As for the Harvard music, take, for instance, the winter concert in Sanders Theatre given last year. The songs sung then were:
Drinking Song, Benedict
Birdling in the Linden Tree, Arr. by Osgo
Hinz von Stein, Thav
Mulligan Musketeers, Atkin
Serenade, Thompson
Waltz, "Breeze of the Night," Lamothe
The Moonlighter, Abbott '93
A Barnyard Idyl, Atkinson '91
The Owl and the Pussy Cat, De Koven
The Three Glasses, --
Mrs. Craigin's Daughter, Atkinson '91
Fair Harvard, --
Out of this list there are not more than three that can really be called old songs, "The Owl and the Pussy Cat," "The Three Glasses," and Fair Harvard." On the other hand quite a number of the songs are entirely new, being written by men in college.
Here, then, are the two different ideas, the one to give an audience a taste of the old songs, and thus in a way keep up traditions; or to amuse the audience with music which they had never heard before, and for which, except for the time being, they probably care little. Which of these two ideas is the more appropriate for a college glee club is an open question.