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PG & E Fades Away
Requiem Succeeds
The Mercer Choir, under the
direction of Mr. John Van
Cura, presented “Brahms, A
German Requiem,” April 12
and 13 in Willingham Chapel.
The Requiem was per
formed in its entirety. This is
not commonly done. The two-
piano, English version was first
performed in 1871, and was ar
ranged by the composer him
self.
The production comprised
of thirty-eight voices was a tre
mendous success. The strength
and endurance of baritone Ed
Davidson’s voice added a dis
tinctly human quality to the
regal music. Particularly note
worthy was piece VI, “Here on
earth have we no continuing
place" which combined the
force of Davidson’s voice with
that of the choir in their best
form. Soprano soloist Geral
dine Neeley gave the audience
full appreciation of her rich
voice. She sang wed though her
enunciation was not as charac
teristically dear as the rest of
the concert. Her range, as
usual, was superior. This re
mains her Individual strength.
It is obvious that Mercer’s
music department has acquired
some future professional talent
as seen in their performance of
Brahms.
The text of the Requiem it
self, though dealing with death,
encouraged “joy and gladness"
rather than sadness during the
performance. The technique of
co-mingling words and phrases
characteristic of Brahms
brought to life the intrinsic
value of the word’s message.
Costuming and staging was
simple. Mr. Van Cura donned
formal tails, while the rest
wore tuxedos. The young
ladies wore full white blouses
and ankle-length satin skirts,
which, if not bringing the scene
back to the time of Brahms
himself, struck a chord as uni
versal as the Requiem itself.
Laughably, at the offset of
the Sunday performance James
Carmichael and Kim Van Cura,
pianists, had their music revers
ed, but the slip caused little
more than a few restrained
grins in the choir. Sunday’s
audience was comprised mainly
of Macon’s senior citizenry
who fpparently took the Re
quiem program to be a serious
If not religious experience. The
choir was more relaxed during
the second performance,
having got over their first-night
jitters. They departed little
from their standard of excel
lence either day. It was obvious
to those who sttended that the
Mercer Choir, with Mr. Van
Cura at the^front, struggled for
perfection and as far as this
opinion is concerned, suc
ceeded.
There were mixed emotions
on Campus after Pacific Gas &
Electric performed one hour
and 12 min. in Mercer’s Chapel
then faded away.
According to Jerry Stone
what was heard was all there
was. Apparently PG & E has
not mastered the finesse of a
definite ending. They ceased
playing, fiddled with their
amps and eventually informed
the waiting audience that the
concert was over. Contrary to
rumors, the group did not blow
an amp and end the concert at
that point.
by jwright
Lome of the blues rock
sound found PG & E terrific,
what there was of them. They
used such appropriate
adjectives as “great,”
“tremendous," and “really
good." Those who ate enthu
siasts of other styles, be it soul,
add-rock or the classics, claim
they tired quickly of the
“monotonous noise.”
Highlight of the group was
the bass guitarist and drummer
who apparently keep the group
with it. Each member of PG &
E, however, was highly skilled
in his position. Attendance was
three hundred or four hundred
which indicates either that
their style isn’t consonant with
the desires of the majority of
the Mercer community or that
the majority of the community
was not aware of PG & E’s con
cert on campus. Little descrip
tive advertisement was seen
around campus before hand.
Few people knew what was
happening in the Chapel judg
ing from the name alone and as
someone said, “Padfic Gas &
Electric? — I paid my bill this
month.”
Letters to the Editor
(Continued from Page 2)
task it is to create poetry for
printing; the Dulcimer staff
generally works with material
that has been contributed by
others. Second, the final lite
rary word on material that
appears in the Dulcimer rests
with certain professors in the
English department (the
Steges, for example) who have
volunteered to critically ex
amine these contributions.
Plainly, then, the Dulcimer has
been and will be a literary
magazine that has had tntrinric
literary value as adjudged by
competent persons.
A final word on the so-
called ‘undependability’ of
Dulcimer (sauna. First, and
foremost, the Dulcimer straaass
quality, not quantity. An Issue
of the Dulcimer can only ap
pear when sufficient contribu
tions of quality have been turn
ed in. The printing of a set
number of Issues per year with
out regard to quality would be
a prostitution of the Dul
cimer'* basic orientation. Hie
Dulcimer must be judged by its
own criteria, not by tha criteria
of other Mercer publications.
In conclusion: the Dulcimer
encourages any and all literary
contributions by any member
of the Mercer community. If
one accepts the basic thesis
that a literary review is a must
for any college, then one
should perhaps lay personal
prejudices aside and contribute
to or, at least support the
review. There will be another
Dulcimer out this quarter and
all students are invited to ad
dress their contributions to
Box 270, Box 1422, or
personally to either Mr. David
Bottoms or myself.
John Valentine
Harris
Awarded
O.B.E.
Mercer’s President, Dr. Ruf
us Harris has recently been
named to recteve the Order of
the British Empire by the
Queen of England. He will re
ceive the award next summer.
Very few Americans have ever
received this honor.
Go casual
for spring
Thanks to the recent stay
out and wear-in under the au*
picies of RWGA Mercer women
now have the choice of wearing
whatever they choose to
classes, Sunday dinner and
chapel within bounds of appro
priateness and decency.
Spring dothes, according to
national sources, feature simple
knit dreaaea, knit romper suits
with matching skirts for play
and pleated, cuffed pants for
those who have taken to wear
ing pants to dass.
The color for spring and
summer is red, white and blue
— boldly striped or gypsy-
printed. It is found in dresses,
culottes, scarves, romper suits
and the all-time favorite — the
bikini.
by jwright
Bikinis, are, of course. The
Thing. Whether they take the
form of clingy tank suits' oma
mented with beads of obscured
by crocheted maxi dresses,
Bohemian pinafores or hooded
stretch terry romper suites,
striped, of course, there re
mains the stand-by bikini —
worn with a springtime tan.
Add sandles and go anywhere
In lieu of a beach scene.
Mercer women, choose jungle
print pants for your next out
ing into the Macon rain forest.
That is, for head hunting, what
else? Combine with a blouse
with the appropriate print:
SHIRT.
Whether you go pastel and
frilly or swinging and striped,
go casual with the new rules
and the warming weather
Course Changes
Hie foliowing faculty mem
bers have announced their
resignation or retirement Mr.
John W. Holding, who has
worked in the Business Office
and as associate professor of
Chemistry, will retire at the
end of this year. Mr. Bradford
Greene, instructor in Political
Science; Mr. Alan Himber, in
structor in English; Mr. Hmo-
thy Ireland, instructor in
French; Mr. John Lazzara, in
structor in French; and Mr.
William Nelson, instructor in
German, will continue graduate
study. Miss Lynda Jones, in
structor in health and physical
education; Mrs. Clara Mae
Miller, instructor in biology;
and Mr. Edmond Williams, in
structor in speech and drama,
have announced their resigna
tion. Including the loas of Dr.
Benjamin Griffith, Pollack pro
fessor of English and chairman
of the Department, to West
Georgia College, Mercer has
lost ten faculty members this
year.
To partly offset these Iosks
Dr. Harris has announced the
appointment of Dr. Donald P.
Wiesier, assistant professor of
Chemistry; Ph.D., Purdue Uni
versity and Dr. Walter C. Dowl
ing, Visiting Professor of Politi
cal Science and Ambassador-
in-Reddence, Spring quarter
1970; A.B., LL.D.
YOUTH
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Carl Sanders Listens — and Answers
HEAR HIM!
Westgate Shopping Center
Saturday, April 25, 3:30
Transportation Provided
Students Committee For Sanders
Gary Brenner, Chairman
THE MERCER CLUSTER • April 21, 1970 • 3