The Dartmouth Glee Club
BACKGROUND
AFTER its initial organization in 1899, the Dartmouth Glee Club went through the usual period of student direction, during which the organization was largely social and incidentally musical. The programs of that period consisted principally of college songs and sentimental ballads, sandwiched between popular selections by the mandolin club and humorous monologues. Rehearsals were held irregularly, usually just preceding a public appearance, in fraternity houses or other social centers. It is said that men were sometimes selected on grounds other than their ability. Twenty-five years ago, the combined glee and mandolin clubs had a total membership of about twenty-five men. Their efforts were confined to Hanover on the gala occasions, and a few trips to towns and cities in New Hampshire, sometimes even getting down into Massachusetts. There is reference in an old Aegis of this decade in the calendar of events for the year, to a performance in Rochester, New Hampshire, where "there was an audience of between four and five people." The band usually had more members than the musical clubs, but it had no trips of any kind. It merely played, and sometimes it was accused of not even doing that.
The first faculty coach of the glee club was Charles H. Morse, who was succeeded in 1916 by Philip Greely Clapp, who was in turn succeeded in 1918 by Professor L. B. McWhood, under whose direction the organization won its first national championship in 1923. On Professor McWhood's being granted a leave of absence in 1926 to accept a visiting professorship at the University of California, the writer, who had been in charge of the College Choir for three years, was asked also to take charge of the Glee Club. The club was again winner of the Intercollegiate Contest in 1928, and a third victory in 1929 gave Dartmouth permanent possession of the University Club trophy, a large silver loving cup engraved with the names of all previous winners.
PRESENT ORGANIZATION
The glee club, which has been an organized activity since 1899, is, as one of the Dartmouth College musical clubs, now numbering about eighty men, under the general supervision of the Council on Student Organizations, of which Professor N. G. Burleigh is secretary and graduate manager. Each year the council appoints a manager and assistant manager of the musical clubs, who arrange for concerts at home and abroad, and attend to all other business matters.
The student leader, usually a senior, is elected by the members of the club, looks after personnel details, conducts the club in public appearances, and assists in the selection and preparation of music used.
The director, a member of the faculty, is appointed by the council, and is responsible for admissions, the selection of music, training of the club, and arrangement of programs given by the glee club alone. The director conducts the club in its Chapel appearances, and occasionally in out-of-town concerts. The glee club is operated as a student activity, with both the council and director acting in an advisory capacity.
An executive committee, consisting of the directors, leaders and managers of the various units, arranges programs for concerts given by the combined musical clubs.
Trials are held at the beginning of the College year, at which forty men are selected from the three upper classes by a board of judges consisting of the director, leader, and two members of the faculty. Special trials are held by the director and leader for the prize group, which represents Dartmouth at the Intercollegiate Contest.
Members of the glee club are expected to act as the College Choir at Chapel services, and receive one semester hour's credit as compensation. Participation in the Chapel services has been of real value to the glee club. The additional rehearsal and the sustained type of music used have proved of great benefit to the singing qualities of the organization.
HANOVER APPEARANCES
In its capacity of College Choir the glee club has made a distinct contribution to the College and community in its participation in the regular Sunday services, and particularly in its own musical services. These include the "Thanksgiving Festival Service" just preceding the November recess, the "Christmas Carol Service," the "Easter Antiphonal Service," in which the choir has the assistance of a visiting choir (this year Wesleyan University), and the annual "Sing Out," a traditional choral service for the senior class given on the last Sunday of the College year. The first two special musical services are marked by the appearance of outstanding soloists. All of the services are extiemely well attended, not only by Hanoverians but by many from surrounding towns.
The glee club takes part in musical club concerts given in Hanover at various times during the year, usually in connection with social events, and in the annual Commencement concert. This year a concert complimentary to the College is to be given by the club in the spring.
OUT-OF-TOWN APPEARANCES
A short trip is taken by the musical clubs at the Thanksgiving recess, this year including concerts in Keene, Hartford, and Montclair. A second short trip is taken by members of the prize group between Carnival and the Intercollegiate Contest, which takes them this year to Rutland, Vermont, and Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs. An extensive trip, taking in the larger cities, is made during the spring recess. In past years the spring trip has taken the clubs as far west as Denver, as far south as Atlanta, and north to Minneapolis. A recent undergraduate manager, in getting out material for fall trials, used as his slogan, "Join the glee club and see the world." These trips are an advantage to the College. The clubs go into places where the College is not well known and, for a few days at least, focus the attention of the community on Dartmouth. Neither is their value to be denied as an advertising function of the College in places where it is already known. We think every alumnus is glad to say to his neighbor, "That was a good job our College boys did last night." In more than one instance, the appearance of the clubs has been the deciding factor in a boy's decision to come to Dartmouth.
Several out-of-town concerts are given during the year by the glee club alone. Among the most interesting of these are joint concerts with the glee clubs of women's \colleges, which are greatly enjoyed by our undergraduates. These have included Smith, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke. Single concerts are also given by the glee club under the auspices of alumni associations and other organizations.
AIMS
The Dartmouth Glee Club does not wish to become a purely choral organization, but hopes to remain a College Glee Club. The Intercollegiate Contests have materially raised the standard of college glee club singing by introducing the element of competition. Originally confined to four eastern colleges, of which Dartmouth was one, the movement has become national in scope. Every effort is made to encourage the use of the highest type of music by all clubs. It is now not unusual to find college groups singing works by Palestrina, Bach, Handel and later masters, with no loss in popular support or collegiate atmosphere. This policy has won wide recognition and approval, especially in the East. Metropolitan music critics no longer indulge in goodnatured fun at the expense of college glee clubs, and it is the writer's belief that the annual graduation of a large number of men trained in group singing of the highest type will have a most beneficial effect upon the musical life of the country as a whole.
PROF. H. P. WHITFORD
1929 GLEE CLUB, WHICH BROUGHT THE UNIVERSITY CLUB TROPHY TO DARTMOUTH FOR KEEPS
W. B. WATERMAN '31
CAMPUS QUARTET A. F. O'Brien '31, W. B. Waterman '31, B. K. Catron '33, K. S. Hurd '33.
