Every Tuesday Night at 7:30...

One of our former directors, Sheila Edwards, would say in every concert "the wives of these men have known where they were every Tuesday night for the last 60 (now 78) years."

That first Tuesday night was back in 1932 when The Chevrolet Glee Club of Detroit was founded by its first director Dave Redwood, a general foreman at the Chevrolet-Detroit Forge Plant.

Over the years, the Songsters have sung at numerous Soap Box Derbies, various World's Fairs, Chevrolet new car introductions, many Michigan (Great Lakes) Male Chorus Association (MMCA) State Sings and Associated Male Choruses of America (AMCA) International Sings.

Interestingly, on Saturday, October 9, 1948, the first day that Channel 7, WXYZ-TV, began televising, the Chevrolet Glee Club performed the first program on that station prior to the telecasting of the World Series baseball game from Cleveland.

In the late 1970's, during a recession, Chevrolet dropped their sponsorship. Rather than give Chevrolet free publicity, the membership voted to change our name. After an extensive search, we borrowed our name from a line in an old glee club song "The Whiffenpoof Song."

Under the direction of our new director Peggy Bartz, we perform throughout the year at retirement communities, nursing homes, churches and other civic functions. This is our fourth season with our accompanist Dennis Penney.

Our new director, Peggy Bartz has been a musician and choral director in the Detroit Metropolitan area for the last 25 years. She is currently the director of a young male chorus at Loyola High School in Detroit. She has directed a Gregorian chant choir as well as children choirs, mixed choruses and contemporary ensembles. Her education is in both marketing and music. She has also she has worked as a music minister in various churches. She also sings and plays at many venues in the local area, and does weddings and special events. A musician, writer, lover of life, teacher, custom seamstress,  business owner, Rotarian, and avid reader and purveyor of unusual things, she has a talent for finding, doing and accomplishing many tasks that need to be done...with both joy and encouragement.  

Our accompanist, Dennis Penney, is a native of Hamtramck and has attended both the University of Detroit and Wayne State University. While at Wayne State, he furthered his keyboard skills. Mr. Penney's career has includes 12 years on the travel circuit around the USA with the former "Benton Dance Band." Dennis is also a Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild. He recently served as music director for the "Village Players" as they presented the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

We have two big concerts we look forward to every year. The Songsters join 350 other members of the Great Lakes Male Chorus Association in an "Annual Sing" hosted each year by a diffent chorus. We also sing in a concert called "Industry Sings," where we will join four other industry choruses. Both concerts featured individual and mass numbers. Check our "Concert" page for dates.

art by Tatsuro Tokuo

Our Directors:

Dave Redwood            1932 - 1968

Pat Devlin                  1968 - 1976

Ron Prowse                1976 - 1977

Mimi Gass                  1977 - 1979

Sheila Edwards           1979 - 1993

Bill Edwards               1993 - 1994

Mark Morson               1995 - 1999

Bill Edwards               2000 - 2008

Donald Milton             2008

Peggy Bartz               2008 to present

Our Accompanists:

Mel Ziedler                 1933 - 1988

Jean Eckert                 1988 - 1994

Eileen Hagopian          1995 - 1996

Gwen Toney               1996 - 2000

Tom Kreger                2000 - 2002

Eric French                 2002 - 2006

Dennis Penney           2006 - Present