How you can join Wheaton's adult choir

When Brian Birnbaum and Grant Vankerk proposed the idea of an adult choir at the Wheaton Park District in 2011, the answer was an immediate yes.

"I loved the idea, and the group was born," said Linda Dolan, manager of the park district's Mary Lubko Center, 208 W. Union Ave. "It's called Beyond Glee, and it really lives up to its name. It brings joy to our singers, who get the chance to perform with other people who love a lot of different music like they do, and it brings joy to their audiences."

The choir, starting its fifth season this fall, counts 30 members from every age group.

"Some of our members have been as young as 19, and some have been old enough to know we aren't 19 anymore," said Beyond Glee director Paul Sirvatka, who's looking for singers at the choir's auditions from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Lubko Center.

"We need all types, but especially altos and basses. The only thing you need to bring is a song you like that shows off your voice."

Diversity is the theme. Some members are veterans of the stage, including choral directors and vocal coaches, and some are just stepping into the spotlight.

Sirvatka himself is a professor of meteorology at College of DuPage, having spent years as a church musician playing piano and guitar and arranging music until he found Beyond Glee, where he tries to "move the heart, the mind and the feet."

"A lot of members have sung in high school or college choirs, but there are very few opportunities for adults to sing and perform a wide variety of music," Dolan said. "We encourage people who may have thought about singing in their adult life but who never got the chance to give it a try. We see people get to live out old dreams."

Beyond Glee's members show off their voices several times per year, practicing weekly Thursday evenings, September through May, and performing the holiday concert Beyond Glee Presents Beyond Christmas every December.

"We want to respect the great American choral tradition while doing familiar and entertaining music, too," Sirvatka said. "We can sing beautiful, languid music in foreign languages, as well as songs that will have the audience clapping. Whether it's a version of 'Ave Maria' or 'California Dreaming,' we can have fun making music."

Adults ages 18 and older are welcome to audition at no cost. Schedule an audition by contacting Linda Dolan at (630) 510-5030 or ldolan@wheatonparks.org.

To learn more about the Beyond Glee adult choir and the Wheaton Park District's other musical opportunities, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com.