Marvin pointed to the rendering, as well as a painting of the Glee Club's first conductor, Archibald T. Davison, and a statue given to the Glee Club on its European tour in 1921, a trip which made the Glee Club the first American college chorus to complete an international tour, as symbols of the college's musical history.

The three choirs had to relocate their offices during the renovation, but Glee Club officers--who were the first to use the new space during their rehearsal yesterday--said it was worth it for the renewed space.

"The Harvard Glee Club, the Radcliffe Choral Society, and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum are proud to be parts of--and ambassadors for--a benevolent college that does all it can to nurture the talents of its students," said Glee Club President David A. Boyajian '00.

The renovations brought to the chapel a polished wooden floor and reshaped the ceiling to improve sound resonance. It now houses updated electrical and mechanical systems and added plumbing. And to accommodate daytime teaching in the building, the College added audio and visual technology.

For architects Oliver Radford and Stephan C. Perry, who planned the reconstruction, the project offered an opportunity to mold the aesthetics of a historic part of the Harvard campus.

"The building has more than 250 years of history," Radford said. "It was a special project, working on the chapel, because of its unique location and unique program."

Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71, who began the ceremony, said the renovations symbolize the direction in which the College is heading.