Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Musical Society fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Sound recording
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- Source of title proper: The title is based on the contents of the fonds.
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Fonds
Repository
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Edition area
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
64 cm of textual records.
7 posters.
6 audio reels.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The UBC Musical Society (MUSSOC) was one of the first Alma Mater Society student clubs formed at UBC in 1916. Its original aim was to allow students to present concerts on campus. On occasion, it also performed off-campus in Vancouver and Victoria. In 1930, the Society expanded its repertoire to include operettas, beginning with Garden of the Shah and later, including Gilbert and Sullivan productions as The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, and HMS Pinafore. In 1950, the Society began presenting twentieth-century operettas such as The Student Prince and Maid of the Mountains. In 1957, with Call Me Madam, the Society embarked upon a series of Broadway musical comedies, including Damn Yankees and Lʹil Abner. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, work by Rodgers and Hammerstein, including Carousel and Oklahoma, were performed. Apart from the 1980‐81 seasons, the Society performed at least one musical per season when there was no production. The Society came to an end in 1989 after its performance of The Best of MUSSOC: A Celebration! however, it was revived in the late 1990s. The musicals are all put on by volunteer student casts and stage crews. The directors and choreographers are the only paid professionals involved.
Custodial history
Most of the records remained in the custody of the Society until they were transferred to the UBC Alma Mater Society Archives, which then sent them to the University Archives in February 1996. The 1924 constitution was kept in the University Archives vertical files until it was integrated with the rest of the fonds. The programmes in files 2‐57 and 2‐58 were acquired separately.
Scope and content
Fonds consists of material created and received by MUSSOC from 1924 to 1989, including executive minutes, reports and correspondence, along with the constitution and by‐laws, budget statements, advertisements and production brochures. Also included are newspaper clippings, posters, musical scores, sound recordings of radio advertisements, rehearsal schedules, rental agreements and professional staff contracts. The records are primarily arranged by production.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Audio reels are located in the Archives vault from AT 1989 to AT 1994. Please ask archives staff about access.
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Online Finding Aid
Please see the finding aid for a list of files.
Uploaded finding aid
Associated materials
Most related records, including photographs, are still held by the Alma Mater Society Archives. Other related records may be found in the Alma Mater Society and Horace Fowler fonds.