Hart House Glee Club

Hart House Glee Club

Hart House Glee Club. Male student choir formed in 1933 at the University of Toronto by its first conductor Allan Sly, though adopting its name only two years later.. Most of its members came from faculties other than music. It gave its first concert 8 Feb 1934. Subsequent conductors were Charles Peaker 1934-43, 1945-50, Ward McAdam 1950-8, Rowland Pack 1958-62, Walter Kemp 1962-3, and Walter Barnes 1963-72. The club's repertoire encompassed works from the 16th century to the 20th, including folksongs and spirituals. It sang in concerts 1935-70 in the Hart House Sunday evening series and in Christmas concerts 1938-61 broadcast by the CBC. The club suspended activities from November 1943 to October 1945. Revived after the war, it made many tours in Ontario, appeared at Expo 67, and was a regular host to, and participated in concerts by other university choirs. It also made recordings for Hallmark, Columbia, Arc, and other labels. While the number of singers had fluctuated (from 30 to 130), by 1970 membership had declined, and in 1972 the club was disbanded.