The University Glee Club of New Haven

Spurred by the nostalgia of group singing in World War I and memories of college glee club days, an all-male chorus was established in New Haven in December, 1924. Under the direction of Yale Music Director Marshall Bartholomew, the group quickly mushroomed and received rave reviews in the local newspapers.

Over the years, the singing group idea flourished and so did the University Glee Club. Today, we are considered the oldest independent men's glee club in the country!

The Glee Club is a rich blend of men's voices: Tenor I, Tenor II, Baritone and Bass. We meet once per week, and along with a professional accompanist, rehearse a wide variety of choral music.

In 1948, after 24 years of directing the four-part harmony group, Mr Bartholomew retired from Yale and the UGC. He passed the baton to the then director of the Yale Glee Club, Fenno Heath. Heath directed us until his retirement in 1986. During his distinguished tenure, the Club performed at many different venues with several famous soloists, glee clubs and choruses.

The University Glee Club's third director, Mark Dollhopf, Yale Class of 1977, is an alumnus of Yale's fine musical traditions, including its Glee Club and the Whiffenpoofs. Mark carried on the directorial duties of the University Glee Club with passion and excitement for eighteen years and retired in 2004. He remains an active member and sings with us whenever he is in New Haven.

Our fourth and current permanent director is Ethan Nash, who joined the Club in 2005. A 1997 graduate of Yale, Ethan majored in music and is currently enrolled in a PhD program at the prestigious Hartt School of Music. His professional experience includes the direction of several choruses, choirs and stage musicals. Ethan rehearsed and directed us in concert for the first time in April, 2005 and received rave reviews from both the Members and the audience. We are extremely pleased to have Ethan as our Director.