The Down Town Glee Club is a male choral group dedicated to the mission of preserving the tradition of male choral singing in New York City.  The club is one of only a  handful of such musical organizations in the city and New York State.

Traditional choral singing, which makes use of only male voices:  first tenor, second tenor, first bass, and second bass, has its roots in the middle ages. Beginning with sacred music, a mixture of folk and sacred eventually evolved into a form of public entertainment commonly performed by men other than those associated with religious orders and choirs.

Over time, both sacred and popular choral singing evolved into a second format: mixed groups of singers, consisting of both men and women.  Today, although many choirs and other choral organizations recruit both sexes as interest in the art form declined, there are still groups including universities that perform a repertoire from among the many thousands of compositions written primarily for the male voice.

On a local level, the Down Town Glee Club provides a forum for a racially and economically diverse group of men to come together once a week for nine months of the year to rehearse choral music for two hours.  The club performs two concerts - a winter concert and a spring concert - every season in New York City.  These performances are always held in an accessible venue with admission gained by a modest donation.

In addition, the club employs two professional musicians - a conductor and piano accompanist - and also provides some assistance to the local economy through the use of paper, music, printing, copying, advertising, internet services, royalties, and contributions to charities.

Male glee clubs represent a somewhat unique sound compared to the mostly mixed groups that abound today.  Glee club music typically includes a wide array of music - sacred, folk, classical, popular, Hollywood and Broadway scores, etc.  In recent years, composers and arrangers have again begun to write with four-part male harmony in mind.

The Down Town Glee Club is active in its pursuit of introducing a larger audience to male choral singing by seeking additional venues to perform at no cost to the audience. The club has a long history of performing at assisted living facilities, nursing homes, churches, museums, hospices, and patriotic events.