Radcliffe Choral Society

Elizabeth Cary Agassiz appointed Marie Gallison to organize and direct a choir open to all Radcliffe students in 1898. The Radcliffe Choral Society began performing in 1899. An earlier choir, the Radcliffe Glee Club, founded c. 1890, had been an exclusive organization. Under the leadership of Archibald Davison (1915-1925), who prefered the sound of a mixed-choir, the Radcliffe Choral Society began to perform with the Harvard Glee Club. Other conductors included G. Wallace Woodworth, 1925-58, Elliot Forbes, 1958-70, F. John Adams, 1970-74, Priscilla Chapman, 1974-79 and Beverly J. Taylor 1979-95. From 1969-74 the RCS was a part of the H/R Collegium Musicum. Since only a fraction of the RCS members could participate in the Collegium Musicum, the remaining singers formed the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus. In 1974, a number of Radcliffe students in the Collegium Musicum proposed the reinstitution of the Radcliffe Choral Society as an independent choral group. Like the founders of the original Radcliffe Choral Society, they sought to provide more opportunities for Radcliffe women to sing. In 1976, the Radcliffe Choral Society divorced itself from the Collegium Musicum and reestablished itself as an independent choir. As a result of this choral reorganization, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum became more selective, the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus was eliminated, and the Harvard Glee Club gained a counterpart choir. Although it has remained an independent group, the Radcliffe Choral Society has also continued to benefit musically from its participation in joint performances with Harvard-Radcliffe's other musical societies.

From the guide to the Records, 1907-1998, (Radcliffe College Archives, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)