The Cornell University Glee Club (CUGC), founded in 1868, is the oldest student organization at Cornell University. The CUGC is a thirty-nine member chorus for tenor and bass voices, with repertoire including classical, folk, 20th-century music, and traditional Cornell songs. The Glee Club also performs major works with the Cornell University Chorus such as Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Handel's Messiah, and Bach's Mass in B Minor.

Achievements Performances at two American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conventions as an auditioned choir: the 2008 ACDA Eastern Division Convention in Hartford, CT, and the 2009 ACDA National Convention in Oklahoma City, OK. First American collegiate ensemble to tour the Soviet Union, traveled to the Soviet Union and England from December 1960 to January 1961.:126 Performed for national television and radio on such networks as Television Moscow, BBC, Educational Television Network, Radio Leningrad, Frankfurt Radio Network, Television Singapura, PBS, NBC, and others. Notable appearances include: the Kate Smith TV Hour (1951), The Perry Como Show (1954), Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion (1997),Prairie Home Companion Episode Guide and The Price Is Right (1999).View the Glee Club on The Price Is Right Frequent domestic and international tours have traveled to over thirty-five states and nearly thirty countries across four continents. First group to bring the Franz Biebl Ave Maria' from Germany to the United States after meeting the composer during a recording session on the 1970 tour of Germany.Program notes by Dr. Wilbur Skeels detailing the Ave Maria's history Three month tour through East Asia in 1966 on an all-expense-paid tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department."1966 Cornell Glee Club alumni celebrate historic Asian tour with Homecoming performance" 1989 tour of China was the focus of the PBS documentary Geographical Fugue.Link to the bio of writer/producer/director Dan Booth First published history of an American collegiate choral ensemble, Songs from the Hill: A History of the Cornell University Glee Club by Michael Slon, Class of 1992, was published in 1998.

Directors

1889–1921: Hollis Ellsworth Dann 1921–1942: Eric Sydney Dudley 1942–1945: John Marinus Kuypers 1945–1946: Paul John Weaver 1946–1957: Thomas Brodhead Tracy '31 1957–1995: Thomas Andrew Sokol 1995–2012: Scott Arthur Tucker 2013–2020: Robert Isaacs 2022–present: Joe Lerangis

International tours

The CUGC has performed as an ensemble in twenty-five countries. 1895 – England 1954 – Mexico 1960–1961 – Soviet Union and England 1963 – England 1966 – East Asia: Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Okinawa (now part of Japan), South Korea, and Japan 1970 – Germany 1972 – Eastern Europe: Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia 1979 – England 1982 – England 1989 – Singapore, Hong Kong, and China: Shanghai and Beijing 1992 – France, Spain, and Switzerland 1993 – Great Lakes with visit to Toronto, Canada 2001 – Venezuela (with the Cornell University Chorus) 2004 – Brazil 2008 – China (with the Cornell University Chorus) 2012 – United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) 2016 – Guatemala and Mexico (with the Cornell University Chorus) 2020 – Pacific Northwest with visits to Victoria and Vancouver, Canada (with the Cornell University Chorus) 2024 – Northeast United States with visit to Montreal, Canada (with the Cornell University Chorus) 2025 – Switzerland and Austria (with the Cornell University Chorus)

Premieres

The Glee Club has given the world and American premieres of many works for male chorus, written by a variety of notable composers.

World premieres include works by: Maximilian Albrecht: Exsultet Sanctus (1962) Karel Husa: Festive Ode (1964), The Apotheosis of this Earth (1972, revised 1990) Robert Palmer: Nabuchodonosor Rex (1964) Ned Rorem: Laudemus Tempus Actum (1964) Juan Orrego-Salas: Cantata (1966) David Conte: Canticle (1982), Requiem Triptych (1983), Carmina Juventutis (1993), Crossing the Bar (2010) Steven Stucky: To Musick (2000) Joseph Gregorio: Dona Nobis Pacem (2003) Ernani Aguiar: Missa Brevis III (2004) Augusta Read Thomas: The Rewaking (2005) Julian Wachner: Four Scenes from the Rubaiyat (2006) Kay Rhie: Tears for Te Wano (2006) Chen Yi and Steven Stucky: Two Chinese Folk Songs (2007) (Joint commission with the Cornell Chorus for the 2008 China Tour) Bernard Rands: Trinity (2008) Benjamin May: Absalon, fili mi (2009) Daniel Kellogg: Innisfree (2009) and Winter Lullaby (2009) David Lefkowitz: Four Rubaiyat (2010) Roberto Sierra: Cantares (2015) (Joint commission with the Cornell Chorus for the university's sesquicentennial anniversary) Sydney Guillaume: Kanpe La (2016) Anders Edenroth: In the Beginning (2017) American premieres include works by: Carl Orff: Comoedeia de Christi Resurrectione (1962) Bohuslav Martinů: Prophecy of Isaiah (1968), Field Mass (1970) Anton Reicha: Te Deum (1974), Die Harmonie der Sphären (1974)

Commissioning Endowment In 2005, the Glee Club established the Thomas A. Sokol Commissioning Endowment in recognition of the 75th birthday of Director Emeritus Thomas Sokol. The proceeds help fund an annual commission from a well-known composer of a new work (or works), typically premiered by the Glee Club during the fall Homecoming weekend concert. Sokol Commission recipients to date include:

Augusta Read Thomas: The Rewaking (2005) Julian Wachner: Four Scenes from the Rubaiyat (2006) Chen Yi and Steven Stucky: Two Chinese Folk Songs (2007) (Joint commission with the Cornell Chorus for the 2008 China Tour) Bernard Rands: Trinity (2008) Daniel Kellogg: Innisfree (2009) and Winter Lullaby (2009) David Lefkowitz: Four Rubaiyat (2010) Shulamit Ran: Sonnet 73 (2011) Alan Fletcher: I saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing (2012) Toby Twining: Lincoln the Musician (2013) Christopher Cerrone: Not One Word (2014) Jens Klimek: Outstare the Stars (2015) Sydney Guillaume: Kanpe La (2016) Anders Edenroth: In the Beginning (2017) Julia Adolphe, Safiya Sinclair: Falling Water (2018) Daniel Reza Sabzghabaei: Omīd (2023)

Recordings

Alma Mater and Cornell, Columbia Phonograph Company No. A-1503, (1914, 78 RPM)Cornell Daily Sun, Columbia Records by the Glee Club, January 5, 1914, Page 1 Alma Mater and Crew Song (1929, 78 RPM), Victor Records No. 21934 – also includes orchestral selectionsCornell Daily Sun, Record Made By Music Clubs Now Available, April 26, 1929, Page 2Cornell Daily Sun, Advertisement by Lent's Music Store, April 26, 1929, Page 7Victor Discography, Matrix BVE-51129, Alma mater / Cornell University. Glee Club; Eric Dudley (identifies recording date as April 5, 1929, at Liederkranz Hall in New York City, with ensemble consisting of 7 first tenors, 9 second tenors, 8 baritones, and 8 basses) Cornell Songs (1940, 3-disc set of 12" records) – includes two discs by the Glee Club and a third by the ChimesCornell Daily Sun, Cornell Chimes Records On Sale, October 8, 1940, Page 1 Cornell Alumni Association ( – 1957, 78 RPM Maxi Single) – Includes four songs by Cornell Glee Club: "Alma Mater," "Evening Song," "Crew Song," and "Cornell." No date given. Thomas B. Tracy '31, Director. Matrix/Catalog #XP 40581 / XP 40582. Cornell Music (1950s, 33 RPM LP) – includes selections by Glee Club, Chimes, and Concert Band During the 1950s, the Glee Club released recordings on a near-annual basis through the Cornell Recording Society.Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell Establishment Produces Own Records, April 20, 1954, Page 6 Songs of Cornell (19XX, 33 RPM LP) Songs of Cornell (19XX, compact disc) A Concert of Cathedral Music (1992, compact disc) – Recorded live during the 1992 Tour of Spain, France and Switzerland Echos From The Walls (1997, compact disc) Pacem (2006, compact disc) Last Letter Home (2011, compact disc and electronic release) Songs of Cornell (2015, compact disc – jointly with Cornell Chorus, featuring Cornell Symphony Orchestra and pianists Michael Slon and John Rowehl)

Miscellaneous

The seal Adopted as the official emblem of the Glee Club by Thomas A. Sokol shortly after he became director, the CUGC seal features the head of Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetry. It also recalls the well-known glee Glorious Apollo by Samuel Webbe.:261–262

Quotes

"The excellent impression made by the 60 young men was of a finely finished vocalism from beginning to end of their a cappella program."

Robert P. Commanday, music critic of The San Francisco Chronicle from 1965 to 1993, in a San Francisco Classical Voice review of the Glee Club's performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on January 8, 2011.

"Throw out all stereotypes. The Cornell University Glee Club has developed a virtuosic choral sound that has far more in common with the King's Singers than 40 guys with a keg."

Alfred Thigpen of The Washington Postin a review of the Glee Club's performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 2010.

"I want to send you my heartiest congratulations on your superb singing...I do not exaggerate when I say you made choral history, and I hope sincerely that before long we can again make music together."

Eugene Ormandy, in a letter to the Glee Club and Chorus, after conducting a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony by the Glee Club, Chorus, and Philadelphia Orchestra on October 9th and 10th, 1962.:130

"This is the most exciting moment in my eight years as Governor of New York."

Nelson Rockefeller after hearing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony performed by the Cornell Glee Club, Chorus, and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy for the opening of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, August 4, 1966.:131

A cappella subsets

The Hangovers

The Hangovers, established in 1968, have been the official a cappella subset of the Glee Club for over forty years.Summary of the Hangovers' connection with the Cornell University Glee Club at the Glee Club's web site.Hangovers Perform Across Europe , The Cornell Daily Sun, 8/26/2002. The Hangovers' repertoire consists mainly of popular songs arranged for a cappella by members and alumni of the group, but they also perform traditional Cornell songs,"Keeping Cornell's Traditions Alive," The Cornell Daily Sun, 10/14/2003. as well as selections from the Glee Club repertoire on occasion.Hangovers' Frequently Asked Questions page at hangovers.com

The Hangovers have two major on-campus concerts every year, one in the Fall and one in the late Spring. The Fall concert has been named Fall Tonic since 1980, while the spring concert (produced since 1993) is known as Happy Hour.

Performances and tours take place around campus, around the country, and around the world. These efforts are undertaken in addition to the performances and travels that Hangovers members are also involved in as members of the Glee Club (see above). The Hangovers' first solo tour was to Bermuda in 1971, with subsequent tours undertaken to Antigua, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and Switzerland.The Hangovers' tour log at hangovers.com, chronicling recent European tours The ensemble also records periodically, and has released thirteen albums.

Earlier subset history Prior to The Hangovers, the Glee Club spawned several spinoff a cappella subsets in the second half of the 20th century as collegiate a cappella emerged as a popular form of music.

Cayuga's Waiters (1949–1956) disassociated from Glee Club in 1956; existed independently through 2017 The Sherwoods (1956–1958) removed from Glee Club in 1958; existed independently through 1973 alumni often perform during Cornell Reunions weekend Glee Club Eight / Glee Club Octaves (1958–1966) The Hangovers (1968–present) continue to tour and perform within the CUGC and separately as the official a cappella subset Leftovers (1971–1972) merged with The Hangovers in 1972

The Sherwoods