ets . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁it ▁was ▁very ▁popular ▁in ▁most ▁schools ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁tradition ▁to ▁have ▁in ▁American ▁high ▁schools ▁from ▁then ▁on . ▁▁ ▁G lee ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain ▁( from ▁ 1 6 0 3 ) ▁or ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁( from ▁ 1 7 0 7 ) ▁does ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁m ood ▁of ▁the ▁music ▁or ▁of ▁its ▁sing ers , ▁but ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁form ▁of ▁English ▁part ▁song ▁popular ▁between ▁ 1 6 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁g lee . ▁The ▁first ▁named ▁G lee ▁Club ▁held ▁its ▁initial ▁meeting ▁in ▁the ▁New castle ▁C off ee ▁House ▁in ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁ ▁G lee ▁clubs ▁were ▁very ▁popular ▁in ▁Britain ▁from ▁then ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 5 0 s ▁but ▁by ▁then ▁they ▁were ▁gradually ▁being ▁su pers eded ▁by ▁larger ▁ch oral ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁But ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 th ▁century , ▁proper ▁g lee ▁clubs ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁common . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁remains ▁in ▁contemporary ▁use , ▁however , ▁for ▁cho irs ▁established ▁in ▁North ▁American ▁colleg es , ▁univers ities , ▁and ▁high ▁schools , ▁although ▁most ▁American ▁g lee ▁clubs ▁are ▁ch or uses ▁in ▁the ▁standard ▁sense , ▁and ▁rarely ▁perform ▁gle es . ▁ ▁Old est ▁United ▁States ▁colleg iate ▁g lee ▁clubs ▁The ▁oldest ▁colleg iate ▁g lee ▁clubs ▁in ▁the ▁United