After a decade of playing the highest quality music for a vibrant and supportive community, the Glendon Musical Ensemble is proud to be back for its 11th straight season. Originally created by a small but dedicated group of musicians, Glendon's only musical group has flowered into a thriving and incredibly cohesive staple of student and community life. As the Ensemble's new Musical Directors, we're both proud of the GME's legacy and excited to start this second decade with innovative ideas, a renewed sense of passion and an eagerness to share with the community the extraordinary talents of our diverse, dedicated and gifted members.

Taking on the daunting task of co-directing is a challenge for which we feel well-suited, though at times it's often humbling to reflect on the work of our dedicated predecessors to whom we are still so much indebted. However, our own musical experiences have also helped prepare us for this exciting adventure. As third year Glendon students, we're no strangers to the Ensemble. We vividly remember attending our very first rehearsals as cheery first years who were probably more than a touch nervous, but a lot has changed over the course of only three years. Singing and playing orchestral instruments in the Ensemble has given us opportunities to improve our own musical talents and grow as musicians. We sincerely hope that under our direction, we can provide the same opportunities for growth to both our new and returning members. After all, as much as we enjoy putting on large shows, the value of the GME lies in the strong feeling of community that is created each year when a group of dedicated members get together and bond over their passion for music.

Looking for a theme for this year's show was a difficult process, one which found us looking back on the last decade far more often than we were looking forward. Eventually it dawned on us that, in reflecting on the GME's musical life, we were also reflecting on our own lives - the laughter, the heartbreak, the embarrassment and everything in between. More than anything else, the one idea that remained has become the theme for our show: life as a journey.

If music is the window to our souls then it must also be the expression of our souls, and so it is fitting that this year's show will endeavour to take common life experiences shared amongst all of humanity and express them in song. We hope that over the course of our show, our music will prompt you to remember life's greatest moments, from basking in the nostalgia of childhood to reflecting on what it means to live and have lived. It's a show for the ages that's also a show for all ages, a two-hour musical journey from beginning to beyond.

As we blaze into the future of the Glendon Musical Ensemble, we're also conscious of its storied past; it's this very duality which serves to motivate and inspire our present. With a lot of support and dedication from all of our members, we're hoping our show this year will not only by the GME's best, but will be looked back on with the same fondness in ten years with which we look back on our own past.

Lucas Dixon and Lesley Valiente