The Amherst College Glee Club, founded in 1865, is an SATB vocal ensemble, and one of the oldest continuous student organizations at Amherst College. It is part of the Amherst College Choral Society, along with the Concert Choir, and the Madrigal Singers. Previous a Tenor/Bass ensemble, in 2022 it came to encompass all voices in the Choral Society, merging with the Chorus. The club has a history of extensive international touring, having to date performed in over 55 countries. It is currently directed by Dr. Arianne Abela.
History
Founding
The club was founded as a student-directed double quartet in the spring semester of 1865 by Amherst senior Thomas E. Babb, in the spirit of Amherst's recently dissolved Donizetti Glee Club, founded in 1862."Rev. T.E. Babb, 99, Amherst Alumnus; Oldest Graduate of College, Who Received Degree in '65, Dies in Holden, Mass.". The New York Times: p. 24. 1940-07-19 Though the group nearly disbanded two years later when all but one of its members graduated, it was revived in 1868 after one lone year of inactivity. It continued to flirt with dissolution — some years being quite active and successful and others less so — until the fall of 1876 when it came under the professional direction and training of "Professor" Friedrich Zuchtmann, a vocal instructor from Springfield, Massachusetts. Under his leadership the club found more firm footing and soon became a permanent fixture of Amherst College life.
Early accomplishments In 1894 the Amherst Glee Club became one of the first American collegiate groups to travel to England."Yankee Glees Abroad: Amherst College Singers Delight England". Boston Daily Globe: p. 20. 1894-08-05 In 1925 they sang at the White House for President Coolidge,"Amherst Clubs give Pleasing Program". The Washington Post: p. 10. 1927-03-26 and they twice won the New England Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest - once in 1928 and once in 1934."AMHERST SINGERS WIN; Take First Place in New England College Glee Club Contest". The New York Times: p.15. 1928-02-25"'Little Three'" Win Glee Club Contest". Boston Daily Globe: p.7. 1935-03-02
Coming to maturity In 1963 the club came under the direction of Bruce G. McInnes, former director of the Apollo Glee Club at Yale University. Under this new leadership, Glee Club membership rose from under 30 in 1962 to over 100 in 1965. In 1967 the club embarked on the first of several "World Tours". These tours, each lasting over a month, eventually took the Glee Club all over the globe and featured a number of notable performances. They became the first American chorus to sing High Mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral,"To Russia with Song". Amherst Alumni News: pp.15-20, Fall 1967 and sang for many notable people, including Pope Paul VI, King Mihendra and Queen Ratna of Nepal,Amherst Alumni News: p.18. Fall 1969 president Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya,"Kenya Visit". The Washington Post and Times-Herald: p.C3. 1972-07-12 President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of the Ivory Coast,Amherst: The College and its Alumni: pp. 5-9. Fall 1972 Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan"The Road to Fontainebleau," by Carl Oxholm III. Amherst: The College and its Alumni: pp. 18-22. Fall 1975. Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel,"Other than the pyramids, Mr Gottlieb, how did you enjoy the tour?". Amherst Alumni News: pp. 18-21 and 67-70. Winter 1980 and noted composition teacher Nadia Boulanger.
Present The club continues to perform both locally and internationally. In their 2007 tour to Estonia they sang for Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. In 2022, all members of the Choral Society were made members of the Glee Club, and the Soprano/Alto Chorus was disbanded.
International tours 1894 - England 1928 - Bermuda 1961 - France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland 1967 - "World Tour" - France, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Sweden, Denmark 1969 - "World Tour" - Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Lebanon, Greece, Yugoslavia, Austria, Czechoslovakia, France 1972 - "African-Asian Tour" - Liberia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, England 1975 - "World Tour" - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Romania, Austria, France 1977 - "Latin American Tour" - Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad 1979 - "International Tour" - Spain, Monaco, Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Austria, Poland, France 1983 - "World Tour" - United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Austria, Italy, Monaco, France 1990 - USSR, Czechoslovakia 1995 - Poland, Czech Republic 1999 - Austria, Italy 2003 - Japan 2007 - Iceland, Estonia 2011 - Greece 2015 - Costa Rica 2019 - "Baltic Tour" - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania 2023 - Mexico
Notable alumni Albert II, Prince of Monaco"Rainier Wins His Tiny Nation's Battles - Discreetly". Los Angeles Times: p. H4. 1979-08-29 Dan Brown, author Gregory W. Brown, composer John Coolidge, son of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge"Coolidge's Son Sings Bass in Concert Here". The New York Times: p. 28. 1925-02-28. Philip Gossett, noted musicologist Caleb R. Layton, U.S. Representative for Delaware George Adams Leland, doctor and educator Edmund Phelps, awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Economics Calvin Coolidge, U.S. President David Eisenhower, grandson of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower David Foster Wallace, American novelist, widely known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest
Directors 1865-1876 - Student directed 1872-1874 - Assisted by George Cheney 1876-1883 - Friedrich Zuchtmann 1883-1894 - Alternated between students and Edward L. Sumner 1894-1911 - Student directed (likely assisted by music professor William P. Bigelow '89) 1912-1931 - Charles W. Cobb ‘97 1932 - John J. Bishop 1932-1946 - Ralph H. Oatley ‘22 1946-1948 - Temporary hiatus for World War II 1948-1950 - Henry G. Mishkin 1951-1953 - Robert K. Beckwith 1954-1958 - Charles W. Ludington 1958-1962 - James Heywood Alexander 1963 (spring) - Charles M. Fassett 1963 (fall) - Bruce Archibald 1963-1985 - Bruce McInnes 1985-1986 - Mallorie Chernin and William McCorkle 1986–2018 - Mallorie Chernin 2018 (spring) - Gregory W. Brown 2018–Present - Arianne Abela
References
External links Glee Club website maintained by Amherst College Student maintained Glee Club website