The Purdue Varsity Glee Club is one of the principal vocal groups of Purdue University. It sings a wide variety of music comprising novelty, patriotic, classical, inspirational, jazz, pop, and barbershop genres. The group currently consists of roughly 60-70 tenors and basses, includes a live accompanying band, and is one of six ensembles associated with Purdue Musical Organizations. In the fall of 2018, the Purdue Varsity Glee Club celebrated its 125th anniversary.
The Purdue Varsity Glee Club was founded in 1893 with 11 members, under the direction of Lafayette organist Cyrus Dadswell. At the time, Purdue University was an agricultural and engineering school without a strong musical tradition. [1] In 1910, under the direction of Edward J. Wotawa, the Glee Club composed the fight song “Hail Purdue”, originally titled "Purdue War Song". [1] During the 1920s and 1930s, directors Paul Smith and Albert Stewart led and expanded the organization. [2]
Al Stewart was refused funding by the university president, [1] thus early funding came from Indianapolis pharmaceutical magnate, Josiah K. Lilly Sr. Lacking regular rehearsal space, the organization was considered a campus orphan. [1] Lillian Stewart, wife of then comptroller R.B. Stewart, offered her living room as rehearsal space. However, as the Glee Club gathered more admirers, University President Edward C. Elliot yielded and formalized Al Stewart's position, hired a staff, and provided rehearsal space.
The first official space for the Glee Club was in the “Music Penthouse,” the top floor of University Hall, [1] but eventually dedicated rehearsal, office and equipment space was provided over 5 floors in the southwest corner of the newly built Purdue Hall of Music. After decades in the Hall of Music, Ralph and Bettye Bailey Hall was built at the corner of Grant Street and Northwestern Avenue specifically for Purdue Musical Organizations, whose ensembles moved there in 2014. The building was built primarily with private donations. [3]
Tradition is considered a major aspect of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. Members are required keep their hair short and their faces clean-shaven. [2] The standard attire for most performances is a traditional white tie full dress tuxedo. Alternatively, blue sports coats and gold ties are occasionally worn, usually only featured at certain occasions. During casual events, the group wears matching "travel attire" consisting of jeans, white sneakers, a Purdue Varsity Glee Club polo, and a track jacket. Members must also maintain credible academic grades and have "excellence in character." [4] Additional traditions are listed as follows:
The Glee Club's primary tradition is excellence in academics and character. The Purdue Varsity Glee Club boasts a long history of producing courteous and respectful gentlemen[ citation needed ].
The Purdusirs is a leadership group composed of juniors and seniors. Each "sir" leads a committee. Such committees change frequently, but usually include Advancement, Public Relations, Properties, Rehearsal Room Lounge & Transportation, Scholarship, Recruitment, Merchandise, Social Media, and Performance Preparation. Additionally, a manager and assistant manager oversee the entire glee club. Each sir is distinguishable by gold and black ribbons worn across the chest of their full dress.
The Purdusires is a parallel organization composed of administration, faculty, and staff members. Each "sire" is individually assigned to a committee and acts as an advisor to their respective committee.
Members of the Glee Club spend a short time mingling with audience members after performances. [2] This allows the singers to show their appreciation as well as to connect with interested individuals.
White carnation boutonnières are traditionally worn by the Glee Club with the full dress attire. [2] After a performance, traditionally, each member pins his carnation on the woman of his choice. [2]
The medallions worn by the Glee Club were originally furnished by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in gratitude for charity work. [4] In 1990, the NMSS discontinued the production of these medallions. [4] In the fall of 1991, however, the Glee Club acquired new medallions with the Purdue seal on the front and Glee Club Pete on the back, commemorating the group's upcoming centennial (1893–1993). The Purdue seal has two prominent features. The griffin symbolizes strength in medieval heraldry. The three part shield represents education, research, and service.
During their last season with the Glee Club, graduating members are given the opportunity to recognize two important people in their lives by presenting them with a lavalier.
Glee Club Pete is the traditional mascot of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. It is a variant of the university's official mascot, Purdue Pete, wearing a top hat and full dress uniform similar to that of the Glee Club.
The symbol originated as a joke in 1954, when Al Stewart and the Glee Club were performing for the Rotary Club of North Manchester, Indiana. One of the men of the Rotary Club by the name of Slim Warren took the traditional Purdue Pete and made a few modifications. Slim fashioned a 4-foot replica of Pete dressed in the complete Glee Club full-dress outfit and positioned him at the side of the stage. Stewart and the Glee Club took up a liking with the modified Purdue Pete so much that they adopted him as their official mascot. [5]
The Purdue Varsity Glee Club has traveled throughout the continental United States, and abroad to Europe and also to China, the South Pacific, and South Africa. The Glee Club embarked in May 2017 on tour of Poland and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Their most recent trip in May 2019 included a two-week tour of Scotland and the United Kingdom with the Purdue Bells. As ambassadors, the Glee Club shares and represents the university's name and image all over the world.
The Purdue Varsity Glee Club is featured in the Purdue Christmas Show, a seasonal performance that takes place in the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music.
The first Christmas Show was held in 1933 in Fowler Hall. There are multiple performances of the Purdue Christmas show each year over the first weekend in December. The Christmas show is made up of performances by the Varsity Glee Club, the Purduettes, the Purdue Bells, University Choir, Heart & Soul, PMO Kids Choir and the All Campus and Community Chorale.
Construction on the sets for the Christmas show begins in the summer. It takes three months to build the set, and two weeks to put it on stage and fine tune the songs. Hundreds of gallons of paint and nearly 1,000 yards of fabric are used to create the sets, props, floor drop, screens, and the custom curtain.
Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people.
A glee club in the United States is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition to have in American high schools from then on.
Collegiate a cappella ensembles are college-affiliated singing groups, primarily in the United States, and, increasingly, the United Kingdom and Ireland, that perform entirely without musical instruments. The groups are typically composed of, operated by, and directed by students. In the context of collegiate a cappella, the term a cappella typically also refers to the music genre performed by pop-centric student singing groups. Consequently, an ensemble that sings unaccompanied classical music may not be considered an a cappella group, even though technically it is performing a cappella.
Volendam is a tourist town in the municipality of Edam-Volendam, province of North Holland, Netherlands, known for its streets, old fishing boats and the traditional clothing worn by some residents. The women's costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognizable of the Dutch traditional costumes, and is often featured on tourist postcards and posters. As of 1 January 2021, it has a population of 22,715. It is twinned with Coventry, England.
A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated. The term rehearsal typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people. For example, when a musician is preparing a piano concerto in their music studio, this is called practising, but when they practice it with an orchestra, this is called a rehearsal. The music rehearsal takes place in a music rehearsal space.
The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club is an all-male glee club at the University of Michigan. With roots tracing back to 1859, it is the second oldest glee club in the United States and is the oldest student organization at the university. The club has won the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on four separate occasions. Since 2018, the Club's musical director has been Mark Stover, who has continued to expand the Club's repertoire and arranged performances.
"Hail Purdue!" is the official fight song of Purdue University. The lyrics were written in about 1912 by James R. Morrison, and set to music by Edward S. Wotawa. The completed song was published in 1913, initially titled "Purdue War Song". It was dedicated to the Purdue Varsity Glee Club, of which Wotawa was a student member and director. Until the adoption of the Purdue Hymn as the university anthem in 1993, it frequently served as both fight song and alma mater, being played on ceremonial occasions such as commencements.
Formed in 1845, the Holy Cross Goodtime Marching Band is one of the oldest organizations at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, and one of the oldest college bands in the United States. The Crusaders Marching Band first began performing at football games in 1910 and the band's role has expanded significantly since to include other athletic appearances, performing at all home football games, selected away games, in exhibition at high school band competitions, and at various events throughout the country. In the spring, the marching band converts into the Holy Cross Crusader Pep Band and plays at all home basketball games, and travels with the teams to the NCAA tournament. The Marching Band performs at Fitton Field while the Pep Band plays in the Hart Center.
The Virginia Glee Club is a men's chorus based at the University of Virginia. It performs both traditional and contemporary vocal works typically in TTBB arrangements. Founded in 1871, the Glee Club is the university's oldest musical organization and one of the oldest all-male collegiate vocal ensembles in the United States. It is currently conducted by Frank Albinder.
The Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band (ISUCF'V'MB) is the marching band of Iowa State University. Also known as the Cyclone Marching Band (CMB), it is nicknamed the "Pride of Iowa State", the "Best of the Midwest", and the "Varsity Band". The band performs in support of the Iowa State Cyclones football team at all home games and at some away games versus Big 12 Conference rivals. The band plays at high school band festivals, indoor concerts, and post-season bowl games.
The Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band is the marching band of Louisiana State University (LSU). The band has 325 members and performs at all LSU football home games, all bowl games, and away games.
The Virginia Gentlemen (VGs) is a lower voices collegiate a cappella group and the oldest a cappella group at the University of Virginia. The group was founded in 1953 as an elite octet of the Virginia Glee Club. Since establishing independence from the Virginia Glee Club in 1987, the group has continued to perform a mix of contemporary pop and classic vocal music.
Purdue Pete is a mascot of Purdue University. Despite his on-field presence at Purdue sporting events, Pete is only the athletic mascot of the university, and the official mascot of Purdue University is the Boilermaker Special.
The Georgia Tech Glee Club is an a cappella singing group founded in 1906 at the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is a student-run glee club currently directed by Dr. Jerry Ulrich. The Glee Club sings all original arrangements and compositions arranged by Dr. Ulrich and by members of the group.
Lee Pelty was an American musical theatre actor, best known for his performances in numerous productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La Mancha, 1776, and more. Because of audience demand, Pelty most frequently appeared to sold-out crowds at the Old Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Chicago.
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