TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Collection Overview

Restrictions

Online Catalog Headings

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: Glee Club programs, 1869-1972

Series 2: Christmas Candlelight Concert programs, 1930-1984

Guide to the Glee Club and Christmas Candlelight Concert Programs, 1869 - 1984

Special Collections and Archives
Olin Library
Wesleyan University
252 Church Street
Middletown, CT 06457 USA
(860) 685-3864
(860) 685-2661
Email: sca@wesleyan.edu
URL: http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/schome/

Biographical Note

The Wesleyan University Glee Club was first organized in 1846, although the group did not meet regularly until the late 1860s. The Glee Club began to travel in 1862 with a tour beginning in Middletown, Connecticut. The final concert of this tour was held on the summit of Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The group began traveling by rail in 1884 on their first tour to Chicago. On the Glee Club's annual tours (often during winter or Easter break), they frequently visited Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Massachusetts. They were the first college glee club to make a phonograph recording in 1890 at the invitation of Thomas Edison. In 1901, they traveled to Washington, D.C. where they were received by President McKinley in the White House. The Glee Club again traveled to the White House in 1928 to meet President Coolidge. In both 1926 and 1927, Wesleyan won the glee club national championship, which was held in Carnegie Hall.

The annual Christmas candlelight concert was first held in the Wesleyan's Memorial Chapel in 1928. From the 1960s until 1972, the concert was performed by both the Glee Club and the Chapel Choir. In 1972, the concert was performed jointly by the Concert Choir and the Chapel Choir, and by 1974, the Concert Choir was the only group that performed at the candlelight concerts. The Glee Club disappeared from campus during the early 1970s.

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Collection Overview

The collection is housed in two boxes. The first box is made up of Glee Club programs and announcements of the concerts from 1869 to 1923. The second box has later Glee Club concert programs and announcements, from 1926 to 1972. It also includes programs of the annual Christmas candlelight concert held in the chapel. Most of Glee Club concerts took place off-campus and are programs from these concerts are not included in this collection; however, every year until about the 1940s, the Glee Club held a mid-winter concert and a commencement concert on-campus, and programs for these performances are included. Beginning around the 1960s, the Glee Club participated in more performances with other glee clubs or other choirs, particularly from women's schools (mostly Wheaton College and Smith College). In working with the women's choirs, the groups often selected music from a previously-written production and held performances at both of the participating schools, which is noted on the programs.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Copyright Notice

Copyright for Official University records is held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Glee Club and Christmas Candlelight Concert Programs, Collection #1000-166, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Transferred to University Archives prior to 1997.

Processing Information

Processed by Kate Levy, October 2008

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, November 2008

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Detailed Description of the Collection