Suppressed Glee

The Glee Club decided last year to sponsor a singing group for freshmen. Its objectives were to train a reservoir of singers for possible future membership in the Club and to allow more students--particularly freshmen--to participate in an organized chorus. The venture proved successful. With more than 100 freshmen singing regularly, the new chorus completed a full schedule of concerts with virtually no financial loss to its parent organization.

More than 90 percent of those in last year's freshman group have competed for positions in the Glee Club this fall. Altogether, a record 317 students took the voice trials last week for provisional membership in the Club, which has room for only about 25 additional members. The necessary thinning of ranks will leave a large group of students, many with trained voices, unable to find membership in any singing group.

The Glee Club has apparently done its work too well. By sponsoring the freshman group, it obtained a reservoir of trained voices which it can never possibly-use. It also interested a great many students in choral work who now have no chance to continue singing. The three regular upperclass singing groups--the Dunster Dunces, the Krokodiloes, and the Bach Society Chorus-- are entirely different from the Glee Club. They are much smaller. Moreover, the special choruses which sing in operetta performances throughout the year often consist largely of regular Glee Club members.

Because of the great number of applicants for its 25 open places, the Glee Club itself is in a very healthy position. But many of its aspirants who failed to qualify are now stranded without a group to sing for. Through its sponsorship of the freshman chorus it has greatly increaser participation in choral singing at Harvard. Since the Club cannot enlarge its present membership and still remain a well-disciplined group, it should also sponsor a chorus for upperclassmen, similar to the freshman organization. The overflow could then continue to sing. Only the Glee Club has the necessary organization, recourses and contacts to put such an upperclass group on a permanent footing.