Radcliffe Choral Society
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The Radcliffe Choral Society is an all-female singing ensemble at Harvard University. With the Harvard Glee Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, it is one of the Holden Choirs.
was founded in 1898 by Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, the first President of Radcliffe College. The Radcliffe Choral Society became one of the oldest women's choirs in the nation and the oldest women's organization at Radcliffe. In 1913, under the leadership of Dr. Archibald T. Davison, the Radcliffe Choral Society began a tradition of collaboration with the Harvard Glee Club and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Through Davison's conductorship and that of his successors, the Choral Society continued to gain prominence throughout the United States as a women's choir of distinction and excellence.
In the fall of 1978, Beverly Taylor became the conductor of the Radcliffe Choral Society. She led the Radcliffe Choral Society on four international tours: to the British Isles in 1979, to Northern Europe in 1983, to Central Europe in 1987, and to Sweden, Poland, and Czechoslovakia in 1992. The Radcliffe Choral Society received several international prizes on these tours, including Second Prize at the Dutch International Koorfest in The Hague and first prize in the Youth Division of the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. Under her dynamic leadership, the group achieved tremendous growth and acclaim.
In 1995, the Radcliffe Choral Society was joined by Jameson Marvin. The group's recent endeavors have included its fifth international tour, to Western Europe in the summer of 1996, performing in concerts in France, Monaco, Switzerland, and Italy; a performance of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem at Lincoln Center in New York City with the Harvard Glee Club; a fourth appearance at the American Choral Directors' Association (ACDA) Convention; and the production of a compact disc.
In 1996, Constance DeFotis joined the Radcliffe Choral Society as the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Harvard. In the spring of 1998, the Choral Society went on tour to England.
In 1999, RCS celebrated its 100th birthday with a Centennial Celebration. Among the festivities was a concert, alumnae reunion, receptions, and banquet. It was a great way for women to come together and celebrate 100 years of song with RCS. The year ended with the performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony at Arts First and RCS' sixth international tour to South America.
The past five years have included Spring Tours to Virginia, Northern California, and New Orleans. Recent masterworks performances performed jointly with the Harvard Glee Club and the Harvard Radcliffe Collegium Musicum include Beethoven's Missa Solemnis for the celebration of Jim Marvin's 25th Anniversary and Mozart's Requiem in D for the ACDA Eastern Division Regional Conference. RCS also made history as the first choir from Harvard to tour in Africa by travelling to South Africa for three weeks during the summer of 2004.
The 2004-2005 season began with the Harvard Festival of Women's Choruses, hosted by RCS. The event took place over two days in November and included workshops, seminars, and three concerts. Performances were given by seven high school and college women's choirs and the professional ensemble Tapestry. Special guests included composers Hilary Tann, Caron Barnett, Libby Larsen, and Patricia Van Ness, and keynote speaker Ambassador Swanee Hunt. In addition to concerts in Lexington and Cambridge this year, RCS traveled to Atlanta and surrounding areas for the annual Spring tour in March and combined with the Harvard Glee Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum for the Arts First performance of Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem.
The 2005-2006 season will be marked by performances both with the Harvard Glee Club and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum. Spring Tour 2006 was to England, visiting both Cambridge and London. The season ended with the combined efforts of the Holden Choirs singing the Messiah.
