Glee Club Winds up

Close of a Successful Year

The Glee Club rose to a climax with the combined M.M.C., Orchestra and Glee Club concert held on Tuesday last. As, at time of writing, we are unwilling to report this in advance, we confine ourselves to a few conclusions on the general success of the club in 1944.

Numerically, the Glee Club has not attained the 1942 membership of thirty, but has been more successful than last year, with its dozen or so members and Insufficient "women to go round. In truth, the president now finds the situation highly satisfactory. Whether this slight decrease is significant or part of a yearly trend it is hard to say. A little speculation is therefore in order. It may perhaps be that the sugar with which the club now attracts its members is rather less sweet and unrefined than that of 1942. Compare 1942 songs: "Lords of the Air." "To Sylvia," "Jerusalem," "Eriskay Love Lilt." with those of 1944: "The Crown of Roses" (Tschaikowsky), and chorales by Bach. This is obviously treacle compared with Sucrose recryst. Merck.

Another reason may be that the standard demanded by the conductor, Mr. A. A. Alpers, is considerably higher than before. In fact the club is fortunate in having the services and enthusiasm of a Mus. Bach. However, the aim of a glee club is to get together and have fun making fairly sweet sounds. If the club's singing is mediocre, but pleasing to the singers, that aim has been fulfilled. If the members are pushed and urged (and there are times when every conductor must use coercion) into singing better than their usual, but are not enjoying the fun, then that aim is not so well fulfilled. It may be said of the Glee Club this year that there is less glee about it.

Some members of the club would have enjoyed a little close harmony, a la Tex Benete, Marion Hutton and the Modernaires, but this came to nothing, partly because no Hot Contralto came forward. It is to be hoped that all those contraltos in the college who did not come forward will feel personally responsible for this failure

The fact that the Club has had an active membership of fifteen to twenty shows, however, that there has been enjoyment enough; indeed it might be argued that the absence of those files whom only treacle ensnares is no loss. As the conductor could further point out numbers are not important (beyond a minimum of eight persona for four-part singing) if members will turn up every time. Therein lies the flaw. How nervewracking it would be for Mr. Benge to know that his absence would leave the club without a tenor.