When Myoungil Cha '99 first came to Harvard, he decided he wanted to sing, but beyond that he was confused. Confronted with a dizzying array of campus musical groups--choirs, a cappella groups, choral societies--he was unfamiliar with the Harvard Glee Club. But after one recital at Convocation, he was hooked.

"Listening to that sound for the first time was unique," said Cha, who is now Glee Club president. "There's nothing like singing with a wall of sound of 60 voices...It has a very rich texture that a mixed choir can't produce."

The Glee Club stands apart from many of Harvard's singing groups because of its size, its long history and the fact that it is all-male. But the group faces something of a paradox: while many consider its musical quality better than ever, some members say its spirit is misunderstood on campus.

"We have a perception of [being] a Harvard old boys' club, even connecting us to finals clubs," Cha said. "I don't think it's justified."

Lasting Tradition

When it was founded in 1858, Glee Club was primarily a social organization that incidentally performed light songs or "glees" to the accompaniment of banjos. Today, the nation's oldest college choral group is far more professional, with a prestigious reputation in choral circles.

"It's a fantastic chorus, probably the best in the country," said Jameson N. Marvin, senior lecturer on music and the group's conductor.

Members credit Marvin with cultivating Glee Club's sound quality. He has been conducting the group since 1978.

"Jameson Marvin is probably the most prominent acting conductor in the United States if not the world," said singer Quentin Chu '99. "Being able to sing under him is my privilege."

But that success has been more difficult to attain in recent years as high schools have cut back on musical education. As a result, group members said fewer singers come to Harvard with formal musical backgrounds.

"It's harder work and it takes more effort," said Bernard E. Kreger '59, Glee Club's alumni secretary, who also regularly sings with the group. Marvin agrees that the Glee Club has seen a shortage of a highly-trained newcomers because few men learn to sing in high school.

"Boys are more encouraged to do sports than they are music," Marvin said. "There's a sense that singing is not what boys do in the ninth grade."

The Glee Club's repertoire is especially demanding because it is largely classical, with a selection of folk songs and works from the Renaissance. This year's lineup also contains several Eastern European pieces.

"Unlike a cappella groups, we sing a lot more serious music," Cha said. "We don't sing a lot of `pum pum pum, dum dum dum.' It's very rigorous."

`Where Are the Women?'

Unlike Glee Clubs at many other colleges,including Princeton and Yale, the Harvard GleeClub has remained all-male throughout its history.While that choice reflects the dramatic sound thatmale choruses can produce, group members say thedecision is often misunderstood.