by Max Newman
“I am fairly certain that in the 131 years of the Singers’ Club, this will be our first event with an interactive audience element.”
What Don Verkuijlen is referring to is the “Game On!” program that the Singers’ Club of Cleveland will present on Friday, April 26 at 7:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland. Tickets are available here.
The brainchild of Verkuijlen, the program is “essentially going to be played like a game of Jeopardy,” he said during a telephone conversation. “When you walk in, there will be a big screen showing various categories. The audience will raise their hands and call out a category, and instead of video clues, the choir will actually be singing a piece of music for each category.”
Verkuijlen, who has been the Artistic Director of Singers’ Club for four years, feels that the program meshes well with the ensemble’s goals. “One of the cool things about the Singers’ Club is that we’re not tied into one kind of repertoire. This fits in with our mission to bring all styles and sounds of men’s choral music to the community, and this will add a fun, interactive component.”
The material will also provide a challenge for the vocalists. The show does not have a distinct concert order, something that “singers take comfort in,” he said. But he’s happy with how they’ve adapted to this challenge. “Yes, this is certainly out of their comfort zones, but I think they will end up having a lot of fun with it.”
Verkuijlen said he is happy to have overseen a great period of growth for the Singers’ Club since taking his position in 2020.
“They had fallen into a pattern, and audiences were dwindling. We had to ask ourselves that quintessential question: who do we want to be? Are we going to be a social club, or a performing arts organization? And since we’ve started leaning towards the latter, we’ve seen an uptick in audience, and just this year we had over fifteen new guys join the choir, which is absolutely phenomenal.”
Verkuijlen also has big plans for the future of the Singers’ Club, involving both domestic and international touring.
“In 2026, it looks like we are going to be touring Argentina, so we are very excited about that. We are getting quotes now from various travel companies, but it’s looking like it’s going to happen.”
The “Game On!” event is part of this path forward, according to the director.
“When I came in, people told me that the Singers’ Club was Cleveland’s best kept secret. I told them that I really wanted to get rid of that secret part. So I think a program like this will stand out and help gather interest. I am really optimistic and excited about the future of the club.”
Published on ClevelandClassical.com April 24, 2024.
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