Glee (music)

Glee ( from Anglo-Saxon gligg, music,. Not from the English glee, joy) was a common only in England song form (usually a cappella and male voices ) for three or more voices.

History

Glee The name first appears in 1673 at Playford's Musical Companion.

The first Glee Club, the Noblemen and Gentlemen 's Catch Club of London was founded in 1761. Glee - singing clubs were popular in the eighteenth century, and remained so until the nineteenth. In these clubs, only men were allowed, hence the alto parts are regularly sung by male voices. The Glee Club was until the early 20th century, one of the few places of refuge, in addition to the all-male English Kathedralchören in which regularly countertenors were occupied.

This form was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Well-known composers of Glee are:

• Thomas Brewer (* 1611)
• John Travers (1703-1758)
• William Hayes (1708-1777)
• Thomas Arne (1710-1778)
• Samuel Webbe (1740-1816)
• William Horsley (1774-1858)

Examples

Two examples of the composer Samuell Webbe.