Tag Archives: glee club

So many turns

By Glee Club Comperes | Sun 8th September 2024 - 2:28 pm

For around 50 years, the Glee Club has been a highlight of Conference for many people. (There’s no specific anniversary; Glee evolved out of various informal singing traditions but is around 50 years old now). The stage has welcomed leaders, candidates, Ministers and even the occasional broadcaster or two.

One of the enduring traditions is that newly elected MPs ‘do a turn’ and sing or otherwise entertain those present. After a period of no new MPs, followed by a period of no Conferences for them to honour the tradition, this year our cup is overflowing as we welcome our biggest ever new intake.

Some will get up and sing their favourite song from the Liberator Songbook. (Risking a record number of renditions of “The Land”).

Some will tell jokes. Some have done sketches. It has been known (though not always recommended) for them to write their own songs. Others will attempt to emulate the late Paddy Ashdown’s unique shaggy dog story about two tribes. Leaders were sometimes “more singed against than singing”. There may be other talents as yet unearthed; we have musicians, child actors and who knows what else?

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Rebecca Yates

From selfies with Clegg to the Glee Club stage – my first Liberal Democrat conference

By Rebecca Yates | Wed 22nd March 2017 - 8:53 am

I am currently in my first year at the University of Leeds, studying Politics and Parliamentary Studies. I officially became a party member in November 2016, but I have always been a Liberal Democrat at heart!

Last weekend was my first time at a party conference and I can honestly say it was one of the best weekends of my life. I did not really know what to expect, but I certainly did not expect to get to meet Nick Clegg on the first day! This was a pretty momentous occasion for me as you could call Nick my ‘Lib Dem hero’ given that he was the main reason I first became interested in the party.

My experience of conference undoubtedly proves that I joined the right party. What other party would have the unique event that is Glee Club? Slightly bizarre at first, but after a couple of G&T’s my (not so) secret love for karaoke shone through. Anyone who witnessed my attempted parody of “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse can vouch for this (along with the fact that I am a terrible singer). 

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News Meerkat

Controversy over Glee Club Song Book, in connection with Charles Kennedy – the full story

By News Meerkat | Tue 22nd September 2015 - 10:54 am

PoliticsHome reports:

Campaigners have criticised the Liberal Democrats over songs mocking Charles Kennedy’s alcoholism just three months after his death.

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Gareth Epps

Introducing…The Glee Club

By Gareth Epps | Thu 17th September 2015 - 12:54 pm

Glee Club 2014The hundreds of new members making their way to Bournemouth might be forgiven for wondering about some of the exciting new events in store.

One of those is a Conference tradition that definitely isn’t unsung: the Glee Club. It predates the popular TV show by decades, having been founded when Liberals gathered informally in the hotel hosting the Liberal Assembly. In 1965, Michael Steed and Mary Green, both Young Liberals,produced the first Liberal Songsheet – a long-lost song from that document has been added to almost 100 other songs in the Liberator Songbook, the repository of song now in its 26th edition.

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Simon Foster

A close shave. Can you help?

By Simon Foster | Mon 7th September 2015 - 10:25 am

A good friend who was coming to Lib Dem conference was going to shave all of my hair off, for Cancer Research, at the Glee Club on the last night of conference. This has all been agreed with the Hotel and the Glee Club thanks to the efforts of Gareth Epps and the conference office.

However, my hairdresser cannot make it. So, if you know any hairdressers with a pair of clippers coming to conference who are able to give me a close shave for a good cause at the Glee Club, please put them in touch.

In the meantime, I still need sponsors, so if you can donate £5 or any amount, please do so here.

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Caron Lindsay

Could Tim Farron’s band reunite at the Glee Club?

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 30th May 2015 - 7:46 pm

It didn’t take long for a photo of a very New Romantic Tim Farron and his two band-mates to appear on the internet. Within hours of Jonathan Calder revealing the name of our leadership hopeful’s band this morning, he was sent a photo, from around about 1987, of a teenage Tim Farron in his band, Fred the Girl, previously known as The Voyeurs until they realised what exactly that meant.

I have spent many fruitless hours trawling You Tube to see if I could find some footage. I suspect if it’s there, it’s unlisted so nobody will be able …

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Caron Lindsay

Caron’s musings on Federal Conference in Glasgow

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 25th September 2013 - 8:01 pm

I know, I know, it’s been a week since the Glasgow conference and I still haven’t got around to writing my usual round up post. You can put that down to there being a by-election in the offing in Dunfermline. I’ll warn you that this post is quite long, but if you make it to the end, you will be rewarded. Click on the last link. Anyway, before it gets more than embarrassingly late to do this, here are my random thoughts:

Nick got it right

My heart sank in the run-up to Conference as I read countless newspaper articles suggesting that …

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Helen Duffett

AD LIB: Digital edition on its way

By Helen Duffett | Thu 28th March 2013 - 1:25 pm

Paddy Ashdown cover of Ad Lib magazineWhen AD LIB launched last December one message we got back loud and clear, not least from Lib Dem Voice readers, was that you want a digital version.

Well, we’ve only gone and done it. And, what’s more, it will be available next week.

We’ve been working hard with the good people of PageSuite to get the digital edition ready to launch alongside the publication of April’s magazine, which will land through letterboxes next Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday).

And we’re making it a truly interactive experience …

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Caron Lindsay

Tales from the seaside…

By Caron Lindsay | Tue 12th March 2013 - 11:55 am

A few observations from the weekend in Brighton.

Lib Dem Voice luxury

The Liberal Democrat Voice office was the loveliest we’d ever had. Normally we are stuck in a broom cupboard in amongst bottles of Domestos. This time we had proper desks, bottles of water and sweeties. And do you know what else was lovely? The Conference Office had factored us in and booked us a room without us having to ask. Our thanks to the person who did that.

Rumour had it that the professional media’s quarters were not quite as plush. I’m not saying that there was straw on the floor …

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Gareth Epps

A Glee-ful invitation to Labour

By Gareth Epps | Thu 16th September 2010 - 1:57 pm

In just five days the Liberal Democrat Conference will be gearing up to what for some is the highlight of their week. The tradition will again be honoured of singing songs from the history of Liberalism as well as more recent topical and light-hearted offerings. There will be a brand new edition of the Liberator Songbook with new songs, and I’m sure some offerings to mark the return of Liberals to Government.

A further tradition of the Glee Club is that new MPs ‘do a turn’; we know some of them are regular members of the Glee Club, …

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Posted in Conference and Humour | Also tagged , and | 14 Comments
Helen Duffett

How much will coalition change Liberal Democrat conference?

By Helen Duffett | Wed 28th July 2010 - 9:20 am

Party conference rumour season is well underway, with more special guest speculation than last month’s Glastonbury. But whoever’s doing the briefing, it doesn’t seem to be coming from the Liberal Democrat side.

The story that David Cameron might address Lib Dem conference seems to have originated from the Independent:

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are drawing up plans for closer links between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and senior figures from the two parties will address each other’s party conference this autumn.

The two leaders are keen to cement the coalition and a special meeting of the Cabinet next month will discuss a joint approach to the party conference season, including co-ordinated policy announcements. One option is for Mr Cameron to address the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool and Mr Clegg the Tories in Birmingham. More likely, at present, is that other Cabinet ministers will “change places” and speak at their coalition partner’s event.

The Guardian also ran a similar story the same day: David Cameron could speak at Liberal Democrat conference.

– Well, yes he could,* but here are some things to consider:

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