Throughout its history, the Apollo Club has most often sung in small venues: gatherings for the display of civic pride, such as the dedication of a monument or building, or where singing could provide solace, such as at a memorial service, or cheer, such as at a retirement community celebration, or at seasonal programs open to the public at historic locations in the Boston area. In 1874, the Apol
lo Club sang at the funeral services of Senator Charles Sumner and received a note of appreciation from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1901, the Club was invited to sing at President William McKinley's memorial service at Faneuil Hall. And in 1924, when the George Francis Parkman Memorial Bandstand was dedicated on the Boston Common, 79 Apollo members sang to the accompaniment of the Boston Municipal Band. In its 150-plus years of existence, the Apollo Club has evolved from a large chorus with a classical music orientation to a glee club whose repertoire comprises folk songs, love songs, sea chanteys, show tunes, and classical and semi-classical compositions. The Boston Public Library recently presented an extensive exhibit of the Club's rich history, highlighting the part it has played in Boston's musical traditions. Included were documents and memorabilia from both the Library's and the Club's archives, with many items displayed for the first time. The Massachusetts Historical Society has accepted the Club's archives for preservation and for supporting scholarly research on the Club's role in the advancement of choral music in the Commonwealth.
