Feature Article August 8, 2001
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Glee Club sings outby Jeff GreenFor one reason or another I tend to arrive late at the Wednesday concerts at St. James Church. This isnt usually much of a problem, but when the Arden Glee Club performs, latecomers find there is no place to park. As I stumbled towards the door, half running, half walking, I could clearly hear the strains of Chattanooga Choo-Choo pouring out of the building.
The Glee Club is a remarkable institution, coming as it does from such a small community as Arden. Seeing them for the third year in a row (they have actually performed for the past five years in the summer series), I was impressed, as always, with their command of four-part harmony and the beauty of their overall sound.
Their material changes somewhat from year to year. They have added six new songs this year, including a moving version of the Paul Simon standard from the 60s Bridge Over Troubled Water, but they remain committed to the sentimental favourites of the 40s and 50s. Songs like Twelfth of Never, I Believe, The Sunny Side of the Street, and Its a Wonderful World seem to flow out of them effortlessly.A close look at the faces of the choir members as they perform reveals something else. Their concentration and commitment is apparent, and their eyes, full of joy, point straight at the hands of their director Helen Praskey. Helen always seems to glow as she takes her choir through the material, but on this hot night, perspiration dripped from her brow. At one point she looked to the back of the room at concert promoter Marcel Giroux and said, The air conditioner is on, isnt it?
The Arden Glee Club owes its continued success to the conviction of Helen Praskey to keep it moving forward, and to the commitment of its members to her and to themselves as a choir. These were very much in evidence last Wednesday night.
