The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-12-26
"hat There Is Now Glee Club at the University Of
Alabama Is Largely Due to the Enthusiasm of One of
Birmingham Citizens, Hill Ferguson tom GARNER Director

THAT first year presented some hard
work" said Mr.. Garner. THE fellows
were briming over with enthusiasm and
had it not been for that we should
never have pulled through. They CO.
operated with every plan of NINE and |
have the pleasantest recollections of
that pioneer year. We We're not ready
for a public appearance until about the
beginning of February. / remember that
before we sang in Tuscaloosa we gave a
concert at the Bryce hospital for the pa
tents The hospital audience is always
good one and discriminating. They
gave the fellows a cordial hearing and
had an opportunity of learning from
them what were the best points of the
programme, etc. That plan worked 50
we'll that first year that it has been fol-
lowed ever since, and the Glee club
makes an annual appearance at the hos
pital to this day. On that first memoir
able night DIR. Searcy gave the club mem
bers a fine spread which pleasant prac-
tice is also still the order"
"Glee clubs were a novelty then, and
the whole field of Glee club songs was
open to us. We picked the most familiar
of them all for the first programme.
using Ditsons college Songs" as the
basis for most of our work. We sang
The Bulldog The Three Crows The
Pope,' Bingo,' 'Meerschaum Pipe, and
a lot of the same kind, even doing Polly
Wolly Doodle, which never failed to
make q hit. L have noted that the more
nonsenscal the words the better the au-
dience likes the song, no matter whether
the audience be that of large and Gull
tured city, a high proved girls school
or a small country community. Human
taste runs to the humorous and l must
admit also that college boys give hu-
morous song with a dash and spirit
that nothing else quite equals. =
In conclusion, Mr.. Garner said:
1.-THE Glee club is not only a source or
pleasure and profit to the individual
members but it is appreciated as a valu-
able medium Of connecting various com
munities with college life by the univer-
sity authorities. Ever since President
Denny has been at the helm at the uni
versity he has given the Glee club cor
dial support, and the directors name APP
pears among the officers in the annual
ca talog. We, therefore, feel that the Glee
club has performed it's task reasonably
well. The work has not been done as
well as we have wished sometimes but
there is always a goal ahead and as long
as we continue to advance and give pleas
ure to the audiences and at the same
time bring the university in a pleasant
rela ton to people all over this and sur
rounding states, we feel that we are
doing some service, and that is what we
ali want to do. Many a Glee club man
is doing his bit over there they are
proving in after life that faithfulness is
the same thing whether it be in the ranks
of a college glee club or whether it be
in the trenches Somewhere in France
SO may not the Glee club concert be re-
garded not simply as a diversion, but as
means of making joy and keeping the
home fires burning as I know our men
at the front want us to do