Glec, a species of vocal composition peculiar to England, for three or more voices, and in one or more movements, generally unaccompanied and sung by male voices, though these conditions are not obligatory. It is distinguished from the madrigal by its modern tonality, larger number of musical motives, and a less extensive development of them; and in being written for single voices to each part. This last point, however, is now frequently disregarded. Its independent part-writing also distinguishes it from the modern part-song, which is usually in simple harmony, but the name is often given to such—e.g. Sir H. Bishop's 'Glees.'
The glee flourished during the later half of the 18th century and the earlier part of the 19th. Samuel Webbe (1740–1816) is probably its greatest master. Among his best-known glees are 'When Winds breathe Soft' and 'Glorious Apollo,' the latter of which was always the first to be sung at the meetings of the now defunct Glee Club (1783–1857). Other writers of the first rank are R. J. S. Stevens (1757–1837), the composer of 'Ye Spotted Snakes,' 'The cloud-capt Towers,' and 'From Oberon in Fairyland;,' John Wall Callcott (1766–1821), a most prolific composer, and author also of a well-known Grammar of Music, of whose glees 'The Red-cross Knight,' 'To all you Ladies,' and 'It was a Friar of Orders Grey,' may suffice as specimens; with whom may be mentioned the names of Horsley, Spofforth, Cooke, Paxton, Attwood, and Lord Mornington. See W. A. Barrett's English Glees and Part-songs (1886).