In 1787, a group of men met at the Newcastle Coffee House at St Mary-at-Hill in the City of London. They were not there simply to drink coffee, read a newspaper or discuss the latest gossip with each other – instead, they wanted to sing. This was the first meeting of what would be the first glee club in Britain: a choir group, essentially, but where the songs (‘glees’) chosen were short ones designed to be performed by a trio or quartet of singers. Up to the mid 19th century, glee clubs – also known as ‘catch and glee clubs’ – were popular throughout Britain, but in the following century they would slowly decline, being replaced by the more modern, larger, choral society that still exists today. One writer, at the end of the Georgian era, noted that they encouraged members to show their powers of skill and invention, but the social aspect was equally important.