Finding their voice

It’s been more than 80 years since two sailors who served aboard the same ship in the U.S. Navy got together on Vesey Street to talk about forming a glee club in New York.

The two men, Channing Lefebvre and Arthur Schwartz, dubbed their new choral the Down Town Glee Club, and held their first concert in 1927.

The club has continued to meet and perform music ever since, and they can be found practicing, and holding auditions for new members, every Tuesday at Saint Margaret’s House at 49 Fulton Street.

The club is trying to raise awareness and bring in new voices, said Past President Jerry Osterberg. It has a long and rich history in Lower Manhattan, and yet few of its current members have a connection to this area, he said. You could say they’re trying to find their voice.

Down Town Glee Club is also gearing up for its winter concert, to be held December 19 at Saint Peter’s Church at 619 Lexington Avenue. The theme of the evening is “Cool Yule,” and features three influential American composers: George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Vincent Youmans. The concert also includes holiday classics and some post-show refreshments.

For more information about the club or to audition, check out their website.