Singing talents could hardly remain quiescent and undiscovered in a time when serenading was popular and Boston had so many pretty girls, and about 1858, a separate Glee Club was formed. This group gave many joint concerts with Pierian, and the two groups would go out troubadoring many times until "the stupid interference of the officers of the law" finally caught up with the customs and broke it for good.

Twice in its history, Pierian came perilously close to dying, but through the perseverance of a few, it maintained its record as the oldest continuously existing musical organization in America.

The first crisis took place in 1852, and has since become the incident in its history to which most Pierian members point with the greatest pride, both in the tenacity of the institution and the individual perseverance of Mr. Henry Gasset of the Class of 1832.

It was in this year that the Sodality found itself with a staggering membership of one--Mr. Henry Gasset. Gasset, reluctant to go down in history as the last of the tribe, elected himself President of the organization, appointed himself as all the other officers, kept minutes of all his meetings with himself, rehearsed with himself with himself as the official conductor, and after his rehearsing, toasted himself with liquor bought with the dues which he paid to himself.

Mr. Gasset's iron will, and his ability to get along with himself paid off, for soon musicians were flocking to Pierian, and the organization was saved.

Faculty Finagling

Many times during its early existence, Pierian ran into the strict rulings of the Faculty, and many are the resolutions of protest in the records. For example, in 1839, one particular dictum aroused the following comment:

"Whereas the Faculty of Harvard College, with unprecedented barbarity and oppression, saw fit, in their asinine wisdom, to administer public admonition to the Sodality for absenting themselves from Cambridge during the whole night, serenading, Resolved not to play at the coming exhibition." Apparently a full punch bowl mellowed the members for they played at the concert nevertheless.

During the Civil War, Sodality membership shrunk, but it was not until 1875 that the organization again came close to the rocks, and this time, the Faculty was the villain. In that year, a resolution was passed by the Faculty prohibiting Pierian from giving any concerts for money. Revenue from concerts has always been an important and necessary part of Pierian's financial set-up, as, like all other Harvard organizations, it has never received any money from the University.

As a result of this ruling, Pierian found itself unable to support itself, and interest in the organization fell to an unprecedented low. Fortunately, a few months later, the Faculty reconsidered their decision, and again the Sodality flourished.

Orchestra Emerges

By 1900, Pierian had developed into a capable group of musicians, and critics were already writing favorable reports of their activities. The Orchestra then separated from the Pierian, and the later organization became a sort of godfather to the fledgling one. The Sodality assumed much the same role which it occupies today, that is as an honorary social society in charge of the administration and financing of the Orchestra. Male members of the Orchestra are usually admitted after one year of "faithful service."

Pierian's members have not forgotten the "liquoring" activities of their predecessors, and every rehearsal is usually followed by a call of the traditional motto, "Sit Musa Lyrae Solers" and the still more traditional wine.

The latest step in the Orchestra's evolution took place in 1942, when its members decided to recognize the existence of women. With the passing of a "Women's Suffrage Act," the Harvard and Radcliffe Orchestra merged. Although the measure was originally just a war time expedient, it has since been adopted as permanent policy.

Many of Pierian's alumni have gone on to much greater achievements in the musical field. Perhaps the outstanding example is Leonard Bernstein 39, who has become a figure of world renown both as a composer and as a conductor. Bernstein led the New York City Symphony for several years, and was one of those considered to succeed Serge Koussevitzky as conductor of the Boston Symphony. For his composing abilities, Bernstein recently said of himself, "I am the logical man to write the Great American Opera."