) this involved reviewing the songs that all reunion attendees would perform. This was followed by a buffet lunch outside the rehearsal venue.
Everyone from all the classes seems to know "Prayer" from Lohengrin (per PJ's rehearsal video immediately below) - definitely a NDGC classic.
Rehearsal #2 (early afternoon) included only the reunion attendees from the "Isele years" - so this group worked on the three or four pieces that Isele would conduct and "just us" would perform. Of course this was a quite enjoyable rehearsal - in undergraduate years we rehearsed one hour every single day for four years - that creates a certain rhythm, and memory set - and while this rehearsal was different from those days, it was close enough to be plenty evocative. Isele continues to be great to work with.
I get a kick out of the "Sleigh Ride" clip below - because it includes a fair amount of DCI back-and-forthing with his singers. For the "Water is Wide" clip, we're mostly doing a straight run-through. Glad PJ caught these even if her phone struggled with audio quality.
Then a short break, after which PJ and Cricket haul too many of us to the downtown concert venue for the next phase of preparation - a fun/funny ride at the end of which we essentially tumble out of the vehicle into the street. Lots of logistics dealing with the big group of 550 singers, plus four smaller segments - but it was so well planned. Interesting video/photo presentations to cover the change-overs - those worked well. We rehearse; PJ/Cricket listen in for this rehearsal, which always is nice as they get a clearer sense of what we're doing, and it makes for a much more "shared" experience.
This is followed by a buffet dinner for singers-only - which works well enough - though of course lots of standing in line with 550 folks. But it's a success, then we go dress for the concert.
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| Showtime with 550 or so. |
After that the "Pedtke era" folks performed - nicely! While this was going on we "Isele era" folks were sitting in the wings waiting to take the stage - I can say it was an unusual experience looking around and seeing all these guys - we had waited together to "go on" in dozens (certainly >100) of venues all over the United States and Europe in the late '70s - evocative to be waiting together one more (and presumably final) time with this exact group - and then it was a fine and memorable experience to sing together under Isele's direction.
Below video - good quality! - was put together by the local public TV channel. Isele-era performance commences at around 13:20.
There is a reception at the concert venue but the lines are long - which leads to some self-help beer service and lots of fun - eventually we find an accommodating Uber driver who takes way too many of us back to O'Rourke's. Very different gathering than the night before - much larger - lots of singing in one of the back rooms - pulling out the old favorites and not-so-favorites - it was fun - one could move in and out of that room and the overall bar area, which was good. Catching up with many folks throughout the day and well into the night/morning.
Saturday, October 3
We were a little tired after the last two days. Weather getting cold and rainy. Main scheduled event was a luncheon-banquet at the ACC - speeches, some singing. It was fine. We had a fun table group. Monk Malloy gave the invocation, so we had a chance to speak with him. Photos. Typically this would be a dinner event, but the football schedule made that impossible.
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| Wandering around the ACC; Tom Conlin, Mike Hough, John Walsh (photos in tow, fortunately), Mike Hogan, me. |
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| Class of 1978 - right after the Saturday lunch. L-R me, Dave Kollar, Dan Rumbach, Ed Fayen, Dave Mahler, Pat Dalsin, Mike Keefe, Marty Brauweiler, Tom Clarkson, Dan Lombardi, Mike Hawes. A fine group. Should know: we spent a lot of time together. |
Sunday, October 4
By now many folks had left. Arrangements had been made for those still in attendance to sing at the 10:00 Mass in Sacred Heart Church (now Basilica). Said our goodbyes to Dave Kollar before heading over to church (late per usual, so in back row); sat with Mike Hough and Dan Rumbach. Turned out to be a very fine experience, and a great wrap-up for the weekend. We again sang the Ave Maria (Biebl) - that passage with the old formulation - "Sancta Maria . . . ora pro nobis . . . nunc et in hora mortis . . ." - Isele's arrangement of “Let us Break Bread Together” also worked wonderfully in this setting - everyone much enjoyed being part of this.
By the time we got to verse 3 of "break bread" - I gave up and just listened. We had sung Isele's so-fine arrangement together in so many places . . .
Milled around; got some photos outside of the church; then to brunch at South Dining Hall.
Made sure to thank Dan Stowe - he does an incredible job driving this enterprise along - he gets it. Also the reunion chairs (Pat Scott and Brian McLinden) - such a success. David Isele remains central to the enterprise.
Then it was time for goodbyes - warm/happy/sad; mostly happy. The goodbyes weren't of the "we won't see each other again" type (though that will be true in too many cases). Folks were of course a bit regretful that the weekend was over, but the overwhelming sensation was appreciation for an unsurpassable shared experience.
This is lucky stuff, and extra lucky for me that PJ also entirely "gets it" - closely connected to NDGC for nigh 40 years. Lucky, indeed.
By the time we got to verse 3 of "break bread" - I gave up and just listened. We had sung Isele's so-fine arrangement together in so many places . . .
Milled around; got some photos outside of the church; then to brunch at South Dining Hall.
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| PJ 'n me departing Sacred Heart Church, right after 10a Mass. |
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| Some folks I really enjoyed catching up with: L-R Brian Shappell, Mike Hough, Steve Lillis, Dan Rumbach, John Walsh, YT, Ed Fayen, Joe Donovan. Right after 10a Mass. |
Made sure to thank Dan Stowe - he does an incredible job driving this enterprise along - he gets it. Also the reunion chairs (Pat Scott and Brian McLinden) - such a success. David Isele remains central to the enterprise.
Then it was time for goodbyes - warm/happy/sad; mostly happy. The goodbyes weren't of the "we won't see each other again" type (though that will be true in too many cases). Folks were of course a bit regretful that the weekend was over, but the overwhelming sensation was appreciation for an unsurpassable shared experience.
This is lucky stuff, and extra lucky for me that PJ also entirely "gets it" - closely connected to NDGC for nigh 40 years. Lucky, indeed.
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| Saturday evening "watch" party |
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| Saturday lunch at ACC (toast #2 actually; we re-staged it at the request of the event photographer) |
