The Yale Glee Club performs with Harvard's singers on Nov. 19.

Yale, Harvard Glee Clubs mark century
of making harmony on eve of 'The Game'

The rivalry between Yale and Harvard is legendary, both on the football field and off, but students from both schools will come together in harmony for the 100th time on the eve of The Game in the joint Yale-Harvard Glee Club concert. The tradition of staging a concert the night before the annual football contest began in 1901, and it made front-page news on both campuses at the time. Only twice in all the years has the concert been canceled -- once, during World War II, and again on Nov. 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated. (See related story.) The Yale and Harvard Glee Clubs will hold this year's combined concert on Friday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. in Woolsey Hall, corner of College and Grove streets. Admision is free for Yale and Harvard undergraduates with I.D.; Tickets for all others are $10 and can be purchased at the box office on the night of the concert. Hundreds of alumni of both choruses are expected to attend and lend their voices to the traditional concert finale: the singing, in unison, of both school songs, "Bright College Years" and "Fair Harvard." The Yale singers will perform several pieces written and arranged for the College, including "Eli Yale," "Neath the Elms" and a medley of football songs. They will also perform the traditional student song "Gaudeamus Igitur," "Lark" and "Promise of Living" by Aaron Copland, a motet by Monteverdi, several spirituals, and "The Lamb," with words by William Blake and music by long-time Yale Glee Club director Fenno Heath. David H. Connell is the conductor. The Harvard Glee Club will perform Heath's arrangement of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" as well as folk songs and religious music by Dufay, Biebl, and Sandstrom. Constance DeFotis conducts the group. The Yale Freshman Chorus, directed by Pamela Getnick, and the Yale Glee Club Chamber Singers, directed by Daniel Tapia-Santiago, will also perform at the concert. The Yale Glee Club, which gave its first concert in 1861, currently has 86 members and about 2,200 living alumni, all of whom have been invited to the concert and to a "singing" dinner in Commons beforehand. Distinguished past members include composer Cole Porter, actor Vincent Price, radio host Lanny Ross, U.S. senators Prescott Bush and James Symington, anti-war activist the Reverend William Sloan Coffin and philanthropist Frederick Rose. Among those expected to attend this year's performance are Fenno Heath (Class of 1949), who directed the Glee Club from 1953 to 1992, and Ben Cutler (Class of 1926), who played varsity football and sang in the Glee Club while at Yale, and whose solo rendition of "Serenade" has long been a highlight of the concert. -- By Gila Reinstein T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Bulldogs gear up for 'The Game' Donoghue, biodiversity expert, will join EEB Study proves aspirin alone prevents future heart attacks Academy of the Arts pays tribute to Stern Environmental Law Institute lauds Speth Yale moves forward with biomedical engineering program Columbia's Chase named deputy dean of medical education Endowed Professorships Nobel Peace Prize winner to take part in discussion of East Timor Veteran White House correspondent to give Poynter Lecture Long history of legends surrounds 'The Game' Yale, Harvard Glee Clubs mark century of making harmony on eve of 'The Game' Study reveals why 'Lonesome George' snubs potential mates Noted alumnus describes 'dramatic' changes in the world of sports Architect Libeskind tells how he conveyed 'the real' and 'the invisible' in new Jewish Museum of Berlin Bone loss from steroid use is easily preventable, says Insogna Medical school auction to benefit homelessness, hunger programs People with OCD can find support in group therapy Annual tour will showcase area hotel accommodations Yale affiliates to present talks off campus Event offers tips on how to have tough discussions . . In the News . . . Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus| Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page