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The 1981 Virginia Glee Club Renaissance Festival was the first Glee Club Renaissance Festival, a weekend-long festival of men's choral music, held March 27 – March 29, 1981. Featuring a guest appearance from the Harvard Glee Club, Jameson Marvin conducting, as well as lectures, madrigals, sword fights, and other activities, the weekend's concerts were conducted by Donald Loach as part of the Glee Club 1980-1981 season.

According to the opening note from Don Loach, the inspiration for the Virginia Glee Club Renaissance Festival was the Harvard Festival of Men's Choruses, which was discontinued after 1978 and the retirement of F. John Adams. Originally the festival was to include the Davidson College Glee Club, who had participated in the Harvard festivals, but according to the opening letter from Glee Club president Kip Purcell the group ultimately had to withdraw owing to the illness of their director.

Program[]

March 27: Music of the French and Burgundian Courts[]

University of Virginia Glee Club[]

Harvard Glee Club[]

  • Regina Coeli (Elzéar Genet)
  • Rex Autem David (Anonymous)
  • Kyrie Eleison from Missa Conceptua Tua (Pierre de la Rue)
  • Gloria in excelsis Deo (from Missa Mater Patris (Josquin))

University of Virginia Glee Club[]

March 29: Music of Tudor England[]

Harvard Glee Club[]

  • Non nobis Domine (William Byrd (1543-1623))
  • Magnificat (John Taverner (1495-1545))

Virginia Glee Club[]

The Glee Clubs together[]

Gallery[]

Program courtesy of the collection of Donald Loach.

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