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History of The Villanova Singers 1999-2000 marks the forty-sixth year for the Villanova Singers. This highly acclaimed and versatile men’s chorus dates back to 1953 when Harold Gill Reuschlein, Dean of Villanova’s prestigious Law School, established the group for the purpose of singing various types of music and enriching the cultural life of the University. Dean Reuschlein began a tradition of brotherhood in song that has grown to be one of the strongest, most active, most successful organizations on campus. "I am as proud of the Villanova Singers as I am of what the Law School has become," Dean Reuschlein has been known to say. Since1963, the Singers have logged almost 200,000 miles, leaving behind a long and distinguished trail of accomplishments stretching as far west as California, as far north as Canada, as far south as the Bahamas, and as far east as Poland. Some recent highlights include a 9-day tour of Greece in 1997, and an 8-day tour of Ireland this Spring with the Villanova Voices. The Singers are governed by an elected 8-member board of students. They sing an eclectic repertoire, ranging from sacred to patriotic, gospel to contemporary, as well as several arrangements by their director, Brian Meneely. The Singers enjoy sharing their music with various women’s schools to which they tour, including Regis College of Weston, Massachusetts, with whom they traveled to Greece two years ago. On campus, the Singers perform for various functions, as well as at churches and benefits in the Philadelphia area. |
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| Within the Singers, there exists a smaller a
capella group known as The Spires, instrumental for performing contemporary music in
an often humorous manner. They often arrange their own music and are entirely student
directed, this year by Ian White. In the past, such notables as Jim Croce and Tim Hauser
from Manhattan Transfer have helped to strengthen the group. Mr. Brian Meneely took over as the Singers’ director in 1990, and under his direction, the Singers have performed such works as J.S. Bach’s "Magnificat", Handel’s "Messiah", Brahms’ "Leibeslieder Waltzes" and Rhapsody for Contralto and Men’s Chorus, Schubert’s Mass in G, John Rutter’s "Gloria", and Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana", and has directed them on a compact disk entitled "Brothers in Song". In addition to the Singers, he directs the Immaculata College Chorale, and the two groups can often be heard in concert together. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music Performance from Temple University in Philadelphia. He is a tenor soloist in his own right, having performed with major orchestras from Connecticut to Florida. He is married to the Singers’ retired accompanist, Mary Jo, and has three sons, Christopher, Eric, and R.J. The accompanist for the Singers, Cynthia Harrington, is now in her fifth year. When not supporting the Singers, Cindy is busy teaching piano at Rosemont School of the Holy Child and The Baldwin School. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and took a year away from the Singers to do graduate work at Temple University in piano accompanying and opera coaching. The Singers enjoy remarking that "Brothers in Song" is the anthem and motto of the group. The past forty-six years have helped strengthen the brotherhood to a point where, now, the members of the group are brothers in the truest sense of the word. The music comes first, but the friendships and the comradery will be forever lasting. |
