The HistoryThrough of the George Washington the University Years: Choral Program Please note: An index of pictures begins on page 48 Introduction One Saturday evening in the spring of 1986, Winfield Weitzel stood before a group of dinner guests assembled at the Marvin Center and told of the night The George Washington University Glee Club won first place in the National Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest held at Carnegie Hall. That year was 1930 and, yes, GW surpassed the glee clubs of Yale and Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth in the competi- tion... a night to remember! The 1930 concert program had never been placed in the University Archives, but Weitzel’s copy occupied a prominent place in the evening’s exhibit of choral memorabilia.

The event at which Weitzel was speaking was the March 1986 Harmon Choral Reunion. Drawn by a camaraderie developed in the tradition of choral singing and wishing to honor their leader of more than 40 years, Dr. Robert Howe Harmon, GW choristers traveled long distances to the reunion. There were 239 guests in attendance at the banquet and more than 500 crowded the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre later that evening to hear student and alumni voices join together in a rousing “It’s A Grand Night For Singing.” They were celebrating a grand tradition at GW — the tradition of choral singing which dates to the turn of the century and has taken the University’s name to the far corners of the earth.

One of those places was the South Pacific, where Traveling Troubadours members Dick Hedges, Steve Andersen, Dave Lum, John Parker, Wade Currier, Dick Randall, Sue Farquharson Law, Joan Haag Osborne and Rosemary Glenn found themselves in 1950. Their photographs of Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan adorned large blue panels crammed with Glee Club and Troubadour memorabilia at the 1986 Reunion. There was also a continous slide show, prepared by John Parker, which featured fur jackets as well as swimsuits, for it covered a good many of the 100,000 plus miles travelled by the group in the 1950s. Trips to Alaska and the Azores, Greenland and Iceland — all sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and marshalled by GW’s Vincent DeAngelis — had expanded the horizons of these talented men and women and provided a unique camaraderie, easily revived in this reunion setting.

Dorothy and John Bullough shared a congratulatory telegram they received from the Troubadours on the occasion of their marriage. The chorus was traveling in Greenland during spring break in 1950 and the Bulloughs could not join them because of the wedding.

Jan Larkins Ardell packed her suitcase for the 1986 Reunion at her home in California. It contained photo- graphs of her and fellow Troubadours Pat Gillam Calarco, Yvonne Diaz Reitz, Ginny Botek Gates, Vince Metallo, Jeanie Murphy, Browne Greene, John Bruce and Doug Jones, taken for Look Magazine when the singers were appearing at Radio City Music Hall in the summer of 1960.

Eleanor DeAngelis, Vincent’s widow, brought along an Icelandic two-dollar bill autographed by all the Trou- badours on a visit there in 1951.

Not to be outdone, the 1980s Troubadours had color photographs from their visits to Portugal and Ireland, and a picture taken with Bob Hope when they appeared with him in a U.S.O. show. Incidentally, the 1950s Troubadours had a similar photograph taken with Bob Hope. One could not belp but feel that a tradition was being carried on.

Students and alumni raising their voices in song have long been a part of GW’s tradition. Vocalizing most probably was a part of campus activity from the beginning of University life, and men and women from every school including Medicine and Law have participated. In this History of Choral Activities at GW, we will explore that tradition and try to recreate the excitement and gratification that so many student choral groups have experienced while performing for and at GW. 1 Choral Music to 1921: The Early Years It was not until the 1890s that records were kept in- percent for its contributions. The effort was appar- volving The George Washington University’s choral ently unsuccessful and was abandoned after a few groups. The earliest record of choral activity at GW years. is found in the 1896 yearbook, The Columbiad. There it is reported that the Women’s Glee Club performed After several faltering starts, a concerted effort to “Selection from the Geisha” and “Kentucky Babe” in establish a choral society, open to both men and the old University Hall. The earliest record of a Men’s women, was finally mounted in 1912. The Hatchet Glee Club appears in 1899 with mention of a male argued that “there is nothing which will advertise a octet. The group consisted of two first tenors, two college more than a good football team or a good second tenors, two first basses and two second choral society. Witness, for example, the Yale Glee basses, accompanied by Horace F. Ashford. Also Club and similar organizations... We have no foot- in 1899, a women’s group called the Columbian Col- ball team but we can have a Glee Club...” It should lege Glee Club, directed by Amy Clement Leavitt, is be noted that during this period a Glee Club tradition chronicled. Among the members were Etheldreda was well established among the Ivy League colleges, Lord Norris ’99, presi- and plans for an intercol- dent, Blanche Louise legiate competition were Birch ’01, Lelanor Wil- being drawn up. By the son Hance ’01, and Lola spring of 1914 the first May Evans ’02. contest was held beween Harvard, Co- By 1905, the Glee Club lumbia, Dartmouth, and had entered into a coop- the University of Penn- erative arrangement sylvania. This contest with the Washington would become impor- Choral Society, and to- tant for the 1930 GW gether they sang Glee Club. Mendelssohn’s Oratorio of St. Paul. The director was Dr. Cornelius Rubner. Finally, in 1914, there appeared a leader and organizer who seemed to The Women’s Glee Club appears in notices of many have the determination and drive to get a choral so- campus events, including the Senior reception in ciety together and keep it active. His name was Leo 1905 and the Freshman Medical Dance in 1906. A C. Terry and he is credited with persuading “men Hatchet review of the period mentions their rendi- who have worked all day to cut laboratory in the tion of “The Sweetest Flowers that Blow,” by Hawley, evening to run over a few songs with the bunch.” He “a song which gives great opportunity for expres- also suggested that they “break a date with some sion and fine shading.” lovely mortal of the opposite gender to help with the harmony.” His exhortations were apparently suc- Financing choral activities seemed to be a consis- cessful. The Men’s Glee Club of 1914 could boast tent problem throughout this period, and the very that they helped to wipe out the athletic deficit, we existence of choral groups was threatened by the assume by singing for pay. A favorite saying by GW expense of maintaining them. A stock scheme was students of the period was, “Keep your eye on the inaugurated in 1907, with members of the Glee Club Glee Club and your ears open.” The GW men’s being offered 100 shares of stock at $5.00 per share. choral tradition was finally established. Expenses were covered by the capital raised and receipts were deposited to the account. The princi- At the same time, the Girl’s Glee Club was being pal remaining at the end of the year was returned to reorganized under Marie E. Gatchell. There were the shareholders with the University deducting 20 just seven members and Ruth Ayler was president. 2 They presented concerts at numerous campus and J.L. Mitchell singing the old glee club favorite events, including alumni meetings and reunions, “The Village Choir” at a University mixer. As an en- chapel exercises, Panhellenic parties and the core they sang former Director Terry’s school song. “vaudeville show.” A song written by Miss Everil In 1916, a classical program was featured. Worrell, a member of the club, was awarded the Sphinx Honor Society prize as the best school song During the 1916-17 academic year, Mrs. O.D. Swett written during the year. took over as director of the Women’s Glee Club. They provided the hymns for Monday chapel ser- The baton of the Men’s Glee Club was passed in vices, and sang one of the first concerts held out- 1915 to Chemistry professor Otis Dow Swett, who side of the University, at Epiphany Hall. continued to make the club an asset to student life. First reports of a male quartet appear in 1915, with members L.W. Gechell, T. W. Rhods, H.F. Enlows The Roaring Twenties: The Glee Clubs are Firmly Established

Although choral activity at GW dates back to the ety for the Preservation and Encouragement of Bar- 1890s, it was not until the 1920s that the Glee Clubs bershop Quartet Singing in America, Inc., and developed into strong and permanent organizations. founder of the local chapter); Charles Birmingham; Performances at Keith’s Theater, the Annual Na- and Graham “Babe” Fly. August King-Smith, known tional Vaudeville Actors’ Benefit show and the Earle for founding the King-Smith Schools, was the Theater highlighted the next few years, along with a group’s director. Benjamin Foster was secretary and midnight benefit show given at Poli’s Theater. librarian, and Robert William Preston Haynes, a medical student, Colflesh was revived the Men’s Glee Club in 1920, and treasurer and served as its president. Well-known as a mu- manager. One sician and entertainer, Haynes is credited with of their favorite organizing a joint concert with the Columbia songs was University Glee Club in 1921. That concert “Mulligan’s drew an audience of 1500 to the Mayflower Musketeers,” Hotel in a triumphant evening featuring Milton and these Carr and Robert Ferguson as tenor soloists. gentlemen One would think that, with such triumphs, the songsters Club was at peak capacity as well as perfor- were invited to mance ability. Yet, in a pitch to enlarge the entertain in ranks of his club, Haynes is quoted in the such far-flung Hatchet as having “room for more men.” That locations as theme would be repeated over and over Takoma Park through the years. and Rockville. Their fame was Some of the charter members of this 1920s spreading be- club were Washington Irving Cleveland; William yond the University community. Ballinger; Jean Boardman (Boardman would later become the vice president of the International Soci- In 1921, the Men’s Glee Club would be invited to 3 sing at Keith’s Theatre for a week during Christmas After Rooney’s performance the GW students went break. Keith’s was a vaudeville house on backstage where Rooney taught them the dance. Washington’s 15th Street near the campus, and They then incorporated the dance into one of their many of the headliners on the Keith’s circuit played presentations. there. In the years before television, vaudeville was the common man’s regular entertainment and lead- James L. Ewin was one of the featured vocalists for ing entertainers such as Milton Berle and Al Jolson the first three days during the Keith’s booking in 1926. played to packed houses. An appearance by the On the fourth day, Mr. Ewin had to skip the Keith’s George Washington University Glee Club on the performance in order to attend his wedding. Dr. Keith’s stage was like an appearance on David Harmon sang at Ewin’s wedding while the remain- Letterman today. It proved that the group was both der of the Glee Club sang at Keith’s. After their per- first-rate and popular. formance at Keith’s the rest of the Glee Club ad- journed to the wedding reception. 1921 was also a landmark year for choral activity at The George Washington University in that it was the At Ewin’s wedding rehearsal the night before, The year that Robert Howe University Four, consisting Harmon began to study of Ewin, Harmon, Harcourt medicine at the University Sontag and Washington and joined the Men’s Glee Irving Cleveland, sang Club. Harmon, a bass, “Lucky Jim” to the wedding served as the glee club’s party. accompanist and assis- tant director until 1925 Performances at the Earle when he took over as di- Theatre and in the Annual rector, following Harry Ed- National Vaudeville Actors’ ward Mueller. Benefit followed in the next few years; and in 1927, the The group’s activities were club sang in a mammoth marked by various con- midnight show given at certs in and around Wash- Poli’s Theatre for the ben- ington including headlining efit of victims of the Missis- at the Rialto Theater in sippi flood disaster. Doc 1925. The Glee Club was Harmon’s native state was paid $500, which was Mississippi. spent on a banquet and dance. By 1926 the girls’ club was also well established, In 1926 the local newspapers acclaimed the appear- continuing under the baton of Estelle Wentworth, a ance of the Glee Club at Keith’s Theater as one of former opera singer and stage personality. A quar- the most outstanding acts of the season. The group tet called the “Ever-Ready Group” was formed. They was paid $750 for their appearance in a two-a-day entertained the veterans at Mt. Alto and visited a vaudeville act. The act included a Charleston song number of churches in the area — among them and dance performed by William Hill, Henry Klinge, Foundry Methodist, Epworth Methodist and the Clem Denicke, and George “Nick” Saegmuller, J. Church of the Ascension. They, too, sang at the Firth Marquis, Bert Denicke, and Henry Foster. Rialto Theatre, performing Elgar’s “Land of Hope and Glory” dressed in Martha Washington costumes. The Club’s Charleston act had its beginning when Ruth Barnhart, Phyllis Atkinson, and Edith Finney Hill and Denicke cut one of Dean Elmer Kayser’s were soloists. history classes in order to see Pat Rooney perform the first Charleston in Washington at Poli’s Theatre. The 1920s was a time of definition for the Glee Clubs. 4 While many of the men worked during the day and directing the Women’s Glee Club too, and eventu- attended evening classes at the University, they found ally created the combined men’s and women’s cho- time to rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday ruses over his forty year career. His wife, Grace, evening. Only a few members of the group had ever began serving as accompanist for the men, then participated in organized singing before joining the accompanist and assistant director for both the men Club, but they all loved to sing. There were many and women. The Clubs began appearing at many outstanding voices, most notably the tenors Dick of Washington’s most glittering events, including Kilstein (who became a soloist), Jack Perry, Bill White House parties, Cherry Blossom Festivals, and Powell and Eugene Sweeny. It was Sweeny who summer band concerts on the Potomac. The Uni- wrote the University’s fight song, “Hail to the Buff versity Glee Clubs sang for numerous Presidents and Blue.” There were other voices too — a total of including Coolidge, Hoover and Roosevelt, and 31 — including Wilbur Bartholomew, James L. helped to light many White House Christmas trees McLain, Jr., Paul DeLong Gable, and Frank Hand. under the baton of the revered “Doc.”

Most of all, the club members gained a good teacher and great leader in Doctor Harmon. “Doc” soon was

Profile of the Original Troubadours 1927 was also the beginning of a tradition at GW. In that year the first “Troubadours” was organized as a musical comedy troupe. Troubadours, these days, are a select group of vocalists chosen from the ranks of the University Singers who perform a cappella art music and popular tunes. In the 1950s and 1960s, they were an ensemble of approximately 30 singers that traveled far and wide under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force and other sponsoring organizations. But origi- nally, The George Washington University Troubadours were musical comedy performers. The troupe required members to have a prominent part in the cast for one year or serve two years in minor roles, as staff members or as orchestra or chorus members. Many of the Troubadours’ musical comedies were presented off-campus. One of them was called “Sharps and Frats” in which the women appeared as Viking sailors dancing a hornpipe as no “gobs” ever did. Another, entitled “Some- time Soon,” was presented at the Wardman Park Theater. There were also productions of “Oh, Say! Can’t You See?” and “Happy Landings.” The musical comedy phase of the GW Troubadours seems to have ceased activities in the 1930s. Win Weitzel remembers an evening at the Wardman Park Theatre when the GW Troubadours were presenting one of their shows. “Practically all the cast members in those days were Glee Clubbers,” he writes. “Our second act featured a men’s dance chorus. We were about half way through one kicking routine when a group of Theta Delta Chis seated in the audience launched a barrage of vegetables they’d smuggled into the theatre (tomatoes, beets, carrots, you name it) into our chorus line. In a frenzy we groveled around the stage, picking up bits and pieces, and returned the fire. When the excitement died down, the show went on. But the theatre management ruled out any future bookings for the GW Troubadours in their theatre.”

5 Singing Their Way to the Top: The 1930 Men’s Glee Club

NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH

March 8, 1930, New York City: The George Washington University’s Men’s Glee Club took first place in the 14th Annual Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest at Carnegie Hall. This was the first time that GW’s Glee Club had competed. Not bad for rookies!

By the spring of 1929, Dr. Harmon had molded the judges were selected, tickets were sold and the com- Men’s Glee Club into a first-class vocal group. That petition was on. The George Washington University season, at a joint recital with the Columbia Univer- Glee Club won, earning the right to compete in the sity Glee Club, the group national contest. The Mid- learned about the Intercol- “Actually it was the fall of 1928 when I answered a tryout Atlantic Association was legiate Glee Club Contest call for the GW Men’s Glee Club in Corcoran Hall, and there short lived—only one held annually at Carnegie I met for the first time Bob Harmon and his lovely young year—but it had served its Hall in New York City. Anx- purpose. The GW club was wife Grace. Some thirty young men, with assorted voices, a ious to demonstrate their off to New York City to com- skill as a vocal group, the few from the last year’s Club, showed up. Most of them pete in the finals! Men’s Glee Club voted to were working men, attending evening classes at GW. There enter the 1930 National were a few outstanding voices - particularly first tenors - New York was hosting the competition. They learned, Dick Kilstein, who became our soloist, Jack Perry, Bill winners of twelve regional to their dismay, that only Powell. I learned for the first time that I was a baritone, competitions. The George winners of regional con- and I survived to qualify. Few of us had done any Washington men were up tests were allowed to en- organized vocalizing, but we all loved to sing, and we against some very stiff ter the competition. No re- quickly learned that we had a great leader and a good competition: Yale, Ohio gional contest existed in teacher, and a very patient accompanist in Grace.” State, Wesleyan, North the District of Columbia in Carolina, Oklahoma, 1929, and there was no Dartmouth, Princeton, Co- - Winfield Weitzel regional association to lumbia, Fordham, New sponsor such an event. York University, and Penn State. Ever since the National competition had be- The group was resolved, however, and a small thing gun in 1914, only five universities had won the na- like a regional competition was not going to deter tional cup—Yale, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and them. Joining with the choral groups from Johns Wesleyan, with Harvard and Dartmouth each win- Hopkins and Catholic University, they organized the ning three times. George Washington was appear- Mid-Atlantic Glee Club Association. The charter ing at Carnegie Hall for the first time. To add to their members of the Association elected the Hon. Will- underdog status, the group learned when they ar- iam H. DeLacy as association president and Winfield rived at Carnegie Hall that their rented black tuxedos Weitzel, a GW vocalist, as the first executive secre- were not the proper dress for the evening. All of the tary. The newly-organized association became an other competitors were in white tie and tails. If not associate member of the Intercollegiate Musical for the humor and encouragement of Dr. Harmon, Council and organized a regional contest. Three the group might have felt defeated before the con- 6 test began. During the tabulation of the judges’ marks, the com- bined Glee Clubs, 400 members strong, sang “Hymn The judges were Harvey Gaul of Pittsburgh, critic, of Thanksgiving” under Mr. Lefebvre’s direction. composer and organist; Margarete Dessoff, con- When the winners were announced, the top three ductor of the Madrigal Choir of the Institute of Musi- were Ohio State University with 156.2 points. Yale, cal Art, and the Adesdi and A Cappella choruses; with 156.4 and George Washington with 161.6 points. and Channing Lefebvre, organist of Trinity Church GW was the champion! And the George Washing- and leader of the University Glee Club of New York. ton Men’s Glee Club had carried off highest honors During the contest the judges and the contesting with the greatest difference between first and sec- clubs were separated by a curtain so the identities ond place in the history of the contest. of the organizations would not be known. Following their surprise victory, the club members As an added precaution to prevent bias, each club were treated to a number of celebrations and spe- appeared at three different times during the evening, cial invitations. They were invited to appear at Villa rendering one of its selections at each appearance. Valle, Rudy Valle’s swank nightclub, and to sing over In the first appearance each club sang a song of its the CBS Radio Network. They returned home to choosing. The GW chorus, second to perform, had congratulations from staff, faculty, and friends, an selected “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.” When appearance for a week in the show at the Capital the last note of the song was finished, Dr. Harmon Theater, and a very successful sellout concert at the was beaming and the group knew that it was indeed Mayflower Hotel. The club also made a Pathé news in the running. The harmony was close to perfec- film set on the Mall. In May 1930 they were honored tion and the group had forgotten its out-of-place at- by the faculty and student body at a reception and tire. dance at the Willard Hotel.

The second part of the program was a selection re- The determination and excellence shown by Dr. and quired of all entries —”Hark Jolly Shepherds.” The Mrs. Harmon and the members of the 1930 Men’s euphoria the GW Club felt after the first number was Glee Club would long be remembered by the Uni- somewhat diminished following the second selec- versity community. As for the GW participants in tion—although the group felt they had performed the Intercollegiate Glee Club Contest, 1930 would well, their anxiety was growing. Their confidence always remain a very special year. was regained with their third appearance, singing the alma mater, “Hail GW,” written by a member of the club, George Roth. Henry Amos Aubrey Minor Daniel Beattie Norman Morgan Charles Buckingham Benjamin Newton Raymond Coe John Perry Thomas Crigler William Powell Allan Crocker George Roth Owen Cummings Frank Scrivener Samuel Detweiler Hardie Seay Irvin Douglas Erith Smith Robert Griest James Smith Richard Hill Nevin Smoot David Holther John Stuart Carroll Hughes Douglas Taylor George Jarvis Winfield Weitzel Richard Kilstein George Wells William May 7 The 1930s: Expansion The 1920s were over and the United States was These concerts were the splendid climaxes of the entering a period that would lead to a depression year. The women were attired in beautiful gowns era and a period of isolation. After writing to Mrs. and the men dressed as formally as possible, con- Herbert Hoover and inviting her to attend a concert, sidering that not all could afford white tie or black Winfield Weitzel received a reply from Mrs. Hoover’s dinner jacket. Concert turned into ball following the private secretary. The letter read, “I am writing at presentation of the program, with dancing to the or- once to let you know that it is impossible for Mrs. chestra of Leon Brusiloff. Tickets were $1 each. Hoover, in her present position as wife of the Presi- dent of the United States, to identify herself, how- The 1935 concert program included “Prayer of ever remotely, with any movement international in Thanksgiving,” “The Green Cathedral,” and “Emite scope.” The University Glee Club was hardly inter- Spiritum Tuum” by the men, “Down Among the Dead national in those days, but having won an Intercolle- Men” and a Serbian folk song by the women, and giate Contest, they may have appeared more so. “Praise to the Lord,” “Ave Maria” and the “Echo Song” by the combined clubs. It was the first time that After winning the contest in 1930, the Men’s Glee alumni were invited to the stage to sing the concert Club once again competed in the 15th annual Inter- finale, “Kamenoi Ostrow.” Some of these alumni had collegiate Glee Club Contest held on March 14, 1931. participated in the 1930 and 1931 championship And again, the club held its own against the Ivy clubs, including Dan Beattie, Hugh Buckingham, League clubs, coming away with third place. Fol- John Cook, Claude Cooper, Sam Detweiler, Ralph lowing that success, the Glee Club was invited to Kimble, Norman Morgan, Jack Perry, Harold Stepler, appear in numerous places, like the Shoreham Ho- and George Wells. It was always an enthralling mo- tel. They sang concerts over local radio stations ment when the massed voices came to the last “O and many engagements throughout the city. Give Thanks to the Lord God of All” in top-of-the- voice unison. The first concert combin- ing both the Men’s and Excerpt from a letter written by Daniel J. Andersen to Julie In 1935 the Glee Clubs Women’s Glee Clubs also Martin Mangis, March 19, 1986: appeared in the first of occurred in 1931. While five concerts presented it would be many years “An interesting recollection was that at every concert the Glee with the National Sym- before a chorus of mixed Club members wore white tie and tails, with top hat or derby. phony Orchestra at Con- voices was formed, this Each concert closed with the singing of our alma mater, written stitution Hall, under the performance signaled the by one of our own Glee Club members, George Roth. We were direction of Dr. Hans approach of mixed choral Kindler. The Glee Club a very happy and busy group of young men, meeting each singing at GW. Now, at presented the Faust last, the Glee Clubs would Thursday evening at Corcoran Hall. Everything was orderly — Symphony by Liszt. The rehearse and perform no horseplay and real, real serious. Doc Harmon was an next year the combined some numbers together, obstetrician and gynecologist and frequently had to leave the groups sang “Chorale deepening and enriching rehearsals in order to attend to his patients. The direction was Fantasie” by Beethoven. the choral repertoire. then turned over to the late Sam Detweiler until Doc returned Beethoven’s Ninth Sym- or until rehearsal was completed.” phony was performed in Doc was so successful 1937 and again in 1939 with recruiting and keep- and 1941. ing singers that by 1935, he had assembled the largest chorus to date to sing During one rehearsal, when Kindler was not sure in the eighth annual Glee Club concert, held in the how a particular passage should go, he turned to main ballroom on the top floor of the Willard Hotel. Doc and handed him the baton saying, “Here, show 8 the orchestra how you want it.” Doc stepped up to tenor voices were found. the podium and dropped his eyes for a moment. In one fleeting expression, he betrayed his amazement One way of solving the tenor crisis was to combine and delight at the thought of conducting a major or- the Men’s and Women’s Clubs into one unit, allow- chestra of national renown. Then, handing the ba- ing certain alto voices to augment the tenor section ton back to Kindler, he raised his arms and took where necessary. That was exactly what happened charge of musicians and singers. “I know that this in 1939 following a complete reorganization of the was one of the great moments of his life,” observed clubs. Chuck Daugherty, “and I was privileged to be a part of it. If only for a few moments, Doc had musicians The combined Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs sang worthy of his talents, and he more than rose to the for area organizations such as the Washington Board occasion.” of Trade and the D.C. Medical Society. Usually the singers were invited to dinner beforehand or a dance The tradition of including alumni singers continued afterwards, and their dates, who were not members with the Glee Club’s 1936 concert dance when, in of the Glee Club, were welcome. addition to the student singers, representatives from every class since 1924 were present and partici- Eleanor R. Garner, who participated during these pated in the performance. The combined group years, remembers Dr. Harmon’s skillful use of hu- opened with Kremser’s “Prayer of Thanksgiving,” mor and practical jokes to relax the choruses before followed by the Women’s Glee Club singing “Cheru- they were to perform. Once, he pulled a rabbit’s bic Host” from the “Holy City” by Gaul. They were foot out of his coat pocket just as they were about to accompanied by Brusiloff’s string quartet and Alfred tackle the opening bars. Manning, harpist of the Fox Orchestra. The bari- tone solo was sung by Robert Frederick Freund, soloist at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church. On singing with the National Symphony under Director Hans Kindler: The men learned few new songs each year because most were night students and attendance at rehears- “To this day I get goose bumps when I think of our singing the als was spotty. Doc would plead with them, “These ‘Pilgrim’s Chorus’ from Tannhauser. At the height of that great are the things you will remember. Not classes, not chorus, the violins saw away like crazy and the singers belt, books.” And, he was right, according to Chuck ‘Once more with joy, oh my homeland I greet thee!’ We always Daugherty. “‘Lo, a Voice to Heaven Sounding,’ will, I hope, greet me in heaven; and ‘Kamenoi Ostrow’ wound up covered with perspiration and shaking in every limb, must be a favorite of the Heavenly Chorus. If you and it was marvelous...marvelous... gave me a million dollars, I could not tell you half the courses I took over a ten year period,” Daugherty Rehearsal at Constitution Hall was something else. Kindler lined comments. the Glee Club up in front of the orchestra, but try as we might, we could not make ourselves heard above the instruments. Kindler The women, on the other hand, were much more grew increasingly impatient. In his heavy German accent, he regular. They were day students and did not have bellowed ‘I can sing wouder than all of you!’ Someone eventually as difficult a time making rehearsals. Consequently, suggested putting the chorus on risers which worked beautifully.” their repertoire grew and grew. - Chuck Daugherty While enormously successful at recruiting women and baritones, “Doc” suffered the same weakness in the tenor section that many choral directors expe- rience. Appealing for tenor voices to fill the short- age, he stated that he would use alto voices in the first tenor row, like the English choirs, if not enough 9 The Second World War and the 1940s 1940 marked the 15th year that Dr. Harmon had di- later critiqued, was actually launched on the Foggy rected the University Glee Clubs. In addition to work- Bottom campus. ing as the University Physician and maintaining a private medical practice, he conducted five rehears- By 1943, the Second World War had depleted the als a week, as well as performances. It was a gruel- ranks of men students with a resultant effect on the ing routine because babies would arrive at all hours Men’s Glee Club. The Women’s Glee Club, and what of the day and night. few men remained on campus, willingly carried on the singing tradition. The few men were pushed at Doc was especially adept at grabbing forty winks times but it was fun for them to have the ratio in their whenever he could. His medical training had seen favor. to that. One day, he arrived early for a noon re- hearsal and stretched out on a desk, surrounded by One of the contributions the ensembles made to the brown-baggers eating their lunches. Their conver- war effort was to entertain the troops. Truman won sation did not inter- acclaim as a soloist in a Stage Door fere with his strate- Canteen performance of “Giannina gic nap. Mia,” one of numerous appearances by the women at service hospitals and In 1941 and 1942, canteens throughout the war. The group the University Glee sang Hawley’s “Christ Child Cantata” Clubs participated in for the local U.S.O. and performed re- the Christmas pag- quests for soldiers, sailors and Marines eant on the Wash- at the Stage Door Canteen. ington Ellipse. The programs were car- In the meantime, there were local and ried on national ra- University events. These included ap- dio, and among pearances at war bond rallies at the those in attendance Statler, Mayflower and Willard Hotels, was President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At one of the and the Calvary Baptist Church, as well as perform- Ellipse concerts, the emcee introduced the clubs ing for the District of Columbia Bar Association and and announced that they would sing “Canteekew De University Chapel. A joint effort with the Religious Noel.” After an embarrassed silence, the singers Council resulted in a radio broadcast of the Christ- carried on. mas Chapel, and the Glee Clubs were asked to sing again for the Easter Service. By 1942, the then Vice-President’s daughter, Mar- garet Truman, was a student at The George Wash- The Willard was the site of the final spring concert ington University and the soprano soloist at the again in 1943, featuring soloists Pauline Gish, Phyllis

“Doc Harmon opened a new world for me for which I shall always be truly grateful. The Glee Club was a spiritual joy of music, friendship and a bond among us that remains strong and memorable. The experience enriched my life immeasurably.” - Nicholas S. Lakas

Christmas Cantata directed by Harmon. Her bud- Botta, Mina Brown and Nicholas Lakas. The open- ding singing career, for which she and her father were ing number was “America,” in tribute to the war ef- 10 fort, and the concert concluded with the alumni join- the Student Council for fifteen years. ing the chorus in “Kamenoi Ostrow.” Dr. Harmon, in a special announcement, asked his brother, who was There were other impacts of war, however. Al Brock in the audience, to join the Men’s Glee Club in sing- was a merry sort who “was always having fun ideas,” ing, “Pale in the Amber West.” In the Hatchet ac- according to Chuck Daugherty. On one occasion, a count of the event, Pauline Gish and Nic Lakas were group of the men choristers was riding in the back praised for their “particularly fine handling of their of a D.C. Transit streetcar on the way home from an parts in ‘May Angels Guard Thee.’” engagement. As they harmonized on the barroom ballad, “She’s More to be Pitied than Censured,” Al Nic’s performance of this rousing aria from Verdi’s suggested that everyone insert “ha, ha, ha,” then, La Forza del Destino had enormous significance for “tee, hee, hee,” then “HAW, HAW, HAW,” after one of him because he was about to set off on active mili- the words in the song. tary duty in World War II. The emotion of his fare- well and Doc’s selection of him to perform the solo “We did laugh,” Daugherty recalls, “and our leader at this special moment remains a particularly nos- in laughter was often Al Brock.” talgic memory. One of the Willard concerts in the mid-forties was “Kamenoi Ostrow” was the traditional final number dedicated to the memory of Al Brock, U.S. Army, of the spring concert. Alumni were always invited to killed in action in Germany. Brock’s photograph was join in, and many returned each year for the plea- on the cover of the program, and Doc was filled with sure of singing it once again. Immediately afterward, emotion as he started to make the announcement. the Glee Club would leave the stage and the orchestra He could not bring himself to speak Al Brock’s name would strike up for dancing. Eventually, the evening but turned quickly away and started the chorus in its would end with a buffet. “After the final appearance first number. of the season, Glee Club golden throats stopped pouring forth song long enough to pour in a liberal Daugherty remembers that a song from Sigmund assortment of good things to eat at Chuck Romberg’s “The Student Prince” was popular at the Daugherty’s,” one chorister remarked. “The silence time. The words include: “How we laughed with a doesn’t last long though.” The party at the Daugherty’s was a tradition for years.

As the war wore on, fewer and fewer men were available to sing. For the annual spring con- certs, Doc had to rely on the alumni to have any kind of men’s section. Among them was Harold ‘Hal’ Stepler, a local ra- dio announcer who had sung in the 1930 championship Club, whom Doc pronounced the greatest bass in history. gaity that had no sting. Looking back through Stepler’s bass was extraordinary. memory’s haze, we will know life has nothing sweeter than its springtime...” Life’s springtime would be the Benedict ‘Benny’ Genua had a memorable baritone. only season Al Brock would enjoy. Though he had first joined the Men’s Glee Club in 1931, he was still a student in 1944 when he ran for The tradition of singing for various D.C. organiza- Student Council. He was not unique. Jerry Sickler tions continued throughout the 1940s. There were was a cheerleader for a generation, and Fred engagements at the 50th D.A.R. Congress and the Holcomb represented the Engineering Council on Congressional Wives Association in 1941. The Glee 11 Brief Encounter in Chevy Chase

“It must have been about 1944. The war was still on and Doc had managed, despite the shortage of available men, to keep the Men’s Glee Club going at a great rate. One crisp fall evening after our rehearsal at Lisner, someone suggested that we go out and entertain the girls before breaking for the night. Great idea! After a quick count of drivers — with rationing, there was very little gasoline available — and would-be serenaders, we all piled into about eight cars and headed out Connecticut Avenue into the wilds of Maryland. We were bound for a young ladies finishing school. “No one seems to remember the name of the school but it was located where the 4-H headquarters stands now. At that time there were extensive grounds, with broad lawns and stately trees and it was all surrounded by a handsome brick wall featuring a classic gateway and drive. “In due course all the cars arrived and parked randomly along the curb. Rather than walk all the way back to the gate, most of the fellows just went over the wall and headed directly for the main building. By now, it was well after 10 o’clock and, although lights were burning brightly in all the windows, the campus was very still. “As the various groups of men made their way quietly across the lawn, a bright light suddenly blinded everyone. There stood a campus security guard, his feet wide apart, his beer belly protruding, speaking in a southern drawl. Various members of the group tried without success to make him understand that we were members of The George Washington University Men’s Glee Club with nothing but honorable intentions. Since “panty raids” were very much in vogue at the time, this was indeed a hard sell! “Suddenly, Doc appeared, walking right up the front driveway. He, of course, had used the main gate like a gentleman. The bulky lawman was somewhat impressed by Doc’s trim figure, sartorial splendor and genteel bearing, but not yet fully convinced. Somewhere between the fading sound of the pitch pipe and Doc’s first downbeat, the guard was heard to intone, ‘And it better sound like a Glee Club, Doc!’” Thankfully, we did! - Ernest C. “Buddy” Belote

Clubs also performed for the American Bar Asso- entrance, picking up one or two persons at a time.” ciation, and one night, they found themselves sing- Finally, along came Russell’s mostly-black Chrysler, ing to a noisy group of diplomats at the Pan Ameri- in a cloud of smoke until the hand brake was let off, can Union. “The large room was full of people inter- and eight gleeclubbers clambered in. ested in talking and drinking, not listening,” recalls Chuck Daugherty. “The louder we sang, the louder Russell also remembers a sailboat trip when the they talked.” Glee Club chartered a 60-foot bugeye to sail, swim and sing one afternoon on the Chesapeake Bay. “Then Pauline Gish’s beautiful soprano soared “The old captain was used to songs like ‘Home on through the auditorium: ‘In the beauty of the lilies, the Range,’ sung beerily, occasionally on key, and Christ was born across the sea.’ She had finally fading with each verse. His eyes popped when we gotten their attention. ‘Let us die to make men free!’ came out with music penned by the likes of The crowd noise ceased. And at the end, there was Arkangelsky and Bortiansky... old white Russian sustained applause. A complete turnaround.” music... all eight parts... on key(!)... and we finished all the verses. Didn’t change our rates though.” Stanton Russell drove a big, old Chrysler sedan and he regularly packed nine or ten of the men into it There were a number of occasions when the Men’s after a Glee Club date. He especially remembers Glee Club would sing at area women’s junior col- one evening after a Medical Society Banquet at the leges, known as “finishing schools.” The men al- Mayflower Hotel. “Long black limousine after long ways looked forward to the concerts because after- black limousine pulled up to the Mayflower’s north wards there was usually a social hour when they 12 could get acquainted with the young women. Mervin young men and women into the George Washing- Martin remembers that Doc would say, “Now you ton University Glee Clubs. Together, they made fellows go beautiful music which made tender enjoy the memories.” company of “By allowing me to conduct the Glee Clubs under his watchful eye, all those Doc pointed me in the direction of a long and happy career as a One of those memories is of a re- beautiful performing musician and University professor of music. No one hearsal in which the men were prac- girls. That’s has more reason to be grateful to Doc than I do.” ticing “The Merry Frog,” a nonsense what we are - John Bullough song about a frog and his good lady, really here a-croaking all the day. The chorus for. I’ll go was a series of frog-like noises entertain the faculty ladies.” which Doc insisted should be pronounced “quawck,” not “quack.” Soprano Pauline Gish married bass Dale Davis, whom she met in Glee Club rehearsals, proving that “Doc, what have you got against quacks?” bellowed there’s romance in song. They continued to attend Charlie Fugitt with a giant grin. The choristers rehearsals and participate in performances after they erupted into gales of laughter. Doc was speech- graduated. Theirs was not the only romance, of less. Practice was halted for a golden moment of course. Dorothy and John Bullough, Wade and Bev pure joy, according to Daugherty. Currier, and many others met through the Glee Clubs. Fugitt had been recruited by Daugherty and Nic Lakas to audition for Doc, and although he claimed to have Judy Conklin Callendar became the first student sung “like an old woman,” Doc was satisfied. Fugitt accompanist for the Glee Clubs, taking over for Grace was a member of the bass section until he was Harmon when she could not be present. Every alum- drafted by the Navy for World War II. At one Bacca- nus and alumna of the Glee Clubs has a special laureate service, held at the Washington Cathedral, memory of Grace Ruble Harmon, ever devoted to he managed to lead the basses in singing, “oompah, her husband and his all-consuming avocation. oompah, oompah,” instead of the proper words dur- Stanton Russell remembers especially Mrs. ing the refrain of “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” The Harmon’s ability to transpose accompaniment a half men were never again able to sing the anthem with- or full tone up or down whenever necessary... even out thinking of Charlie and his “oompahs.” in the middle of a concert. Stanton Russell remembers carrying a pint thermos “Grace Ruble Harmon, a quiet, accomplished pro- of ice cubes and unsweetened lemon juice under fessional musician,” writes Eleanor Garner, “wise his robe at the Baccalaureate Services. After sitting enough to leave center stage to the performer in the in the hot, stuffy choir for an hour or more, the vocal family.” chords needed the lemon juice lubricant in order to burst forth with good tone. (We know what you’re Carrying on the tradition, John Mitchell, Chuck thinking... No, alcohol was not an ingredient in Daugherty, and Stanton Russell held the distinction Russell’s thermos... probably too expensive). of being the oldest student members of the Glee Club in the mid-forties. Chuck attended GW a total of “The acoustics in the Cathedral were terrible in those eleven years while working full-time, and he spent days,” recounts Daugherty, “especially if you sat in most of those years singing with the Glee Club. By the choir behind the pulpit. Doc told us that one year the time he graduated in 1944, he was a long-time he strove mightily to understand the sermon, know- veteran. ing that he would be meeting the Bishop later.” But the words never quite floated up to the loft. Even Chuck remembers Robert and Grace Harmon as after the Bishop bellowed, “If there is one thing I want “magnets that drew hundreds, maybe thousands of you to remember...,” and Doc strained to hear the 13 rest of the sentence, he could not make it out. “So,” Often, an impromptu concert would erupt, with Doc said Doc, “I gave up, standing on a table in and settled in for a short Queen Esther his stocking feet, direct- nap...” ing the choristers. John McAdams was a member of the Glee Club from about 1939 to There would be much Child’s Restaurant, at 1946. Like many of the others, he was a part-time student who worked hearty applause and the corner of New York sidewalk passers-by full time. A very dependable baritone-bass, he seldom missed a Avenue and 14th would be attracted into Street, was the scene rehearsal or performance. His bass was impeccable and he always had the restaurant, making of many after-perfor- a joke to tell. the management ex- mance gatherings and John began bringing a young Canadian woman named Margaret to tremely happy. celebrations. It has rehearsals. She was pleasant, pretty and well-educated. Doctor been said that, “One of Harmon would work the chorus hard and then use various techniques “At Child’s,” recalls the most distracting but to relieve their inevitable tension and fatigue. One was to recite from a Stanton Russell, “if the fascinating things that Robert Service poem, usually “The Cremation of Sam Magee.” Another word had gotten about, could happen to a was to hold a quiz on the Bible. the place would be waiter at Child’s was to “Doc was knowledgeable about the Bible and sought in his small packed and be on duty the night of way to advance our knowledge of it,” writes David Bates. “One night gleeclubbers would find a Glee Club concert. themselves seated when Margaret was present at rehearsal, Doc posed a question which After the singing con- with regular custom- cluded, wherever in the has since been forgotten, but the answer to it was ‘Queen Esther.’ ers.” They typically city, the Club would ar- Margaret gave the answer and she received the 25-cent reward that loved to host the colle- rive en masse.” Doc always gave out. In those days, a quarter would buy a good gians and often tried to Waffles and pancakes sandwich or a hot dog and coke.” pay for their food. “I still often combined with After that, whenever Margaret came to rehearsal with John, Doc remember Doc stand- song at these late- greeted her as “Queen Esther.” John and Margaret “Queen Esther” ing on a chair to con- evening parties, and McAdams celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in January duct, having told the singing made for big 1995. various parts where appetites. While some they were supposed to of the visits were al- be and conducting as if leged to be “on the house,” others were paid for by they were.” none other than Doc himself. “Buddy” Belote Chuck remembers one Daugherty re- brisk October members that night after a par- Doc delighted in ticularly out- treating the Glee standing re- Club members. hearsal, when “He loved to eat Doc promised a and to treat oth- proper reward ers to a meal was for “making my a particular joy. day.” Arriving at But, as a suc- Childs, Doc or- cessful obstetri- dered hot butter cian with a good biscuits and cof- income, he never ate beans and bacon. Those had fee for everyone. There were still quite a few cus- been the staples of his diet as a struggling medical tomers enjoying a late supper and they were a little student, and he had vowed never again to eat them. annoyed at the youthful exuberance of the choris- But waffles and pancakes were fine.” ters. 14 Doc suggested that they do a little singing over their A new tradition began. Handel’s Messiah echoed second cups of coffee and the spontaneous musi- from the rehearsal hall as the chorus prepared for cale turned into quite a floor show. The late diners its annual Christmas performance in 1947. Hawley’s ended up having a wonderful time. Christmas cantata, “The Christ Child,” which had been the holiday mainstay previously, would be back By the time of the 20th annual Glee Club concert in briefly in 1949. But soon Messiah would become a 1944, the chorus was eighty strong, in spite of the regular feature during the holidays. war. The spring performance took place, once again, at the Willard. But change was taking place on The In 1949, Doctor Harmon celebrated his 25th year as George Washington University campus. Lisner Au- director of GW’s choral groups. After the spring con- ditorium, built in the early 1940s, soon became the cert, the Board of Trustees, The General Alumni As- setting for Glee Club Christmas performances. And, sociation, the University faculty and the Student Cue and Curtain, a student drama club, began to Council honored him at a reception in the lobby of produce shows in Lisner, such as “And the Home of Lisner Auditorium. the Brave” (1944) and Jerome Kern’s “Roberta” (1945), with the Glee Clubs. In the same year, the Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs finally voted to combine into one organization. First soprano Betty Lou Trowbridge Williams, who The fifty-year history of separate clubs was finally originally had to give up performing because her ended. cheerleading activities took up so much time, played the lead in “Roberta” opposite John Mitchell. The next year she was in “Of Thee I Sing,” so wrapped up in singing she couldn’t find time for cheers.

The Glee Clubs were so popular among students that Harmon was able to introduce selectivity in 1946, requiring that singers be able to read music, learn their parts and do intensive “If you sang in the Glee Club, you didn’t need any other extra activity at GW. work. Faithful attendance You had two inspiring, caring leaders in the Harmons. You sang good music, at rehearsals was impera- and sang it well. You had good company, quality people, fellows and girls, tive, and only fifteen mem- to be with socially. There was almost always something going on after a bers were accepted in concert - a trip to Child’s restaurant, dancing and refreshments at the site each musical section. where we had sung, an impromptu, informal get-together at some place, so Membership was cut from we could just be together. There was always something to do. We would 106 to 60 overnight, but quality soared. get together after rehearsal sometimes. Occasionally the fellows would serenade the girls under their dormitory windows, and were pleased when Soon there were no more they opened the windows and listened. When we dragged at rehearsal, Doc manpower shortages, ei- Harmon would break and recite Bible verses or “The Cremation of Sam ther. The GIs were return- McGee” by Robert Service. After six years of singing for ‘Doc’, I had it ing and the University memorized. You had it all in the Glee Club, all that you needed, with a swelled by thousands of bonus of poetry and Biblical history.” young men, eligible to at- - David Bates tend on the GI Bill. Dorothy Bullough remembers how happy Doc was to have a great men’s section after the war. 15 I did my best, Buddy!

“Doc always gave us his best! He brought the boys and girls together during their freshman year; nurtured them through four great years of rehearsals, concerts, dinner dances and shows; went to all their weddings, kissed all the brides and delivered all the children — at the Glee Club rate! What more could you ask? Dr. Harmon presided at the arrival of each of our children. In August 1958, it was our third... and I had barely settled into the waiting room when Doc appeared at the door with a concerned look and our third daughter in his arms. ‘Well, Buddy, I tried hard. She has your eyes and hair, but it is another little girl,’ he announced. He thought I had wanted a boy and expected that he was bringing bad news. He became a changed man as I exalted at my good fortune. ‘After all, Doc,’ I said, ‘we already have the clothes and furniture and we know how all the plumbing works.’ As he headed off down the corridor carrying Jenny Lynn, Doc seemed to walk a little taller than before. He was humming a little song to his ‘Special Delivery.’”

- Ernest C. “Buddy” Belote

16 Taking to the Road: The University Glee Club and the Traveling Troubadours in the 1950s In early 1950, Dr. Harmon and Professor Vincent J. Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland during GW’s DeAngelis formed the Traveling Troubadours at the spring break in April 1950. Thereafter, “Vinnie,” serv- request of the Chief of Personnel Services of the ing as “Airport Johnnie,” waved the Troubadours off Military Air Transport Service, for the purpose of en- on many a trip, and stood ready to welcome them tertaining U.S. military personnel on our remote home upon their return. overseas bases. Members were selected from the ranks Dr. and Mrs. Harmon ac- of the Glee Club on the ba- companied the troupe as sis of vocal ability, and the leaders, mentors and guard- group varied in size from ian angels. According to twenty to thirty voices. The Eleanor DeAngelis, Vincent’s Traveling Troubadours gave widow, Mrs. Harmon had hundreds of shows in places never flown before; but within like Thule (Greenland), To- a few months, she had kyo, North Africa and the logged more air miles than Azores. They entertained a some military veterans. handful of GIs in a small un- heated airplane hangar at Covering Dr. Harmon’s ob- Frobisher Bay on Baffin Is- stetrical practice during land, and they sang for a ca- these extended travels was pacity audience in the Great Dr. Thomas Wilson, GW Opera House in Reykjavik, alumnus and fan of the Glee the capital of Iceland. In 1960, they headlined for Clubs. It was convenient to have a medical doctor six weeks at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. as director of the Traveling Troubadours when small- pox vaccinations and shots for cholera, typhoid and “Vinnie” DeAngelis, typhus were required before the GW baseball trips. Doc’s office served as an coach and assis- “How lucky I’ve been! I can still hear and see us singing immunization production line and tant professor of such majestic male choral works as ‘The Long Day Closes,’ he never charged for the service. physical educa- ‘On the Sea,’ and many others whose classic and inspiring tion, was largely combinations of words and music to this day have signifi- Medical care during the trips was responsible for the cant messages... also readily available, although the birth of the Travel- “Yes, how lucky I’ve been for my associations with so singers were quite healthy. Be- ing Troubadours. many fine people in the GW Glee Club and later in the tween service doctors and nurses As Captain and Doc, the colds and bronchi- Traveling Troubadours. Great thanks, too, to Dr. and Mrs. DeAngelis, a tis were easily treated. The worst MATS Special Ser- Harmon who created the entire adventure voluntarily...” casualty was Brooke Stiefel’s vices Officer, he bronchial pneumonia which told his superiors - Dick Randall forced her to be left in the hands about The George of service personnel at Pepperell Washington University Glee Club. That resulted in Field, Newfoundland, on one of the trips. the Air Force’s first invitation to send an entertain- ment unit from the University to their air bases in Every trip followed a whirlwind schedule with con- 17 certs every night, and sometimes two a day, followed “Honolulu, Johnson Island, Kwajalein, and finally by a meal and then hopping aboard the plane to an- Guam,” Law remembers. “I floated off the plane to- other stop. Upon their return, the Troubadours would ward a tall figure in khaki who hugged me briefly and hold an “Afterglow” party, to which the DeAngelises solemnly promised Doc that I would show up for all were always invited. It was a time of sharing all the scheduled concerts and for curfew if he could have students’ photo- the rest of the time. graphs, souvenirs and On Stagefright: Doc thereby broke reminiscences. one of his primary “Take one raucous, overflowing audience of dogs and sailors on rules for the sake of The Air Force had one backless benches on a tiny coral atoll still littered with debris from young love and said, base commanding of- World War II. yes.” ficer who would write On a rough platform, add one 14-member chorus of ‘college boys,’ a separate and indi- According to Rose- fortunately most of them veterans, in sleek, black tuxes. vidual letter of thanks mary Glenn, Sue to each singer’s par- Bring on one blonde soprano soloist in a strapless white dress (Doc’s consequently ents for allowing them edict). missed the “sym- to travel to such dis- Set Dick Randall and the men to singing the Monk’s Chorus from La phony of broken- tant outposts over the Forza del Destino in Italian. down Japanese holiday season. Tell the soprano to clasp her hands, raise her eyes heavenward and buses” that served launch into her upper register with ‘La Virgine degli Angeli...’ as transport for the In 1950, the Traveling Stagefright never bothered me again.” Troubadours on the Troubadours spent - Sue Farquharson Law island. Easter in the Arctic, Christmas in Alaska “One night, after a and the summer on a tour of Pacific bases. Dr. concert at Anderson Air Force Base, Jason and I Harmon bragged proudly that his troupe included the were parked on a moonlit cliff high above Tumon first American girls ever to set foot on Greenland Bay. Curfew was near. The conversation was turn- ice. Needless to say, they were warmly received by ing to marriage when a motorbike roared up the de- the soldiers based there... and everywhere. serted road and a flashlight shone in our startled faces. An abashed shore-patrol stammered, ‘Sorry, Romance may have been in the minds of the ser- sir, all officers have to report to their ships.’ He hon- vicemen but there was plenty of opportunity for the estly didn’t know why.” Troubadours themselves too. Spending many wak- ing hours together, traveling in cramped MATS It was June 25th, 1950, the start of the Korean War. planes, living in barracks (although carefully segre- gated and chaperoned), and sharing on a daily ba- A year and a half later, Doc led the Troubadours in sis their mutual love of singing, friendships were the Lutkin Benediction at the Farquharson-Law wed- forged and couples discovered a special fondness ding. for one another. On the first Troubadours trip, ro- mance blossomed between Dorothy Schram and While in the Pacific, the vocalists gave an entire per- William Hines, and they were married the next De- formance on Okinawa in the rain. And, during the cember. Christmas trip, they were flying in a snowstorm to Adak, in the Aleutians, when the base radioed, “Come Sue Farquharson Law had already met Ensign Ja- on in... if you can.” In they went, guided by radar and son Law, a Naval Academy graduate, and they were radioed instructions from the ground. In Nome, a on the verge of becoming engaged when orders third of the audience was Eskimo. suddenly called him to Guam in April of 1950. A few weeks later, tears turned to joy when Sue learned of The 1951 Cherry Tree reported on the Troubadours’ the Troubadours’ invitation to perform that summer cosmopolitan air after their extended trips: “Con- in the South Pacific. versation never lags when a singer is around with 18 the Hawaii-Alaska-Newfoundland gleam in his eye,” mas at Goose Bay (Labrador) Air Force Base. The the reporter wrote. “...Surviving such horrors as temperature was 27 degrees below zero. smallpox of the left arm and typhoid of the right, the songsters spent Easter in Greenland, Christmas in In 26 hours, the sixteen women and twelve men gave Alaska, and enjoyed a summer tour of the Pacific five shows for the men at Goose Bay. Ann Brazinski bases.” performed the torch song, “My Love, My Love,” and the comic “Fireman’s Bride.” With Doc “Santa Claus” Meanwhile, back in Washington, the Glee Club was Harmon directing and John Parker serving as as- continuing its performances in Lisner Auditorium. sistant director, the Troubadours sang “Wonderful At the annual production of Messiah, the singers Guy,” “Open Thy Heart,” “I Got Rhythm,” “White were joined by the Air Force Orchestra and the Sing- Christmas,” and the Lutkin Benediction. The Bene- ing Sergeants, a collaboration that would continue diction was to become another Troubadour and Glee throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. Women Club tradition, ending every concert. members of the Club performed with members of the Air Force in productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s It was at Goose Bay one year that Bill Dotson, Charlie “The Mikado” in 1949, “Iolanthe” in 1950, and Rhodes, John Parker and Bruce Mencher were “Ruddigore” in 1951. Now, the Troubadours were drafted to judge the Tops ‘n’ Blues, an Air Force pre- official Air Force ambassadors. And, in the years to sentation of comedians, musicians and vocalists. come, there would be Cherry Blossom Festivals, And there were numerous trips into Thule, the most band concerts on the Watergate barge, and many northern U.S. air base, 815 miles from the North Pole, other appearances with the Air Force musical orga- and cloaked in complete darkness this time of year. nizations. There, one Christmas, the Troubadours shared the bill with Keenan Wynn and Walter Pidgeon, re- Twenty-seven Troubadours traveled to Reykjavik, nowned actors and movie stars. Iceland, in 1952. They also sang for soldiers at Ft. Meade, Ft. Myer, and other locations, and Messiah There is a favorite story about flying to Thule — or was again presented at Christmas. was it Alaska? — on one of the Christmas trips. It has been told over and over by many of the partici- The Troubadours’ pants. The Trou- Christmas tour in Memories from a letter to David Bates, March 4, 1998: badours were 1953 — their 7th about one hour out tour to entertain “I wonder if anyone remembers that a performance of ‘Mikado’ (marvelous of Thule when the overseas service- air base radioed as I remember it!) by Doc Harmon’s Girls’ Glee Club, the Singing Sergeants and men — began at the plane and Pepperell Field, the Air Force Symphony was largely what brought GW to the attention of the asked if everyone Newfoundland, on Air Force, thus leading directly to the remarkable journeys of the Traveling was okay. The pi- December 19th. Troubadours... Doc’s star soprano, Judy Conklin, was the lead Yum-Yum, Betty lot referred the They were touring Jane Trowbridge was Pitty Sing, and my Dot was the third ‘little maid from question to Doc, the Northeast Air school.” who took the radio Command, includ- - John Bullough and said, “All is ing bases in La- fine but we have a brador, Newfound- case of acute land and Greenland, for the third time in three years. tracheo-laryngitis aboard.” On the program was a barbershop quartet, a dance routine by Tom Pence and Pat Reed, a comedy-hill- “Bring it on in, Doc. We drink anything,” was the billy act, and selections from Handel’s Messiah. reply.

Scheduled to travel to Thule, Greenland, on the 24th, Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland were not they instead changed their plans and spent Christ- hospitable places in the depth of winter. Winds up 19 to 70 knots, snowdrifts, and temperatures of 30 be- “No music bench to be had,” continues Law, “Mrs. low zero often greeted the travellers, and there was Harmon put the music on top of the upright and be- complete darkness most of the time. But, the Trou- gan her accompaniment. Bermuda’s famously badours returned again and again. In 1954, they balmy breezes turned brisk, lifted the music and would travel 3,077 miles and perform 34 shows within wafted it into the blue water.” a 17-day period. In 1955, they would perform Christ- mas Eve on the back of a snow truck “Grace turned in an open hangar. They kept on re- her head to “Dr. Harmon introduced us to quality choral music, by turning, bringing holiday cheer (and watch the flut- some of the only women seen by the renowned composers; demanded our best effort and quality. tering pages, soldiers) to the men stationed in But most important: He taught us the beauty and importance smiled her these remote outposts. of love... agape... in all that he did and all that he stood for.” lovely smile - John Parker and never In transit, the performers were attired missed a in GI-issue: knee-length parkas, high beat.” heavy boots, gloves, long underwear and hats with ear flaps. However, for performances, Doc de- The Air Force was enormously grateful for the dedi- manded elegance: white strapless gowns for the cation of the Harmons and the students to their mis- women and black tie for the men. Over the years, sion. A letter from Chester W. Ross, Chaplain, USAF, he would advise the women to “be as glamorous as summed up the sentiments of his colleagues, “It is possible... it pays.” impossible to adequately express in words our grati- tude for what you have done for us.” These northern tours were interspersed with sum- mer trips to more hospitable places like the Azores Besides their travels, the Troubadours and the Glee and Bermuda and Spain. By the end of the decade, Club performed regularly at University events, in- the Traveling Troubadours had sung at every major cluding dances, the Homecoming pep rally, variety MATS base in the world. shows, the summer carnival, and the Christmas tree lighting. There were several It was in Bermuda concerts, too, at local military that the ever-de- bases and, with the Korean War voted Grace in progress, military recruitment Harmon demon- was in full swing. As the singers’ strated a compo- chartered bus approached the sen- sure and tolerance try gate at any base, Doc would that served as an admonish the men, “Boys, don’t important example sign your name to anything to- to the troupe, es- night.” pecially Sue Law. “Mrs. Harmon Every year, there was Messiah Honey,” as Doc of- with the Air Force Symphony and ten called her, put Singing Sergeants. Performed for up with a strange capacity crowds in Lisner Audito- assortment of pi- rium, it was the highlight of the anos during their season for the campus as well as travels, but she the community. The soloists were never complained. This time, however, she was pre- often drawn from the Glee Club and included Sally sented with a particularly small, tinny upright piano Davis, Ann Mitchell, Richard Hedges and Paul Hull. that had been pulled not-so-gently to the seashore. Doc continued to relieve rehearsal tensions with his 20 recitations and pop quizzes. Margaret Gillies St. Pierre remembers one night when he asked a medi- cal question: “What is digitalis?”

St. Pierre quickly responded, “A drug to strengthen the heart beat,” for which she was awarded the pe- rennial quarter. “In the fifties, you could still buy a super sandwich and a coke with 25 cents at the campus shop, Hole in the Wall,“ she says.

“When learning Humperdinck’s Prayer from Hansel and Gretel,” St. Pierre continues, “Doc had us pro- nounce ‘para- dise’ as ‘para- dees.’ He maintained that paradise were for shak- ing and throwing in gambling.”

The summer of 1956 found the Troubadours per- forming for thirteen weeks at the Shoreham Hotel. The Shoreham’s famous Blue Room, home to many headliners such as Peggy Lee, moved to the more spacious Ter- race during the summer. The Trouba- dours were originally engaged for five weeks but their appearance was ex- tended because they were so popular.

The GW Medical Society presented its Merit Award to Dr. Harmon in 1955. The award was based on recognition of sci- entific accomplishment, academic at- tainment and service to the community.

And, in 1959, Harmon was honored at a Testimonial Banquet held at the May- flower Hotel and attended by some three hundred guests. He was presented with a stereo- phonic music system for his home and a hand-let- tered scroll from his friends. 21 From an article on the Traveling Troubadours:

“The trips have been strenuous. Listen to the schedule followed during the Christmas season. On December 22 the group flew to Great Falls, Montana, thence to Anchorage, and on to Naknek in the Aleutians where 100 men were serenaded on Sunday at midday. A Sunday night program and two church services followed at Cold Bay. Then the group went to Shemya at the tip of the Aleutians where they entertained and were royally entertained Christmas Day and Christmas Night. It was here that red-headed Rose Eberly an Air Force employee there, was overjoyed to see them and recalled that she had been a G.W.U. student in ‘Tuffy Leeman’s day!’ It was here, too, that the Glee Club met the Shemya commanding officer, Capt. Raymond Brim. Captain Brim wrote a separate and different letter of thanks to parents of each of the students—a courtesy each member remembers with warmth. Next on the schedule was Adak. A blinding snowstorm blocked the way. The base radioed, ‘Come if you can,’ and the Glee Club went. The plane landed by radar. It was during one of the two programs given here that Sue Farquharson’s lovely soprano voice broke while she was singing a solo part of ‘Silent Night.’ Without a hitch Vicky Brashear took up the melody; and Dr. Harmon drew a big Navy hand of applause at the end. ‘She got that cold at the Army-Navy game, sitting on the Navy side,’ he announced. From there the club went to Kodiak and back to Anchorage, picking up Jenny Clark who had left her bronchitis behind. From Anchorage the group took a G.W.U. special train six miles to Whittier through glaciers and mountains and snow burdened trees where they saw moose and bears and rivers filled with icebergs. After two shows at Whittier the club flew back to Nome, radioing ahead for a birthday cake for Jo Anne Winslow. There on her birthday Jo Anne’s lovely mezzo soprano took the solo as the Glee Club sang Adolf Torovsky’s ‘Softly The Stars Were Shining’ before an audience, one third Eskimo. Back to Fairbanks at 3:30 a.m., the intrepid singers took off again the next afternoon for a tour of the University of Alaska. They went by bus to Eilson were they put on two performances and a church service. The four days following were spent at Fairbanks and Ladd Field. En route to Big Delta the club crossed the Arctic Circle and from the air, Richard Hedges, Steve Anderson, John Parker and Wade Currier, the Glee Club’s Colonials Quartet, became the first barbershop quartet to broadcast above the Arctic Circle. The quartet and the Thrill Billy Trio, composed of Virginia Perrott, Ethel Johnson and Joan Haag, were among the hits of the performance at Big Delta on New Year’s Day. Here, too, Rosemary Glenn’s rendition of ‘I’m Going Back to Where I Came From’ helped make the finale of the tour a powerful success. Back to Fairbanks, thence to Great Falls, Montana, and home in another snowstorm—thus ended the third trip of 1950. Gwyn Perce, student manager, has figured out that the club covered more than 40,000 miles last year. About 30 students went on each trip. The first trip during Easter holidays, gave the Glee Club its first view of the Northern Lights—at Goose Bay, Labrador; a chance to hunt ptarmigan and square dance in Greenland; to visit Agentia where the Atlantic Pact was signed and Harmon Field, named for Capt. Ernest Harmon, whose son, Robert Harmon, was a student at the University Law School. Last June 16, the Glee Club began its Pacific tour via Great Falls, Montana, and Fairfield—Suisun, where they encountered Dr. John Lyons, clinical professor of surgery, then en route to Tokyo. They flew to the land of leis for a four day stand —including Honolulu, Hickam Base, and Pearl Harbor, where the Thrill Billy Trio was organized. Here some of the club patronized a barbershop where signs are posted: ‘Mirror broken through the courtesy of the Japanese Royal Air Force.’ The club sang at Tripler General Hospital before proceeding to Johnston Island, Kwajalein Island, and Guam where they passed the International Date Line and were told that Korea was at war. The tour continued to Luzon and Clark Field. Two days were spent at Okinawa and four at Tokyo, but because of hostilities, a booking in Alaska was canceled. The Club flew back to Guam, to Wake—long enough for breakfast and to refuel and to make Honolulu for the Fourth of July, arriving at 1:30 a.m. The singers went to bed until noon, spent the afternoon on Waikiki Beach, reached Fairfield at 1 a.m. and came home on the fifth.”

- The GW Hatchet, January 1951

22 23 The 1960s: A Time of Transition The year 1960 brought an invitation to the Trouba- “Oklahoma” and “My Fair Lady” were popular, and dours to perform for six weeks during the summer the Glee Club had medleys of these favorites in their at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. To prepare for repertoire. They continued to perform with the Sing- the momentous appearance, they spent the spring ing Sergeants and the Air Force Symphony at Cherry semester in rehearsals Blossom Festivals and band three times a week. The concerts, as well as the holiday University was a-buzz From a letter from Mrs. Gilmore D. Clarke to Catherine J. performance of Messiah. The with excitement over the Pickar, March 5, 1993: announcer for the Air Force national publicity. Symphony and Singing Ser- “In June of 1959, I began my goal to secure an geants was none other than Once they arrived at Ra- engagement for the Traveling Troubadours to sing in a former Troubadour Harry dio City, the Troubadours stage production at Radio City Music Hall. I continued Gleeson. again demonstrated enor- to represent the Traveling Troubadours with the mous stamina, perform- In the summer of 1963, there ing three shows a day President and other officials at Radio City Music Hall were three appearances at the with short intervals in be- until this dream came to pass in August 1960. Then I Watergate, a concert barge on tween. The pace was ex- had the privilege of becoming the manager of the the Potomac, and a two-day hausting. Traveling Troubadours during their engagement in engagement at the Greenbrier Manhattan. in White Sulphur Springs, West In their spare time, they It was a fascinating experience to have Gary Virginia, for the American Phar- blew paychecks on exotic Morton appearing in the same show as we were; in maceutical Association. A foods, stumped long city show business terms, we were on the same bill. On one month later, the Troubadours blocks on blistered feet, occasion I met Lucille Ball at the Music Hall who shortly were engaged for two days at cemented friendships thereafter married Gary Morton.” the Carousel Motel in Ocean with the Rockettes, and City by the Cliff Dwellers. learned to fall frantically into line precisely as the curtain rose, according to a Soon afterwards, contralto soloist and comedienne feature article about them in Look magazine. The Carolyn Gaines was lured by folksingers Carol Hedlin group also made several radio and television appear- and Allen Damaron to their hangout, the Gallows. ances. Carolyn was a member of the troupe that appeared at Radio City and she would go on to pursue a pro- When the show was held over because of popular fessional career in clubs across the country. Today, demand, the Troubadours missed fall registration for she returns to GW annually to direct current stu- classes, but the University allowed them to register dents and a few alumni in a “Cabaret” evening of late. As a memento of their Radio City appearance, popular songs and show tunes. RCA President Russell Downing presented a mon- tage of photographs and memorabilia to GW Presi- In 1961, Professor George Steiner founded a music dent Thomas H. Carroll. program at GW and Dr. Harmon’s tenure as direc- tor of the University Glee Clubs began to wind down. The year culminated in the annual performance of Assisted, as always, by his wife Grace and assis- Handel’s Messiah at the Lisner Auditorium, once tant conductor Charlie Rhodes, Harmon conducted again accompanied by the Air Force Symphony Or- a couple more trips to Greenland and a few more Air chestra and the Singing Sergeants, and yet another Force concerts. And, because of their semi-profes- trip to the air bases in Greenland and Iceland. sional nature, The Troubadours remained a sepa- rate entity and continued to perform outside the aus- During this period, show tunes from “Showboat,” pices of the department. 24 The Glee Club, however, was destined to become a part of the Music Department as Steiner sought to establish institutional recognition and musical pro- ficiency. Students would begin to receive credit for performing in GW’s choral ensembles, and rehearsal attendance would be compulsory. Harmon was not interested in giving grades for attendance and musi- cal performance. In addition, he was still an enor- mously busy obstetrician and gynecologist with a demanding schedule.

The 1963 presentation of Messiah with the Singing Sergeants, the Air Force Orchestra and the GW Glee Clubs was Harmon’s last. He resigned as choral director in 1964. It was the end of an era.

25 1964 to 1980: A Period of Change The Department of Music at GW was finally estab- and into the present day, the annual performance of lished in 1964, principally through the perseverance Handel’s Messiah. of George Steiner. While the first course offerings in music had appeared in the fall of 1961, University Zabawa remained as GW choral director until 1969 support for a full-fledged Music Department offering when Dale W. Krider became director for approxi- majors in music was not widespread. Steiner’s ef- mately six months. He was followed by Stephen J. forts to establish a music program and studio space Prussing, GW’s third choral director in the five years for budding musicians were tireless. since Doc Harmon’s resignation. Prussing was also the music director of New York Avenue Presbyte- The new Music Department was within the rian Church and an orchestra leader. Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s liberal arts under- Prussing, who received his doctorate in con- graduate school. Courses were ducting at the University of Southern Cali- “I still cherish the memories offered in Music Appreciation, Or- fornia, under the baton of Charles Hirt, was chestra, and the History of Music. of my years singing with faced with the arduous task of keeping GW’s The University boasted an 84-piece friends at GW... We often tradition of choral singing alive during the tu- symphony orchestra consisting of enjoyed ourselves a bit too multuous late sixties and early seventies. musicians from the region who much. One day our His choral program consisted of the Univer- now became affiliated with GW. normally patient “Doc” [Dr. sity Chorus and the Chamber Choir, a group The orchestra was conducted by Prussing] yelled at the used mainly as a laboratory for graduate Steiner, who also chaired the de- baritone section, ‘When the music students in conducting. One such partment. NOTES go up... YOU go up!’” student was Catherine J. Pickar who began her graduate studies at GW in 1977 and In the Fall of 1964, following - Dennis Rabinowitz began working with the choral program in Harmon’s retirement, Jule Zabawa, 1978. a baritone who was teaching voice in the Music Department, took over on a part-time In 1979, Catherine Pickar was asked to hold audi- basis as the GW choral director. Zabawa formed tions for the Chamber Choir and serve as their con- the University Chorus and the Madrigal Singers, a ductor as part of her degree requirements for a Mas- select group of singers chosen from the University ter of Music in conducting. The once highly-visible Chorus. The Madrigal Singers, like the Traveling tradition of choral singing on the GW campus had Troubadours, occasionally performed outside the become much less visible in the sixties and seven- University. There was one big difference: for the ties. Only a small percentage of GW students was first time, students received academic credit for per- even aware that a chorus or Chamber Choir existed. forming in the musical ensembles. Consequently, the audition pool of interested students was small. Further impacting the choral program was a change in the University calendar that shortened the fall se- Nevertheless, Pickar found enough interested and mester. Because the semester ended earlier, it was talented students and staff members to form a fine no longer possible for the singers to perform for the small ensemble. She was assisted by an excellent Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the White House. student accompanist, Lisa Crim. Undergraduate Of all the “traditions” that had come to be part of GW music majors including Marianne Adinaro, Patty choral activities, the gala events with the Air Force Norris, Donald Perper, and a student from the GW Orchestra and Singing Sergeants, the Cherry Blos- Law School, Brian Litscher, were the backbone of som Festivals, the Christmas Tree Lightings, only this program. one continued through the latter part of the sixties 26 After earning her Master’s Degree, Pickar was asked under Pickar’s direction, performed a joint concert to join the Music faculty as an adjunct member and featuring Romancero Gitano by Nuovo-Tedesco, with assume the position as conductor of the chorus, Laura Knoy, Lori Neiswander, Gregg Mueffelmann continue conducting the Chamber Choir, and teach and Kevin Werner as soloists, and a Mozart Missa an elementary theory course. With graduate stu- Brevis with Eric Comstock, David Kraven, Brenda dent Joyce Bell as her accompanist, Pickar began a Kayne, and JoAnn Stephano-Young as soloists. new choral tradition. Kayne and Stephano-Young were graduate student alumni. Melissa Maxman, a student who transferred to GW from Amherst after working on the 1976 Carter cam- In an attempt to link Pickar and the new choral pro- paign, approached Pickar after a theory class and gram to its rich history, Vice President Smith and asked if she would be interested in starting a mixed Ron Howard, of Alumni Relations, introduced her to a cappella ensemble at GW. Missy had been in- former singers Bruce Mencher, Al Justice and volved with the informal a cappella singing groups at Winfield Weitzel. It became clear to Pickar that the Amherst. “If you knew Missy, you knew it was going choral program from the 1920s through the early to happen,” says Pickar. It is also worth mentioning 1960s had a very special history with a legendary that Pickar had been immersed in the Yale tradition conductor. And, from that rich period, there were of a cappella singing groups while residing in New alumni who still felt strongly that the tradition they Haven in the early 1970s. had so enjoyed should be carried on into the new millennium. In the fall of 1981, the newly-formed ensemble had a campus-wide competition to select a name. The Inspired by the stories of alumni from the Doc Harmon then Vice President for Student Affairs, William Smith, era, Pickar restructured the choral program into the submitted “The Troubadours” as his suggestion, format of the Harmon era: a Glee Club and the Trou- making reference to the earlier ensemble and hop- badours. The Chamber Choir, enlarged and re- ing that the new group named the Glee Club, be- would pick up where a came the primary en- strong tradition had left semble. Those perform- off. The group was born, ing in the Troubadours or more accurately, re- were selected from and vived. Although unknown expected to perform with to Pickar at the time, the the Glee Club, thus ensur- choral program was sud- ing that the smaller group denly invested with a rich would not drain the talent tradition and a supportive pool for the larger group. group of alumni who wanted to help rebuild it. Additional changes were to impact the choral pro- The founding members gram. Chairman George of the revived Troubadours were Eric Comstock, Steiner had successfully convinced the University Suzy Friedman, Steve Hilmy, Missy Maxman, Lori administration that the Music Department needed Neiswander, James O’Brien, Michael O’Leary, Don updated facilities and more space. In June of 1982, Poe, Joan Sincoff, Oliver Smith, Jill Wendroff and the department, which had been housed in two small Kevin Werner. They performed their first concert in town houses on H Street, moved to its new home in a joint program with the Chamber Choir on Novem- the brand-new Academic Center at the corner of ber 2, 1981, with such tunes as “Collegiate, “Imagi- 22nd and H Streets. A year after the move, the Dean nation,” and “Java Jive.” of Columbian College, Calvin Linton, saw the need for a full-time director of choral activities and In 1982, the Chamber Choir and the Chorus, both Catherine Pickar was promoted to Assistant Pro- 27 fessor of Music. She was the first woman to hold a of Brahms that featured Stephen Richards and full-time position in the GW Department of Music. Cindy Carpien as soloists. One of the more inter- esting concerts in the choral program’s history was The early eighties were a building time for the choral held in the spring of 1984: a concert of music by program. Steven Alan Honley, a graduate student in women composers with Char Mollison, Executive Director of Women’s Equity Action League, as nar- rator. Char delivered an eloquent overview of “I remember the first semester with the chorus very well women’s historical involvement in Western music, — students such as Felice Kudman and Eric Comstock which was interspersed by the performance of an pioneered the rebuilding of the choral program with array of choral styles by women composers. caring enthusiasm. In March 1979, Eric wrote an arrangement for and accompanied a choral medley entitled “Best of Broadway.” Eric, who now lives in New York, is a popular cabaret singer of international renown and appears at the Algonquin Hotel.”

- Catherine Pickar international affairs, offered his services as accom- panist for the choir. In 1983, the GW Glee Club joined in concert with the DC V Region Children’s Chorus for a performance in the Marvin Theatre that fea- tured Patrick Jones and Lisa Moscatiello as solo-

ists. Moscatiello was a high school student at the time and daughter of a GW staff member. Years later, the Washington Area Music Association named her CD, Innocent When You Dream, as Contempo- rary Folk Album of the Year. She now sings profes- sionally throughout the eastern United States.

In the fall of 1983, the Glee Club, with Karena Coo- per as student accompanist, performed a concert 28 1984 to 1986: Reunion Plans and Troubadour Travel GW’s choral program, like the University, is interest- working with the assistance of the choral students ingly interwoven with historical events. As has al- to locate choral alumni all over the country and ready been mentioned, the Carter administration around the world. At the Gelman Library, Mangis was a magnet for Missy Maxman, who transferred examined past yearbooks and photocopied every to GW and helped found the revived Troubadours. page that contained pictures and names of choral In 1984, GW named a new Dean for Columbian Col- program participants from 1924 to 1984. Pickar and lege, Clara Lovett. Lovett was interested in greater her students cross-referenced the names from The alumni involvement and set out to establish the Cherry Tree with names on the University’s main Columbian College Alumni Association. She also alumni list. There were many “lost” alumni and hired Julie Martin Mangis, a GW alumna who had women whose whereabouts could not be tracked sung under Doc Harmon, as Director of Alumni Re- because of name changes with marriage. Missing lations for the College. also were dozens of part-timers and students who had never graduated. The University records sys- Mangis was aware of the number of alumni from the tem had not always included them as alumni. Some Harmon years who might come back to GW for a choristers were located by checking local telephone reunion that would memorialize Doc Harmon and directories; others were found by questioning their his contributions to music at GW. It was now twenty contemporaries. Finally, after months of research, years since Doc’s retirement and eight years since the choral alumni list emerged with about 600 names his death, but he was still re- and addresses. vered among the alumni who “PCs were not widely used in faculty offices in 1985 had performed for him all over Another historical event that the world. With the volunteer yet we needed to keep the alumni information on a turned out to be pivotal to the assistance of Alice Vardaman database. Theresa Tetrault, a student in the choral choral program was Presi- McGillivray, another alumna, program, volunteered the services of her boyfriend, dent Carter’s appointment of plans began for a grand cho- Jim Moller, to put a loaner computer in my home and Allen Holmes, a career dip- ral reunion that would be sup- design a database for it. The students volunteered to lomat, as Ambassador to ported by the Department of come to my home in the evenings and cross-reference Portugal. Holmes’ son Music and the Columbian names and enter the data into the computer. It Gerald enrolled at GW soon College Alumni Association. seemed that, if I fed them, the students would do afterward and joined both the anything. So... I cooked, or more likely ordered carry- chorus and the Troubadours. A Reunion Committee was out, and they typed. I remember several nights going During one of their visits to formed. Members included the United States, Ambassa- to bed and leaving the students working in the study the newly-appointed chair- dor and Mrs. Holmes heard man of the Department of of my home in Woodley Park and playing with my dog the Troubadours perform and Music Roy Guenther, Harry Jesse.” suggested that they plan a Gleeson, Richard Hedges, performance tour to Portugal. Bruce Mencher, Michael - Catherine Pickar Thus began a pattern of in- O’Leary, John Parker, ternational travel under the McGillivrary, Mangis and Pickar. This group went auspices of the United States Information Service on to serve as the nucleus of the board of the Harmon — an affiliation that was to continue through 1994 Choral Associates. and lead to performance tours in Portugal, Ireland, Italy (twice) and France. Once again, the group could Meanwhile, Mangis, Pickar and McGillivray were be called the Traveling Troubadours. 29 The Troubadours were accompanied on their Por- Upon returning from Portugal, the Troubadours asked tuguese performance tour by Wallace Keiderling, Pickar where they would travel the next year. Before Cultural Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon. she could mutter the words “n-n-next year,” the Trou- Although the group’s performance schedule was badours had contacted the Cultural Affairs Officer in Ireland, submitted tapes, and had begun planning their 1985 performance tour to Ireland. Os Troubadours em Portugal At their GW concert to raise funds for the trip to Ire- “Os Troubadours, agrupamento coral do Departamento de Musica land, the Troubadours paraded their Irish spirit with da Universidade George Washington, encontram-se em Portugal their performances of “I’m a Rambler; I’m a Gam- bler,” “No, Nay, Never,” and “Wild Rover.” The pro- para uma série de concertos que se prolongarão até ao dia 26 ceeds from the concert, along with their earnings deste mês. Hoje, às 21 e 30, actuarão na igreja de Viseu; from many private performances, provided enough amanhã, às 18 horas, estarão no Liceu de Seia; na quarta, às 21 money to cover their airfare. e 30, na Escola Secundária Nuno Àlvares, de Castelo Branco; e no sábado, às 19 horas, no Palácio Nacional da Vila, em Sintra.” 1985 was another watershed year for the GW cho- ral program. After much consideration and discus- - D. Noticias, Lisbon, May 1984 sion with both students and alumni, Pickar decided to change the name of the Glee Club, the primary ensemble of the program, to the University Singers. demanding and the weather was unexpectedly cold, “The term Glee Club represented a wonderfully rich “their response to such a challenge was nothing short tradition of choral singing and choral history at GW,” of sensational,” wrote Keiderling in a letter to GW observed Pickar, “but we were at another place now President Lloyd Elliott. where the term was not as appropriate as it once was. The students and I agreed on the name Uni- versity Singers as one that would be classic and not break with the strong ties to GW’s past.” “I’ll never forget our trip to Dublin and an early morning dip in the Irish Sea with Cyndi and Alvin. We were all staying with families outside of Dublin. Our first night, we were invited to “There are highlights from every trip — the educational and stay up with the host family, listening to family stories and cultural highlights, the performance highlights, and the humorous, downing their home-brewed lager by the pint. We couldn’t say off-color, unable-to-print highlights. One of the more memorable ‘no,’ we were guests. So we were up until four o’clock in the educational highlights of all Troubadour trips was when we morning. We went to bed and the next thing we knew, it was invited Eamon De Valera, the grandson of the first prime minister 7:00 a.m. and time for the morning dip in the ocean. and president of the Republic of Ireland, to speak to the students. Eamon was a friend of my husband, David, from a childhood Our hosts handed us bathrobes and we walked across the road camp in Ireland. and stared into the dark Irish Sea. It was March and probably 40 degrees. There were older men and women from the village De Valera spoke of his grandfather’s political life; the intervention gathered on the rocks above the fairly rough sea. Alvin and I of President Woodrow Wilson in saving his grandfather (who was looked at each other, nodded, and in we went. Cyndi wasn’t far born in New York City) from being hanged by the British following behind. It was the most invigorating and chilling experience of the Easter Rebellion; and the feeling of living in a country divided my life. We didn’t stay in long. It did, however, scare the by political and religious strife. For the Troubadours, De Valera hangovers out of us.” animated Irish history. For De Valera, the Troubs sang.” - Gerald Holmes - Catherine Pickar 30 1986: The First Harmon Choral Reunion

On March 22, 1986, Glee Club, Chorus, University two different Troubadour groups separated by three Singers, Chamber Choir and Troubadour alumni decades. from places as distant as California, Iowa, Okla- homa, Florida and Texas gathered at The George The guest of honor for the reunion events was 93- Washington University’s Marvin Center to honor the year-old Nolan B. Harmon, a bishop in the Methodist memory of Dr. Robert Howe Harmon, director of Church and Doc Harmon’s only surviving sibling. GW’s vocal ensembles from 1924 to 1964. Bishop Harmon, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, agreed to travel to Washington for the reunion and Choral alumni took advantage of the evening to show- deliver a special memorial tribute to his brother. case the achievements of Following the tribute, he the various singing groups presented to Columbian over the years. Winfield “The students enjoyed caroling in the malls; I thought it was College Dean Clara Lovett Weitzel told of the night dreadful. So one day, after singing for over an hour in Mazza a check that established The George Washington Gallerie — where I was never sure if the shoppers were the Harmon Prize Fund, University Glee Club won listening to us, enjoying us, or totally indifferent to us — I an endowed fund, the in- first place in the National imposed the escalator rule: sing only while riding the terest from which was to Intercollegiate Glee Club be awarded every spring escalators. I was sure we would be fired or, at the very least, Contest at Carnegie Hall. to an outstanding student The year was 1930 and never be asked back again. But, dog-gonnit... we were of the choral program. GW won over schools applauded by the Mazza Gallerie management as being such as Princeton, Yale, creative with a real sense of spirit. They eagerly hired us for Pickar presented the first Columbia and Dartmouth. subsequent years. I dropped out of the caroling business and Harmon Award that same Weitzel’s copy of the pro- let the students carry it on.” evening to Lori gram from Carnegie Hall Neiswander for her ex- occupied a prominent - Catherine Pickar traordinary contributions place in the reunion exhibit. as a singer, arranger and organizer. Following the Other memorabilia on exhibit included programs and presentations, the Troubadours, University Singers photographs from concerts and appearances and alumni, with Eric Holck as student accompa- throughout the world. There were pictures of Ha- nist, performed Broadway medleys; Bruce Mencher waii, the Phillippines and Japan taken led the male choristers in by the 1950 Traveling Troubadours on “Old Man Noah;” and the their South Pacific tour. A 1960 Look evening concluded with a magazine article featured the Trouba- joint performance of the dours during their six-week appearance Lutkin Benediction. at Radio City Music Hall. Browne Greene and Jan Larkins figure promi- The Harmon Prize Fund nently in one of the pictures as they are was not the only fund estab- elegantly climbing into a horse-drawn lished with the 1986 Re- carriage in Central Park. The 1980s union. A second fund, Troubadours shared photographs from called the Harmon Fund, their visits to Ireland and Portugal. was created for the general Eleanor De Angelis brought along an support of the choral pro- Icelandic two-dollar bill autographed by gram. This is not an en- all the Troubadours on a visit there in dowed fund and the monies 1951. And Bob Hope appeared in photographs with collected are immediately available to director Pickar 31 for the purchase of music and supplies, for master classes and retreats, and other needs that cannot be covered by departmental budgets.

Probably the most significant outcome of the 1986 reunion was the formation of the Harmon Choral Associates, an organiza- tion of alumni of GW’s choral ensembles. Formed “as a way of keeping the spirit of the reunion alive,” this group held its first organizational meeting immediately follow- ing the reunion. A Board of Advisors was elected and Articles of Association were drawn up in 1988.

Throughout the 1985-86 academic year, students in the choral program performed in a variety of venues other than the cam- pus concerts. They were frequently hired to provide holiday entertainment at local shopping malls and Pickar believed she should sing with them. Singing carols over and over again in a shopping mall can be awfully boring. So, Pickar decided one afternoon at Mazza Gallerie that the choir should sing only while riding the escalators. Years later, when alumni were asked to contribute choral memories to the history project, Ken Albala, a 1986 alumnus, recalled “sing- ing up and down on the escalators.”

Reflecting another tradition of the Harmon era, the University Singers were hired by Jack Morton Pro- ductions in 1986 to perform with Roger Miller in his appearance at the Kennedy Center. Joined by the chorus from American University, the two choirs gave a beautiful performance of Broadway standards as an introduction to Miller. The Hatchet headline read, “The University Singers sing for 2,000.”

32 1987 to 1997: A Decade of Growth 1987 to 1997 was a period of growth and change for mishap, quickly changing weather, and...” both the Department of Music and the entire Univer- sity. Stephen Joel Trachtenberg became the 20th At the University Singers’ 1987 Spring Concert, president of The George Washington University in baritone Todd Harvey was presented with the Sec- 1988 and with him ond Annual Harmon Award for his came a new energy “I was always nervous on Troub trips. H—, I was outstanding contribution to the cho- in campus life. ral program. “Todd was a peace- responsible for their safety, and in Bermuda with mopeds Scholarship money maker in the groups,” says Pickar. was made available no less! So I forbade moped use unless they went as a “He used the expression ‘puttin’ on for performing arts group and followed me. In retrospect, nothing could have my raincoat’ when discussions students. Additional been more dangerous than fifteen kids on mopeds, single around him became heated, be- funds were placed in file, traveling very slowly on a highway behind someone cause everything would then roll the choral and band who had never been on a moped before. But, they off his back. I was grateful for the budgets. State-of- followed me like little ducklings. And, with the exception peacemakers and the peacekeep- the-art registration by of one of the students’ confusing the hand brake with the ers.” telephone was imple- hand accelerator, the outing was accident-free. That mented ending the accident did more damage to the hotel’s flower beds and Also in 1987, the department or- dreaded lines of reg- the student’s ego than it did physical harm to anyone. ganized a chamber choir to be a istration day. And, lab group for Tim Crofoot, a gradu- Cyndi Hammond, riding on the back of the moped, several campus fa- cilities were remod- sustained a minor burn, an injury that eled and enhanced. paradoxically became one of the more Although there contin- humorous stories of Troub lore.” ued to be problems - Catherine Pickar with inadequate per- formance and re- hearsal space, overbooked teaching studios, and an inappropriate ratio of part-time to full-time faculty, the music department was thriving and the shortcom- ings were viewed positively as growing pains.

In 1987, the Troubadours, following once again in the footsteps of their predecessors, traveled to Ber- muda during their spring break, performing at vari- ous hotels during the evenings and sightseeing dur- ate music student in the program. The participants ing the day. According to Tom Korch, “Memorable in the choir were Sky Capelletti, Katie Holler, Jenni- moments included a rendition of ‘Night and Day’ in a fer Limbert, Jennifer Gottschall, Sarah Sha’afi, David rather resonant jacuzzi, Cyndi Hammond’s moped Garafalo, Paul Kaplan, John Conforti, Jeremy Fox, and John David Morris. “I always thought John David Morris’s first name was John David, and in southern tradition, I naturally called him John David. Not until years later, after he successfully campaigned for Student Association The University president as John David, did I become aware that I was the first one to call him by the compound name. Singers continued Before joining the choral program at GW, he had been just another ‘John.’” the tradition of - Catherine Pickar Messiah sing- along at their win- 33 ter concert every December. 1987 marked the first for his enormous contribution to the choral program year, however, since the Harmon era, in which the and assistance to Dr. Voelker. majority of the soloists were GW students as op- posed to hired professionals. The soloists were The first major expense out of Harmon Funds was Jennifer Limbert, Imedla Aycud, Katie Holler and Joel made in the fall of 1989 when concert attire — tux- Schmidt. Holler and Schmidt have both gone on to edos for the men and long skirts for the women — professional careers as singers. was purchased for the University Singers, ensuring a uniform appearance for the first time. The con- In the spring of 1988, the University Singers, with cert program notes, “Several expenses of this Karena Cooper returning as staff accompanist, per- evening’s program, including the new concert attire formed Fauré’s Requiem, and Katie for the University Sing- Holler received the Harmon Award. That ers, have been paid for same spring, the Troubadours embarked by the generous contri- upon their first domestic performance butions of the Harmon tour — a California trip, arranged by Julie Choral Associates.” Mangis of the Columbian College Alumni Needless to say, the Association, Ron Howard of the General significant impact that Alumni Association and the Department the choral alumni orga- of Music. The Troubadours were housed nization was to make by alumni and performed in San Diego, on the choral program Los Angeles and San Francisco, enjoy- had begun, and begun ing the California sunshine in between. quite visibly. The caravan of rental vehicles consisted of two mammoth station wagons and two sedans 1990 was another big year for the choral program. The second Harmon Choral Reunion took place and the Troubadours embarked on another international “Julie and John Mangis, aka ‘those Mangii,’ traveled with tour, this time to Paris. In addition, Professor Laura us, feeding us along the way from their car trunk, full of frugally- Youens, of the Department of Music, would orga- shopped food supplies. On a limited budget, it was the only nize a collegium, an ensemble devoted to the per- affordable food. Only Julie could make brie look good the third formance of early music. day around.” - Catherine Pickar The second choral reunion on April 27-29 was an- other fantastic gala. Alumni from across the coun- try returned to campus to share memories and sing which “sweated out the drive along the cliffs of the together. Friday was a perfect balmy evening for winding coast road to get the welcome gathering on the roof- the breathtaking view,” in top of the Embassy Row Hotel just the words of Tom Korch. off Dupont Circle. It did not take long for spontaneous songs to fill the air. In the summer of 1988, As the event came to a close, it Pickar’s first daughter was was good to know that everyone born and the new mother would be meeting the next morning was granted a one-year to rehearse for the Saturday night leave-of-absence. Dale concert. Voelker was hired as act- ing director of choral activi- Saturday’s banquet was held in the ties and Alan Wittrup, a ballroom of the Marvin Center. graduate music alumnus, was hired as staff accom- Thanks to David Bates, Harmon Choral Associates’ panist. Bill Vargo received the 1989 Harmon Award historian, and University Archivist David Anderson 34 the Colonnade Gallery was filled with a wonderful revoir” and headed to Paris for a performance tour exhibit of choral memorabilia made up of photo- that included concerts at the University in Orleans, graphs, newspaper clippings at the magnificent St. Sulpice and at the and programs, spanning the residence of the U.S. Ambassador, Jack years of choral history at GW. Curley. Alice McGillivray, president of Harmon Choral Associates, “The trip to Paris was magical,” re- presented an oil portrait of Doc marked Pickar. “There were some tense and Mrs. Harmon, commis- moments — Cherie McClam and Kim sioned with donations from the Gramlich were inadvertently left behind choral alumni. As their memo- as we departed for one of the perfor- rial to the Harmons, the alumni mances; we went back for them of wished to have the portrait dis- course. Poor Cherie and Kim were up- played in a place of honor in the set again when they walked to the Eiffel department. Tower one evening only to have the lights turn off as they arrived. But, how beauti- Entertainment at the Reunion fully those students performed!” Banquet was provided by the Colonials barbershop quartet, Dick Hedges, John “Also, with Julie Mangis and Gerald Holmes accom- Parker, Wade Currier and Bob Tolson, who dedicated panying us, I did very little except coach the music,” their songs to the memory of Steve Andersen, one she added. “Julie and Gerald were fluent in French.” of the original Colonials. A group of Troubadours from the 1980s: Betsy Cohen, Allison Deeb, Gerald In the spring of 1991, the Troubadours once again Holmes, Tom Korch, Alvin Mercer, Theresa Tetrault embarked upon a California performance tour. Ar- Moller, Michael O’Leary, Linda Neiswander Stone, riving at San Francisco airport, the group boarded Glenn Wicks and Lori Neiswander Wicks also per- three minivans and installed CB radios that had been formed. The entertainment was capped off by the provided by the parents of Janelle Hanson. Pickar 1950s “Shaboomers”, Bill Reed, Bob Tolson, Beverly wanted to be sure to maintain communication Alexander Tuller, and Sally Ricci Cacheris, with “The throughout the trip. Every member was assigned a Judge” Bruce Mencher at the piano. CB “handle” and the group started off “on the road again.” Among the historical works performed at the Re- union Concert was Not Yet Fleurette, a musical com- The concerts, arranged by Julie Mangis of the edy written by the Troubadours of 1927 and discov- Columbian College Alumni Association, were held ered in the Gelman Library Archives. The 1990 ver- at the Presidio in San Francisco, Villa Montalvo and sion featured Nina Fine, Marisa Paley, West Valley Col- Mary Coe, Tod Musser and Margot lege (where GW Duryee as soloists. And, continuing alumnus Gus what was now a tradition at the Uni- Mellander was versity Singers’ spring concert, the serving as presi- Harmon Prize was awarded to Carol dent) in Saratoga, Blymire and Marisa Paley. “Those the Presbyterian were the two who wrote the lyrics to Conference Cen- the Troubadours’ parody on ‘Route 66’ ter in Los Angeles called ‘I-495,’ the parody that raised and the University the question, ‘What the Hell’s a of California—San HAZMAT?’ explained Pickar. Diego in La Jolla.

Less than a month later, the Troubadours said “au Shortly after their return from California, the Trouba- 35 Performing Arts Scholarship, a program instituted “Ah... Paris in the spring! The cafes and the parks return by the Trachtenberg administration to award five to life as the days get longer and the skirts get shorter! Flocks music scholarships each year to incoming fresh- of pigeons and tourists abound, feeding on the good life that men. The scholarships had a significant effect on Paris has to offer. For ten glorious days, from May 18-28, the program and complemented the support of the 1990, the GW Troubadours joined this happy crowd. Harmon Choral Associates. Sunday, May 20, was a relatively busy day, with a performance that morning at St. Sulpice and an evening The octet in the 1991 concert featured Janelle appearance at a private party for a group of overseas Ameri- Hanson and Vicky Troy, Sarah Anderson and Kara cans. While at St. Sulpice, we found several ‘photo ops,’ Callaghan, Jordan Cook and Wade Miller, and Cecil especially on the stairs in the sacristy and on the spiral stairs in Brooks and Christian Lilley. the hall. Actually, any staircase was an excuse for picture- Pickar took a sabbatical in the spring of 1992 and taking, but with the surplus of stairs in France, the novelty Elise Eisenhower was hired as acting director, al- quickly wore off. Musically, the Troubadours did a fine job in though Pickar continued to coach the Troubadours. the four sacred pieces (music by Couperin, Costeley, Goudimel Mary Coe received the Harmon Prize and the Trou- and Tallis) and the spirituals ‘Let Us Break Bread Together’ and badours set off for a performance tour to Rome and ‘I Have a Father’ left the French crowd wanting to hear more. Florence and the surrounding areas. The trip, ar- The evening performance was a more light-hearted affair, ranged by the Cultural Affairs Office at the U.S. Em- although we almost destroyed an expensive Ming lamp doing bassy in Rome and by Gerald Holmes, included per- the choreography for ‘On a Little Street in Singapore.’ [Michael formances in the northern lake region of Italy and at Doerr’s halfbacking skills saved the day with a diving catch of the residence of the U.S. Ambassador, an appear- the lamp, intercepting it before it hit the floor.]” ance on the Italian equivalent of NBC’s “Today” show, - Matt Foss and several impromptu street concerts. The TV ap- pearance tested Holmes’ translating skills as he served as interpreter between the Italian host of “Una dours were asked to participate in presenting an hon- Matina” and the Troubadours. They followed with a orary degree to President Ronald Reagan in Lisner performance of Auditorium. They surprised “Zombie Jambo- the President, a graduate of ree.” Eureka College, with a per- “I learn more about the personalities of the various students formance of his school’s when they perform in the Cabaret than after an entire year in the University Singers. Some of the most shy, quiet, students emerge Another choral tra- alma mater. dition was estab- as gregarious stage personalities. It’s wonderful to see. Most of lished in the fall of Lori Neiswander Wicks, the students involved are not music majors and it’s difficult for 1992. The first second president of the them to take time from their busy schedules to prepare for the alumni/student Harmon Choral Associates, Cabaret. I’m never sure until the last minute what acts will be Cabaret was pre- presented the 1991 Harmon ready. sented in GW’s Uni- Award to Matthew Azrael One of the most humorous performances we’ve ever had was versity Club. Alum- and Kim Gramlich. The con- in the 1994 Cabaret when Evan Lavidor led a group of students in nus Harry Gleeson cert featured Haydn’s Missa the performance of ‘Those Canaan Days’ from Joseph and the served as master of Cellensis with Laura Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We finally added a disclaimer in ceremonies for an Marchisotto as the new fac- evening of Broad- ulty accompanist and assis- the program: ‘As of the printing of this program, serious coordina- tion among the brethren is theatening their performance.’ They way show tunes per- tant conductor and soloists formed by both stu- pulled it off and were hilarious.” Alicia Ondik, Natsuko Amito dents and alumni. and Michael Arko. Ondik - Catherine Pickar Who can forget was the first vocal student Marisa Paley, to receive a Presidential Gerald Holmes and 36 The GramMcClam Rap Could Drive a Person Crazy.” Here in Paris, we the Troubs The traditional drink: wine The Cabarets continue to be a popular went to many, many places The conversation: Shaka Zulu fall event. The venue has changed from such as the Louvre, Some people were messed up the GW Club to the Kenwood Country Yes, I’m talkin’ ‘bout YOU! Club (thanks to alumnus Nic Lakas), to The sorbet at the Louvre (and you know who ye be) B-120 in Phillips Hall and back to the was something quite rare. GW Club. When Gleeson moved to Pineapple? Peach? Later that evening, Ohio, alumna Carolyn Gaines, a former No, Gerald, it was pear! I tried to call my Mom. professional cabaret singer, agreed to Couldn’t get through, take over as emcee and to coach the We went to a bakery So we went to Notre Dame. students on their performances. It is almost every afternoon. an enormously successful collabora- If Cherie ate another tart We went through customs tion. she’d look like a balloon. and no one got stopped, The Troubadours, meanwhile, were en- except Marisa’s wine tering a new era; one in which the stu- One night we ventured that hit the floor and went “Pop!” dents assumed more responsibility, to the Eiffel Tower. both musically and organizationally, for On foot it took us The trip was truly memorable the group. They established ties to the just about one hour. and thanks to you all — large network of college a cappella that be, Cathy, Gerald, and Julie. groups and began performing in an ex- We focused our cameras The Troubs had such a ball! change of concerts on other university for the ultimate shot campuses. Although the Troubadours but before we snapped the picture, Here’s to good times maintained the tradition and repertoire the lights went off and great places you will go. of years past and Pickar was present at most rehearsals, it was the student (dag, they dissed me, man) Keep the Troub rep alive music director and the president who cause there’s many more to follow. ran the rehearsals, with Pickar’s guid- The Trianon Palace ance as needed. was the place where we stayed. Shower curtains missing - Cherie McClam and Kim Gramlich In the fall of 1992, these two positions but we had ourselves a maid. were assumed by the same person, Thomas Bozzell. The October concert that incidentally oc- Stephen Richards in “Fugue for curred on Hallowe’en, Tin Horns,” or Alex Bragg’s “The prompting, of course, Elements?” (He was asked to the arrangement of repeat this performance every “Monster Mash,” wel- year until he graduated.) Alum- comed the Georgetown nus Paul Neiswander’s “Stars,” University Phantoms or Carolyn Gaines’ “Send in the and the Beezlebubs Clowns?” Keith Pettigrew did a from Tufts University as marvelous rendition of “The guest artists. Wiz” and alumnus David Bates crooned “If I Loved You.” Another domestic trip Catherine Pickar joined alumna sponsored by Lori Neiswander Wicks and stu- Columbian College dent Sara Anderson in “You Alumni Association took 37 place in the spring of 1993. This time, the destina- cluded performing at the Palazzo Vecchio as part tion was New England. As a blizzard threatened the of the summer performing arts series in Florence, entire eastern seaboard of the United States, Pickar and the University of Venice. The repertoire in- bundled the Troubadours into minivans and drove cluded a selection of gospel-oriented pieces along all night to arrive in Boston just ahead of the storm. with a Disney medley, “Zombie Jamboree” and jazz Unfortunately, the Boston concert was cancelled be- favorites “Tuxedo Junction” and “God Bless the cause of the weather but the Troubadours managed Child.” In addition, the Troubadours prepared a set some impromptu appearances and lots of of classical chamber vocal works for several per- sightseeing. Performances in New London, Con- formances in Italian cathedrals. necticut, and at the United Nations in New York went off as scheduled with enthusiastic audiences. One of the highlights of every Troubadour year is their annual re- Jared Peterson took over as Troubadour treat to the president in 1993 with Mariama Torruella as Pickars’ beach music director, Erin Uretzky as financial of- house in ficer and Kristiana Knight as group contact. Lewes, Dela- The Troubadours joined with GW’s comedy ware, for a improv troupe, Recess, for their spring con- weekend of in- cert, took their first independent road trip, tensive re- embarked on a second international trip to hearsal as well Italy and began recording their fourth album and first CD, The E Sides, with student Fred McConnell as recording engineer.

The second performance tour to Italy began on May 9 with the Troubadours departure for Milan. as some fun. “I used to stay in the house with them,” says Pickar, “Quite a memorable event... that spring break trip. We were to be in “but now I check into Boston to perform for a Sunday evening alumni reception. Since the forecast a hotel and give was for snow on Saturday, we left Friday evening to avoid driving during a them the entire storm. We picked up three rental vans, one of which broke down before we house. At least I get left the GW campus. Once we managed to get it started, we did not turn off some sleep.” the ignition until we arrived in Boston. “We left about 10:00 p.m. and as one of the drivers, I was concerned Another major cho- about being able to drive all night. The students in my van promised there ral reunion took place in the spring would be no problem, they would stay awake and help me drive. With the of 1994 as the exception of Fred McConnell, all of the students were asleep before we Harmon Choral As- reached the Washington beltway. We arrived in Boston at sunrise, as did the sociates settled into blizzard, and settled into our hotel where we were snowed in for two days. a pattern of quadrennial reunions. The The Boston MTA was running, however, enabling us to tour the city exten- alumni wanted to make certain that every sively. We had a great time. current student chorister had the opportu- - Catherine Pickar nity to experience a reunion. Once again, the weekend’s activities began with a re- ception on the roof of the Embassy Row Alumni Steve Hilmy and Alvin Mercer assisted Pickar Hotel. This time the weather did not cooperate and and the students as the group visited Florence, guests huddled together against the cold until the Trieste and Venice, as well as Milan. Highlights in- singing began. Then, the chill was forgotten as 38 voices blended in song. to other schools, performed with the Georgetown University Phantoms, Chimes and Grace Notes, the The Reunion Concert marked the Clef Hangers of the Uni- return of GW’s choral groups to versity of North Carolina, Lisner Auditorium for the annual the Yale Spizzwinks, the spring concert, after a hiatus of at Generics and Treble Mak- least twenty-five years. The Lisner ers of the University of space was expensive but the Maryland, and the Loyola Columbian College Dean’s office College Chimes. They assisted with the rental fees. At the were very much a part of the national network of college a cappella groups. “Every fall, about a month into the They had their own e-mail semester, we would all go to Cathy’s house in address and were begin- Lewes, Delaware. It’s this quaint little small ning to work on their own town and Cathy’s house is right on the water with a long pier website. going out into the bay. It is just beautiful. And it is a great way for the new Troubs to get to know the older Troubs and for all of Another performance venue, the newly relocated and rebuilt Western Presyterian Church, served as the us to have fun and spend a weekend learning new music for the site of the 1995 University Singers spring concert. concert. The acoustics were far superior to the Marvin The- We usually spent one day going into town and visiting the atre and the church provided the space in exchange antique shops and buying homemade ice cream at the ice cream for a contribution to Miriam’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen parlor... and we would rehearse, of course. We would spend one located on the property. night just having fun... playing games and walking out on the pier and singing songs. It’s just one of those times that you The students performed a setting of the Declaration enjoy yourself the whole time you are there and don’t think about of Independence, We Hold These Truths, a contem- anything else (with the exception of exams creeping in now and porary piece for mixed choir and brass ensemble, then) and look back on happily. It will also always be remem- composed by Judith Shatin, a professor of music at bered as the time we obtained our mascot, Ottomar the owl, but the University of Virginia. The singers had the honor of rehearsing with Shatin and performing for her. that’s a story for another time... (and one that Cathy would Those who had little experience performing contem- prefer us not to tell.)” porary music fondly referred to the experience as - Evan Lavidor “being Shatinized.” conclusion of the concert, Jennifer Baumert and Also on the program, which was called “Songs of Jared Peterson received the Harmon Award for out- Freedom,” was a group of South African Zulu songs standing contributions to the choral program. for which Moorosi Mokuena, a GW student from South Africa, served as leader and language coach. The Afterglow was held on the Lower Level of Lisner The folk songs told stories of racial strife in South just outside the Dimock Room where so many of Africa and referred to Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo the Harmon-era singers had rehearsed. The hall and Steve Biko. The third president of the Harmon was filled with historical displays, a slide show, and Choral Associates, Julie Martin Mangis, presented echoes of many fond memories. University Singer Sarah Anderson with the Harmon Prize for her tireless efforts on behalf of the choral During the fall of 1994, Erin Uretzky took over as program. president of the Troubadours and Evan Lavidor as- sumed the position of financial officer. The Trouba- The winter 1995 concert featured Bach’s Magnificat dours, either at their own concerts or after traveling in D Minor, BWV 243, along with the annual Mes- 39 Memories from the Harmon Cabaret

40 siah sing-along. Thanks to the generous gifts of the Troubadours were planning their first perfor- the Harmon Choral Associates, the students par- mance tour to the Czech Republic. ticipated in a workshop with local conductor J. Reilly Lewis, a Bach scholar who directs both the Wash- The Czech trip was the first time a private company ington Bach Consort and the Cathedral Choral So- made the tour arrangements rather than the United ciety. The semester served, in Pickar’s mind, as a States Information Service. With substantial gov- turning point in the ensemble’s ability to tackle and ernment budget-cutting, especially in the cultural af- perform more demanding literature. fairs divisions of U.S. Embassies, the Troubadours could not expect to travel under the auspices of the The next step was a work specially commissioned U.S.I.S. again. for the University Singers. As GW approached its 175th anniversary, a committee was formed to en- During the trip, the group performed in Prague, courage academic efforts appropriate to the celebra- Karlovy Vary, Telc, Plzen, Slany, Trebic and Stirin tions and Pickar successfully applied for a grant that Castle. would allow her to commission an original work. Triptych, a three-movement piece based on a poem By 1995, thanks to the generous funding of the of the same name by Professor David McAleavey of Harmon Choral Associates, the University Singers GW’s English Department, was set to music by Pro- could now afford to spend a weekend at a retreat fessor Steve Hilmy of the Music Department, and every fall, getting to know their music and each other. performed by the University Singers on April 20, 1996, The first retreat took place at Camp Hemlock in Vir- in Lisner Auditorium. The students spent two re- ginia. Since then, all the retreats have been at Camp hearsals with the com- Letts, a Y.M.C.A. poser and author, one dis- camp on the Mary- cussing the collaborative “One tradition that began at the annual retreats is the first night’s land shores of the process, and another dis- introductions, when we go around the room and say our names, Chesapeake Bay. cussing the finished prod- where we’re from, our majors (or lack of), and whatever else uct. The world premiere Like the Troubadours, comes to our minds... It is easy to be distracted from rehearsing of Triptych will assume a the University Singers special place in the history when volleyball, canoeing, trail-hiking, ping-pong, soccer, football, began to take more of GW’s choral program. sleeping, studying, and just general fraternizing are within our organizational re- Another highlight of the reach. The annual canoeing led to the annual drenching, and the sponsibility for the evening, of course, was annual volleyball games have led to an ongoing rivalry between the group. They elected the presentation of the sopranos and the altos.” officers, organized Harmon Award by Sue - Ashley Turba kickball games on the Farquarson Law to Evan quad, and took Cohen and Erin Uretzky charge of the non-re- for their outstanding contributions to the hearsal times during choral program. the retreat. The first president of the Uni- Meanwhile, the Troubadours were wel- versity Singers was coming the Penny Loafers and the Rebecca Mason, Chord on Blues of the University of who served from Pennsylvania for a joint concert in Feb- 1996-97. She was ruary, and Da Vinci’s Notebook, a semi- followed by Ashley professional group from Arlington, Vir- Turba, president for ginia, for a performance in March. They the 1997-98 aca- were also busy raising funds for yet demic year. another international trip. With Evan Lavidor as stu- dent music director and Erin Uretzky as President, In addition to performing major concerts and gather- 41 ing for an annual retreat, the University Singers es- By this time, the Troubadours had decided to hold tablished a visible presence on the University cam- their fall concert on the same weekend as the pus performing at basketball games, for administra- Harmon Cabaret and the University’s Family Week- tion functions and at other events. end. The excitement of the back-to-back events pro- A third choral ensemble was formed in 1996 for the vides a focal point for the semester, to say nothing express purpose of performing a work by Orlande of two sympathetic and enthusiastic audiences. In de Lassus entitled Lamentations for a Holy Satur- recent years, the Troubadours have hosted the Vo- day. It was to be performed on a program that fea- cal Chords from Johns Hopkins University and Lady tured a work that had been commissioned by GW’s Blue from Duke University in their a cappella 175th Anniversary Committee, and had been com- songfest. The following evening, Harmon Choral posed by a GW professor of music, Robert Parris. Associates join with parents and other family mem- bers in attending the Cabaret, and there are always “It was a routine activity for the University Singers to meet alumni numbers on the program. Cathy at the Smith Center to sing at the basketball game. This time, however, we had to enter through the basement entrance In addition, alumni support the concerts of the Trou- and have our bags checked by what looked to be Secret Service badours and the University Singers throughout the year. The fifty-year tradition of a Messiah sing-along agents. Something was definitely different. Whispers flew every December brings alumni out to tune up their through the group that the President of the United States and his vocal chords for the holiday season. In the past few daughter were at the game! It was February 1995 — the years, the Western Presbyterian Church has been University Singers sang “The Star Spangled Banner” for President standing room only for Messiah and GW students Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea.” have performed in the orchestra as well as serving - Ashley Turba as soloists.

In 1997, the setting was once again Lisner Audito- Pickar organized a small group of fifteen voices and rium. The featured work was Britten’s Hymn to St. they took the name The Lassus Singers. As a re- Cecilia with Bethann Burns as soloist. Glen Wicks, sult of their appearance, they were invited to per- Harmon Choral Associates Vice President, pre- form at the next annual meeting of the American Mu- sented Antonio de Guzman and Evan Lavidor with sicological Society in Baltimore, Maryland. The the 1997 Harmon Award. Lassus Singers continue to perform together as an ad hoc group.

42 The Troubadours in the Czech Republic

“All of fall 1995 and spring 1996 we were thinking about the spring tour to Prague and the Czech Republic. Everyone, especially the officers, constantly thought about the cost. [Cathy had a policy that for any international trip, no individual was to contribute more than $300 of their own money — and that a personal lack of funds would never prevent anyone from participating in a trip.] We held a second spring concert, did a bunch of paying gigs at 2000 Penn during final exams, and Bethann [Burns] had the idea to find us a regular gig at Dean and Deluca, a gourmet shop/restaurant in Georgetown. We sang every Sunday for people who could sort-of hear us and almost cared... Singing outdoors is never easy. It was fun, most of the time, and it made us a whole lot more comfortable performing in any situation.” - Evan Lavidor

“While the entire Czech Republic trip was an incredible experience, my fondest memory will always be of the last night of the trip. We were staying in the beautiful Stirin Castle, where we occupied a wing and then some. Our rooms were gorgeous and filled with antiques. Although we probably had the best accommodations in the entire Czech Republic, and we had an early flight the next morning, we were all too wired to get to sleep early. I don’t remember who had the idea, but somehow we all decided to take a walk around the castle grounds after dark. We walked slowly around a golf course and beautiful gardens and came upon a small pond and gazebo. The entire group was there, including Cathy [Pickar] and Martin, the tour guide. It’s obvious what came next — you put a bunch of Troubs together and inevitably they’re going to sing. We sang for what seemed like hours, some of us standing on the gazebo benches, with a bullfrog chiming in from the pond. It was late, but someone suggested we let the graduating members each pick a song to sing before we went back to the building. It was such a simple night — no concerts and no traveling, just us doing what we do best — enjoying our music. For me it will always be my fondest and most bittersweet memory: a celebration of a magical tour and the realization that nothing would ever be the same after that perfect moment.” - Erin Uretzky 43 “One of the best parts of Karlovy Vary was the second performance there, in a beautiful ballroom at the Grand Hotel Pupp (pronounced ‘poop’). We were second billing on the concert that was part of the Karlovy Vary Jazz Festival and we were to perform while the main group, a big band, took their break. We had been ignored during our sound check, and because the band had so much equipment, we had little room to move on stage. The band droned on and on during their first set and got a smattering of applause. Then we got up and did our set, receiving thunderous applause and performing encores. It was a great feeling. We all decided it was the best revenge for being treated poorly before a gig.” - Evan Lavidor

44 Conclusion: Serendipity

When singing students and alumni of The George Washington University gather on the stage of Lisner Auditorium for the 1998 Reunion Concert, they will perform an abbreviated version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” Director Catherine J. Pickar has selected the work to showcase the talents of her music students as well as members of the Harmon Choral Associates, who span seven decades of choral tradition.

The performance will further mark the nearly half-century since Dr. Harmon’s Glee Club performed “The Mikado” with the Air Force Singing Sergeants, thus launching a collaboration that spread The George Washington University’s fame around the world. While Pickar has often brought back the music of the earlier ensembles, “Old Man Noah,” for instance, and “Hark! Jolly Shepherds,” one of the pieces that earned the Intercollegiate Championship for the 1930 Men’s Glee Club, this time she had no knowledge of the earlier history with “The Mikado.” It took a letter from former songster, John Bullough, to forge the link.

Serendipity, perhaps? Indeed, the choral music repertoire is vast and GW students have performed an enormous variety of works, from classics by the three Bs to specially-commissioned new works. But the core of the vocabulary is the same: perfection of tone and pitch, delivery of the composer’s message, performances that inspire and elevate.

Every person who has sung with a GW choral group has experienced that level of excitement that comes with the presentation of a wonderful performance. They know that success only comes after a tremen- dous investment of time and energy in rehearsals. And, they are ever cognizant of the importance of good direction.

Serendipity? The true serendipity throughout the last century has been that two charismatic directors, Robert Howe Harmon and Catherine Jones Pickar, have found themselves participating in choral groups while studying at GW, have decided to stay, and have gone on to become leaders of exceptional quality.

The history of choral music at GW spans just about 100 years. This document barely touches the high- lights. As we look forward to the next century in a new millennium, we are ever hopeful that the choral program will benefit from the likes of Harmon and Pickar, and that the rich choral tradition that GW enjoys will continue.

45 Dr. Robert Howe Harmon Dr. Robert Howe Harmon actually began his career During his many years with the Glee Clubs, Dr. directing the Men’s Glee Club at The George Wash- Harmon’s wife, Grace Ruble Harmon, was the ac- ington University without formal appointment in 1924. companist. She went along with him and the Travel- He was appointed Director of Musical Organizations ing Troubadors to overseas Air Force bases in the in 1931 and Director of the University Glee Clubs in 1950s. The group traveled more than 100,000 miles 1933, a post which he held until 1964. He also to Labrador, Newfoundland, Greenland, North Africa, served as Assistant University Physician, 1930-1931, Hawaii and the South Pacific, and Alaska. Clinical Instructor in Medicine 1931-1936, Associate University Physician 1931-1938, and University Phy- Dr. Harmon received a Defense Department cita- sician 1938-1947. His specialty was obstetrics. He tion for furnishing outstanding entertainment to the retired from GW on August 31, 1964, and died April troops stationed abroad. There were many other 11, 1976. honors. Testimonial dinners were held in 1949, 1956 and 1959 in recognition of his contributions to the Dr. Harmon was born in Bay Saint Louis, Missis- University. In 1955, the GWU Medical Socity gave sippi, October 5, 1894. Robert Harmon was an ac- Dr. Harmon its annual Award of Merit. In 1960, he tive athlete, setting a Southern Conference record was inducted into the University’s Lettermen’s Hall in the pole vault. He was the first pole vaulter south of Fame. Alumni who earned varsity letters and dis- of the Mason-Dixon line to clear 12 feet. He did it at tinguished themselves after graduation are eligible. Millsaps College in 1913. Robert Harmon received his B.A. degree in 1915. After entering the School of Dr. Harmon also served as director of the Capital Medicine at GW, Harmon continued in athletics. He Chorus of the Society for the Preservation and En- was on the Colonials’ track team, again participat- couragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in ing in the pole vault. (Dr. Harmon would later be America, as well as the chorus of the Friendly Sons elected to the GW Athletic Hall of Fame.) He re- of St. Patrick. He at one time led the Air Force Chapel ceived his M.D. degree in 1929. of the Air on Television every Sunday, and he sang in the Lions Club Quartet and in churches. Dr. Harmon was an avid sports fan attending many Washington baseball games. He held season tick- Despite all that, Dr. Harmon maintianed a busy medi- ets to the Washington Redskins and attended as cal practice in offices at Connecticut Avenue and M many GW sports events as time would allow. He Street NW. He delivered more than 3,000 babies. often traveled with the teams as their physician. Catherine Jones Pickar

Catherine J. Pickar, a native of Harlan, Kentucky, to the conductor of the Alexandria Symphony, Pro- was graduated cum laude from the University of fessor George Steiner. Ms. Pickar has performed Kentucky with a Bachelor of Music degree. As an with or studied conducting under Joseph undergraduate student, she received the Flummerfelt, Charles Hirt, Sara Holroyd, Daniel McCracken Award for outstanding achievement in Pinkham, and Robert Shaw. Ms. Pickar has been Theory, was named to membership in Pi Kappa teaching at the George Washington University on Lambda National Music Honorary, and received a a part-time basis since 1981. In the fall of 1982, scholarship for serving as assistant to the director she was appointed Assistant Professor of Music, of choral activities. She received the degree of making her the first woman to be so appointed in Master of Music in Conducting from The George the history of the Music Department. She is cur- Washington University. During this period, she con- rently an Associate Professor of music and editor ducted the Chamber Choir and served as assistant of a scholarly journal, “Women and Music: A Jour- 46nal of Gender and Culture. Acknowledgements Any project as extensive as this History of Choral Activities at GW depends upon a great many contribu- tors. The original research and first draft of the history were completed by the archivist of The George Washington University, David Anderson. He was assisted in much of his research by David Bates, histo- rian of the Harmon Choral Associates and a volunteer in the Gelman Library Archives. Bates has also indexed the issues of the Hatchet that make mention of the George Washington University Glee Clubs and Troubadours. The index is available at the library. In addition, Special Collections houses a vast repository of concert programs, travel itineraries, photographs and other memorabilia, all of which were helpful in compiling the history.

The text as it appears here was rewritten from Anderson’s draft by Julie Martin Mangis and Catherine Jones Pickar, using additional anecdotal material provided by numerous choristers. Graphic design and layout was provided by Evan Lavidor and Erin Uretzky.

The Harmon Choral Associates would like to thank the following alumni for their contributions to this project:

Daniel J. Andersen John McAdams David Bates Cherie McClam Ernest C. “Buddy” Belote Clayton McCuistion Dorothy and John Bullough Michael O’Leary Mrs. Gilmore D. Clarke John Parker The Rev. Charles Daugherty Dennis Rabinowitz Eleanor De Angelis Richard Randall Matthew Foss William Reed Eleanor R. Garner Stanton Russell Kim Gramlich Margaret Gillies St. Pierre Gerald Holmes Marian Sears Tom Korch Beverly Alexander Tuller Nicholas S. Lakas Ashley Turba Naomi Myers Laughlin Erin Uretzky Evan Lavidor Winfield Weitzel Susan Farquharson Law Betty Lou Trowbridge Williams The Rev. F. Mervin Martin

While the authors have made every effort to check dates and spellings and other details where docu- mentation existed, it is inevitable that errors appear in a work that depends so much on the recollections of the participants. It is hoped that any errors will be brought to the attention of the Department of Music for correction in future editions.

Washington, D.C. April, 1998

47 Index of Pictures

Page 2 The 1926-27 Girls Glee Club 3 The 1927 Men’s Glee Club Second Song & Dance Act 4 1922 Men’s Glee Club: (Left to Right and Top to Bottom) Frank Hand, H.K. Shaw, Isaac Lord, Ronald Marquis, Bartley Corbin, John Metsker, R.B. Wooden, Reynolds Robertson, W. Graham Fly, Daniel Lloyd, Jr., Albert Sperry, Horace Young, Tom Davis, William Ballinger, Preston Haynes, Mr. King-Smith, Director, Robert Baker, Robert Anderton, Randall Saunders, Charles Birmingham, R.D. Best, Wilmer Bartholomew

7 1930 Men’s Glee Club, Winners of the 14th Annual Intercollegiate Glee Club Competition at Carnegie Hall 10 “‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ - Members of the George Washington University Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Howe Harmon, sang familiar Christmas carols last night at the lighting of the National Community Christmas Tree on the Ellipse” December 25, 1940

11 Doc Harmon and the 1947 Glee Club at the Willard Hotel 14 The Glee Club Spring Concert at the Willard Hotel, 1945 17 The GW Glee Club leaves for a 26,000 mile tour of Pacific bases from Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base, California. The group, touring at the invitation of Major General Laurence S. Kuter, MATS Commander, left Washington June 17 for the 21 day tour. June 1950

20 October 1951. “The Thrill Billy Threeo” Girls Novelty Trio: Joanne Winslow, Ethel Johnson, and Virginia Perrott

21 Top: Sandra Stahl, Larry Moore and Lois Elliott examine the marble carvings which run along the entire front of the huge stage of the amphitheatre in Tripoli, 1952 Bottom: The 1958 Glee Club 23 Top Left: The Colonials: Dick Hedges, Stephen Anderson, John Parker, Wade Currier Top Right: The Traveling Troubadours arrive in Keflavik, August 25, 1995. Center: Mrs. Harmon rehearses members of the Glee Club: Arleigh Green, David Lum, Ethel Johnson, Jinny Graff, and Mary Slotemaker. Bottom Right: Dr. Harmon, Alice Turner, Angela Gnotta, and Bob Hope at the United Service Organi- zation National Council on March 5, 1958 in the Statler Hotel. Both Hope and the Traveling Trouba- dours were featured that evening. Bottom Left: June 1954: Members of the Traveling Troubadours: Sally Anne Ricci, Pat Randall, Mary Manougian, Jolene Oakes, Virginia Graf, Lois Elliott, and Pat Reed.

25 Russell Markert, Producer of the Spectacular at Radio City with Doc Harmon. 1960 Russell Downing, President of Radio City Music Hall presents GWU President Thomas Carroll with a collage memento of the Troubadours at Radio City. The Troubadours in New York, 1960, to sing at Radio City Music Hall. Soloists Carolyn McKnight and Jack Duvall at the 1960 Radio City Music Hall Concert. 48 Page 27 The Troubadours on Retreat, 1980 28 Left: The GW Troubadours 1983 Right: The Troubadours in Ireland with (L-R) John Dennis, Political Affairs Officer and Lord Mayor Michael O’Halloran of Dublin. 31 Bishop Nolan B. Harmon, speaking at the 1986 Reunion 32 Top: The alumni chorus, 1986 Reunion Center: Catherine Pickar presents Lori Neiswander with the first Harmon Award Bottom: The alumni chorus, 1986 Reunion 33 The Troubadours in Bermuda taking Cathy’s orders seriously! 34 Top: Alumni Chorus Rehearsal for the 1988 Reunion Bottom: The 1989 Troubadours 35 Top: The Colonials at the 1990 Reunion: John Parker, Bob Tolson, Wade Currier, and Dick Hedges Bottom: The Troubadours in Paris, May 1990 37 The Troubadours performing at San Lorenzo Cathedral in Florence, Italy 1992 38 Top: The Troubadours in Italy, 1994 Bottom: Troubadours Matt Wolf and Kristiana Knight in Italy, 1994 39 Troubadour Retreat 1993: Kristiana Knight, Erin Uretzky, Candace Clark, Kara Beth Callaghan, and Sarah Anderson 40 Top Left: The Colonials perform at the 1997 Cabaret: Dick Hedges, Bill Driscoll, John Parker, and Wade Currier. Top Right: The Jewel Tones (Ron Brown , Marisa Paley, Jon Shea, Kin Hirsch, Matthew and Hilary Azrael, and Matt Foss) perform at the 1993 Cabaret Center: David Bates performs at the Fall 1996 Cabaret Middle Left: Candace Clark and Dawn White perform “Sisters” at the 1993 Cabaret Middle Right: An ensemble from Nunsense performed at the 1997 Cabaret Bottom Right: “The Tenors” performing at the Fall 1996 Cabaret Bottom Left: Jared Peterson, Sarah Anderson, Matt Bray, and Alex Bragg performing “A Book Report on Peter Rabbit” from You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at the 1993 Cabaret 41 The University Singers Retreat 1996 43 Top: Rebecca Mason advertising the Troubadours performance in Slany, Czech Republic, May, 1996 Middle Left: The town of Telc, the last stop on the Troubadours 1996 tour of the Czech Republic Middle Right: Catherine Pickar with John and Martin, the Troubadours’ guides in the Czech Repub- lic. Bottom: The Troubadours in the gazebo at Stirin Casle, Czech Republich 1996 44 Top Left: Bethann Burns and Kerry Barnhart pose in a cathedral in Trebic, Czech Republic, 1996 Top Right: Navid Rashid at Stirin Castle Center: The Troubadours in Telc Bottom Right: The Troubadour Women Bottom Left: Rich Baumert sings a solo at the Troubadours last performance in Telc, Czech Repub- lic, May 1996 © 1998 The Harmon Choral Associates