UGA Glee Clubs Embrace Unity With “Vive La Compagnie” Concert

The University of Georgia Glee Clubs echoed messages of unity at Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall on Tuesday night for their “Vive La Compagnie” concert, which translates to “Long Live the Company.”

“Singing together is one of the most human things you can do,” said Conductor Sarah Gallo. “We think it’s really special … it’s also just deep in our core.”

Both the men’s and women’s groups performed a variety of pieces. From a Bulgarian folk song to a song sung in Sámi, a language spoken by Indigenous people in the northern Scandinavian region, to a poetic ballad—the repertoire was diverse.

Perhaps the most exciting piece from the Women’s Glee Club program was “Ozdolu idu,” arranged by Philip Koutev and sung in Bulgarian style. Gallo said singing in Bulgarian style required a brighter sound, which was not a typical vocal placement for choral singing.

Not only did “Ozdolu idu” bring joy to the audience, but choir members were smiling and dancing along to it too. Katie Bethbrewer, a sophomore biological sciences major, is in her second semester at the Women’s Glee Club and said this was her favorite piece to perform. According to the program bulletin, this children’s song tells a story about colorful carts “bumping and jumping” down the road.

“The concert was just awesome. I love, love, love Dr. Gallow,” said Bethbrewer. “She always does such an amazing job picking such a wide variety of music. I’m so excited every semester to get to sing all the different kinds of songs.”

Cooper Hardy, a sophomore agricultural communication major, also noticed the variety of pieces and would love to see even more languages in the future. He, however, enjoyed the “quiet and lowkey” performance of Gwyneth Walker’s “Crossing the Bar” by the Women’s Glee Club the most. Alfred Tennyson wrote the poetry, which included lines like:

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

However, the namesake of the concert was the Men’s Glee Club “Vive La Compagnie” performance, arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. This piece matched a jaunty mood and faster pace like the Bulgarian piece. Braden Rymer, a baritone, had a solo.

Words in “Vive la compagnie” translated to “Should time or occasion compel us to part, vive la compagnie! These days shall forever enlighten the heart,” according to the program bulletin.

“I thought the whole idea of music bringing everyone together was a great way to highlight how the music school works,” said Hardy.

Tuesday’s concert was the last opportunity of the semester to see a Glee Clubs-only performance. Because of this, Gallo made an effort to recognize the graduating seniors in the choirs.

The Glee Clubs will combine with the other UGA choirs and UGA Symphony Orchestra to put on the “Dona Nobis Pacem” concert on April 26.

“Dona Nobis Pacem is an incredibly timely and really moving piece that is unfortunately really appropriate for our world today — it’s begging for peace,” said Gallo.

A few days before the concert, two UGA students—one current and one former: Wyatt Banks and Laken Riley, respectively—died on campus. Bethbrewer said many of the songs were about hope, finding a community and finding beauty in the state people find themselves in, which helped bring her peace among the tragedies.

“Getting to hear those words and get to sing those words and preach that to our community at this time is really empowering and helps, I think, bring hope to our campus,” said Bethbrewer.

The Men’s Glee Club ended on a positive note with their performance of the Georgia Medley. This included the tradition of calling the Dawgs and skit-like choreography to engage with the audience.

“It feels like you get to experience something that’s really intimate that these people have put so much time into—I feel like it is our duty to go out there and to show our support,” said Hardy.