Radcliffe choral society

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Radcliffe Choral Society, a women's choral group, was founded in 1899 by Marie Gallison, disbanded in 1969, and reconstituted in 1974.

From the description of Records, 1907-1998 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 406340144

The oldest women’s organization at Radcliffe and one of the oldest women’s choirs in the nation, the Radcliffe Choral Society was founded in 1899. The choir, open to all Radcliffe students, was established and directed by Marie Gallison at the urging of President Elizabeth Cary Agassiz. In 1912, the Society joined the Harvard University Choir for Harvard's first annual Christmas carol service, conducted by Archibald Davison. Davison began conducting the Society in 1915, and under his leadership the Society began performing regularly with the all-male Harvard Glee Club and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Other directors of the Society included G. Wallace Woodworth (1925-1958), Elliot Forbes (1958-1970), F. John Adams (1970-1974), Priscilla Chapman (1974-1979), Beverly J. Taylor (1979-1995) and Jameson Marvin (1995- ).

In 1955, the Radcliffe Freshman Chorus was established. Led by a conductor appointed by the Society conductor and open only to Radcliffe first years, the Chorus was intended to provide training for future choral members; Chorus members became provisional choral members in their sophomore year. A child of the Choral Society, and created at the annual discretion of the Choral Council, the Chorus operated independently under the management of the Society and with Choral funding. The Freshman Chorus was superseded in 1968 by the creation of the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, open to singers from all classes and graduate students but still intended to provide training in choral music for those with little experience.

In the fall of 1971, coinciding with the partial merger of Harvard University and Radcliffe Colleges, the Society evolved into the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, a mixed-voice and audition-based choral group, which also drew members from the Harvard Glee Club. Since not all Society members could join Collegium Musicum, the remaining members joined the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus. In 1974, however, the Society was reinstated as a separate all-female chorus from the Collegium; the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus was dissolved. (A new Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus was established in 1979).

Today, the Radcliffe Choral Society, along with the Harvard Glee Club, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum and the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus, form the Holden Choirs . The Society also now features an all-female a cappella group called the ‘Cliffe Notes.

From the guide to the Records of the Radcliffe Choral Society, and, 1957-1970, 1976-1986, (Harvard University Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Radcliffe Choral Society. Records, 1907-1998 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Gallison, Marie Reuter, 1861-. Memoir, 1949. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Lynch, Audry. Scrapbooks, 1951-1985 (inclusive), 1951-1955 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College student government associations collection, 1896-1979 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean of Residence. Records of the Office of the Dean of Residence, 1925-1971 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Shepherd, Elizabeth Crampton Booth, 1914-. Scrapbook, 1932-1936 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Dean, 1964-1981 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Doyle, Margaret Young. Scrapbook, 1938-1941 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Archibald Thompson Davison Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Horner, Matina. Records of the President of Radcliffe College: Series 5, 1972-1989 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean. Records of the Office of the Dean, 1964-1981 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Chase, Mary Anderson. Papers, 1937-1988 (inclusive), 1937-1940 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Moore, Marjorie Hill. Papers of Marjorie Hill Moore, 1949-1995 (inclusive), 1949-1953 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Alumnae Association. Class collections, 1890-1985 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1910-1959 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College student activities collection, 1882-1998 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Dunbar, Dorothea, 1893-1975. Scrapbook, 1910-1914. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Archibald, Mary Ernst, 1882-1975. Scrapbook, 1899-1903 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the President of Radcliffe College, 1960-1972 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Elliot Forbes Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Brooks, Eleanor Stabler, 1892-1986. Papers, 1917-1985 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Vickery, Thyra. Radcliffe Choral Society admission certificate, n.d. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College student government associations collection, 1896-1979 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Class collections, 1890-1989 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Munroe, Katharine Langdon, 1891-1956. Papers, 1910-1971 (inclusive), 1910-1912 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Lillian A.Friedberg papers Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Lorna Sagendorph Trowbridge scrapbook Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Dean, 1955-1978 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Zoltan, Edith Windsor, 1927-2003. Papers of Edith Windsor Zoltan, 1943-1949. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Worth, Helen Henderson, 1895-1954. Scrapbook, 1912-1916 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Noelle B. Beatty Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean. Records of the Office of the Dean, 1954-1988 (inclusive), 1972-1988 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Allen, Annie Winsor, 1902-. Papers, 1920-1958 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Montgomery, Eleanor Gilbert, 1896-1996. Papers, 1919-1995 (bulk: 1914-1938) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Dean of Residence, 1925-1971 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Cobb, Madeline W. Papers, 1913-1967 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Mariner, Marion Waters, 1900-. Scrapbook, 1919-1923 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Hildreth, Dorothy Elizabeth, 1894-1980. Scrapbook, 1912-1921 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the President of Radcliffe College, 1972-1989 Radcliffe College Archives, Radcliffe Institute
referencedIn Radcliffe College student activities collection, 1882-1998 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Class of 1932. Scrapbooks and papers, 1928-1984 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1905-2001 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Trusted, Jennifer. Memoir, 2007. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Records of the Radcliffe Choral Society, and, 1957-1970, 1976-1986 Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Osborne, Elizabeth. Papers, 1912-1916 inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Radcliffe College. Class of 1946. Records, 1943-1996 (inclusive). Radcliffe College, Archives
referencedIn Moore, Elizabeth Weichel, 1925-. Papers, 1929-2007 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Otto Luening collection of non-commercial sound recordings [sound recording], 1950-1983 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Papers, 1917-1985 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Willett, Mary Sherman. Scrapbook of Mary Sherman Willett, 1927-1962 (inclusive), 1927-1931(bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, F. John. person
associatedWith Allen, Annie Winsor, 1902- person
associatedWith Archibald, Mary Ernst, 1882-1975. person
associatedWith Beatty, Noelle B. person
associatedWith Brooks, Eleanor Stabler, 1892-1986. person
associatedWith Bunting, Mary Ingraham, 1910- person
associatedWith Chase, Mary Anderson. person
associatedWith Cobb, Madeline W. person
associatedWith Davison, Archibald T. 1883-1961. person
associatedWith Doyle, Margaret Young. person
associatedWith Dunbar, Dorothea, 1893-1975. person
associatedWith Eleanor Gilbert Montgomery, 1896- person
associatedWith Eleanor Stabler Brooks person
associatedWith Elliot Forbes' person
associatedWith Forbes, Elliot. person
associatedWith Friedberg, Lillian A. (Lillian Adlow), 1897- person
associatedWith Gallison, Marie (Reuter) person
associatedWith Gallison, Marie Reuter, 1861- person
associatedWith Hildreth, Dorothy Elizabeth, 1894-1980. person
associatedWith Horner, Matina. person
associatedWith Luening, Otto, 1900-1996 person
associatedWith Lynch, Audry. person
associatedWith Marie Reuter Gallison person
associatedWith Mariner, Marion Waters, 1900- person
associatedWith Mary Bunting) person
associatedWith Matina Horner person
associatedWith Moore, Elizabeth Weichel, 1925- person
associatedWith Moore, Marjorie Hill. person
associatedWith Morgan, Anne Murray, 1925- person
associatedWith Munroe, Katharine Langdon, 1891-1956. person
associatedWith Osborne, Elizabeth. person
associatedWith Radcliffe College corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Alumnae Association. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Class of 1932. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Class of 1946. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean. corporateBody
associatedWith Radcliffe College. Office of the Dean of Residence. corporateBody
associatedWith Shepherd, Elizabeth Crampton Booth, 1914- person
associatedWith Taylor, Beverly. person
associatedWith Trowbridge, Lorna Sagendorph, 1933-2004. person
associatedWith Trusted, Jennifer person
associatedWith Vickery, Thyra. person
associatedWith Willett, Mary Sherman. person
associatedWith Woodworth, G. Wallace. person
associatedWith Worth, Helen Henderson, 1895-1954. person
associatedWith Zoltan, Edith Windsor, 1927-2003. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Massachusetts--Cambridge
Subject
Choral societies
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

Active 1907

Active 1998

Americans

Information

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