Pause near the corner of Chestnut and Charles Streets on any given Monday evening this fall, and you will likely hear the bright sounds of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Java Jive,” or “Charlie and the MTA.” The Apollo Club of Boston resumed its regular rehearsals this week, preparing for its 156th season of performances around the Boston area.
That’s not a typo. As the second oldest continuously active men’s chorus in the United States, the club’s 25 members carry on a storied legacy from the heart of Beacon Hill from their rehearsal space at the Harvard Musical Association. “It’s great to extend such a longstanding tradition,” said David Geltman, the club’s president. “But mostly it’s just a lot of fun performing with good friends for appreciative audiences.”
The club welcomes singers of all experience levels, including longtime choral performers, former college a cappella group members, and anyone who sounds good in the shower. “It’s a fantastic group, and just about the most convenient rehearsals you can imagine for anyone who lives in the neighborhood,” said Mt. Vernon Street resident Christopher Smart, who joined three years ago.
In 1874, the Apollo Club sang at the funeral services of Senator Charles Sumner and received a note of appreciation from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1901, the club was invited to sing at President William McKinley’s memorial service at Faneuil Hall. And in 1924, when the George Francis Parkman Memorial Bandstand was dedicated on the Boston Common, 79 Apollo members sang to the accompaniment of the Boston Municipal Band.
Last year, the club performed at the State House to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary and at the Bunker Hill Monument to celebrate its 200th anniversary. The Bunker Hill appearance was actually a reprise performance; the 1925 chorus sang at the monument’s centennial!
Monday fall rehearsals prepare a holiday program for performances in December. In the spring, the club sings from its broad repertoire of folk songs, barbershop music, show tunes, spirituals and classical compositions. Most often, it performs at retirement communities in the area, but at least one holiday concert is scheduled in Gordon Chapel at Old South Church. With both the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “O Canada,” the group has also performed at Fenway Park when the Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
While the singers are all volunteers from a range of occupations, Apollo performances have the energy and precision that come from having professionals as conductor and accompanist. Steven Lipsitt, who became the group’s 11th conductor in 2015, brings an extensive range of choral and orchestral experience to the role. Mark Bartlett, who studied piano at the New England Conservatory, gives classical and contemporary performances throughout the region.
“It’s a great group of guys, and they work hard in rehearsals,” said Lipsitt, who is also music director for the Bach, Beethoven & Brahms Society orchestra and the Heritage Chorale. “We want to respect the music and its composers, of course, and we also want to make sure we are delivering the best performances we can for our audiences.” Lipsitt got his start with men’s groups singing with the Yale Alley Cats, serving as “pitchpipe” of the Yale Whiffenpoofs and conducting the Yale Russian Chorus. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale College; a rare double Master’s of Music in Choral and Orchestral Conducting and an Artist’s Diploma in Orchestral Conducting, both from the Yale School of Music.
“There’s really nothing like the bonds you form with the people you sing with and perform with over the years,” said Geltman. “The music, of course, is great and I find myself humming our latest songs all week long. But I think it’s the friendships that I have developed over the years that keep bringing me back.”
Anyone interested in auditions should contact David Geltman at [email protected]. You can also learn more at www.apolloclub.org.
