Bowdoin College - Bugle Yearbook (Brunswick, ME)

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©ZYMANDIAY SOCIETY In tin; early fall of 1951 a group of interested undergraduates formed the Ozyinandian Society. Assuming the heart of Shelley’s immortal ode, the lines, “Look upon my works, ye Mighty and despair!” the group has pursued a study of various classical embodiments of knowledge. Informal discussions characterized the Society’s activities throughout its initial year. Uniting the Koinan and Anglo-Saxon with Dante and Chaucer, the group transcended the literature of the Middle Ages to our Twentieth Cen- tury. Classical background was ob- tained from Homer and Catullus, while lighter reading came from Hemingway and Joyce. “Only such writing as has been adjudged perfect or the very greatest of its kind by critics over the past two thousand years,” has been considered. “Here is that rare thing: a unique organization, bringing together the greatest in writing and the most perceptive in criticism.” Seated, left to right: P. LASSOE, P. LEWIS. Standing, left to right: A. KENNEDY, W. GRAFF, R. CHAMBERLIN, J. NEVIN. Absent from picture — W. T. JOHNSON. A CAPELLA CHOIR The A Capella Choir, consisting of twenty-six men hand-picked from the Glee Club, per- formed every Sunday at the Chapel Service under the direction of Professor Russell L. Locke. Mr. Locke directed in the absence of Professor Tillotson, who was on Sabbatical. Mr. Locke did his usual excellent job all the way through the year, giving new expression to such time-honored music as “Cantate Domino,” “Jesu Dulcis” and “Crucifixus.” Several of the more outstanding numbers were those arranged by Mr. Locke himself. Two of these were “David the King” and “O Magnum Mysterium,” a beautiful anthem which made its dehut at the Christmas Carol service on December 13th. The choir held a concert of their own in the spring and repeated some of the best num- bers they have done in the past. Row, left to right: BRIGHT, D. KING, ILL, PROF. LOCKE, tor; D. HAYWARD. DLEMAN, R. HOL- ). Second Row, left ht: M. de la FE, B. CRONKHITE. J. ZY, E. KEENE, JEUTSCHMAN, G. -J, D. HOERLE, C. ■FFY. Third Row, o right: P. PIRNIE, 'JGLAND, D. REID, ILLSBURY, M. von IE. T. HAMILL, 4acCORMICK, W. 5, C. von HUENE.

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Left to right: ROBERT HAMILTON, First Tenor; ROBERT FORSBERG, First Bass; RONALD LANDER, Second JOHN MORRELL, First Tenor; GORDON STEARNS, First Bass; JOHN NUNGESSER, Second Bass; PETER RAC Second Tenor; ARTHUR GROVE, JR., Second Tenor; DAVID OSGOOD, Second Bass. In 1937, the little town of Meddybemps in Northern Maine distinguished itself by being the first to pay a certain Federal tax. In the same year, the augmented octet, the Meddiebempsters, got its start, taking its name from Meddybemps in the hope that it would both distin- guish itself and not be quickly forgotten. The Meddies have enjoyed another active and pros- perous year, after starting at a slow pace owing to the difficult task of selecting and training four new men. Perhaps the graduate most conspicuous by his absence this year is Angus Johnston, who has been dubbed, with plausible justification, as “Mr. Moddiebempster” and who caused some to question the validity of the old saying that no man is indispensable. Early campus appearances of this year's group were highlighted by the religiously faithful return of Angus. Some of his famous numbers have been sacriligiously assigned to new members; others will fade away with his memory. The Meddies, in addition to their work with the Glee Club, gave their usual array of independent concerts which included participating in the annual Wellesley Octet Weekend, entertaining at the Middlcbury Winter Carnival, giving a charity performance at the veterans’ hospital at Togus, and singing at a testimonial dinner sponsored by the Boston Alumni Association in honor of retiring-Prcsident Sills, not to mention at least a score of appearances for various social organizations throi Northern New England. Veteran Mcddie Ron Lander distinguished hints writing the hook and lyrics to the student musica a Fact,” produced by the Masque and Gown. d Stearns, one of the Meddies new this year, was i those who wrote exceptionally fine music for the The Meddies displayed their versatility, or lack tn hv taking part as a group in the musical. Peril a J most outstanding of the three songs which the Ml sang in “It’s a Fact” was Lander’s clever parody, 1 On a Bat.” j As to the officers in the group, Pete Race took o position and pitch-pipe of last year’s director, Bil ham, and soon assumed the confidence and ease predecessor. Dave Osgood struggled behind the sed his nebulous distinction as business manager, hid job consisting of the handling of the Meddic’s record release, a long-playing endeavor entitled, I ami the Young Men.” As with other compatible groups, the qualitl achievement of the Meddies runs in cycles. All this year’s group never quite approximated till quality of last year’s long-practiced and wcll-cxpeij group, it did, nevertheless, crystallize in the coil the year into a smooth, well-blended singing organil

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The Glee Club got off to a flying—and rushed— start this year, giving the lead-ofF concert of the Monsanto “Songs from New England Colleges” series on November 11—hardly a month after the first rehearsal. Later in the week, on November 16, the club gave another concert at Yarmouth. Having lost many old men the previous June, Professor Tillotson deserves all the credit for whipping a young club into concert shape in such a short time. The annual “Messiah” concerts were not given this year, largely because of a theoretical, and long deserved, sabbatical leave which “Tilly” spent on campus, in order to stay with the club. An old custom was reinstated this year with the presentation of two-year medals to those men who had been with the club for two years, and were starting their third year of singing. Fifteen men received medals. After the Yarmouth concert, the men had a chance to steady themselves with tri-weekly rehearsals for the second term, which started with three concerts in the state—at Saco, Sanford, and Augusta. By the first “Baby Tour” to Pembroke College and Fram- ingham State Teachers College in Framingham, the club had reached a level of performance not usually reached until later in the season, in spite of a larger repertoire than usual, and the substitution of the Mozart Requiem Mass for the Kodaly Tc Deum, which the club has sung for the last few years. The Campus Chest weekend on March 15 was the weekend of the campus concert. The club played host to the Bradford Junior College Glee Club, the concert taking place in the First Congregational Church. The two clubs sang the Mozart Requiem together, as well as several separate selections. The following weekend of March 22 saw the club off on another “Baby Tour,” to Lasell Junior College in Auburndale, Massachusetts, for a Friday night concert, and then to Mt. Holyoke College for a double concert—a secular concert on Saturday fea- turing the combined clubs singing a musical pre- sentation of Milton’s poem. Blessed Pair of Sirens. and a religious concert on Sunday, in which both clubs sang the Mozart Requiem. On April 6 (four days before the start of Spring vacation), the club started off on Spring Tour. The Glee Club didn’t get to New York City this year, in preparation for next year’s Town Hall concert, but there were concerts given in upper New York State in such places as St. Johnsbury, Skidmore College, Syracuse, Buffalo, Elmira, and Wells College. The club had a lot of fun paying for its Easter dinner by splitting up and singing in several church choirs, the members picking the church of their preference. The season came to an end hardly a month after the end of Spring vacation with the annual Bowdoin Night at the “Pops” on May 15, the Thursday before —and official beginning—of Ivy. The Glee Club soloists this year were Johnny Morrell. William Ilazcn (vs. the baritone section), David Hoerle and Clemens Hcusch, tenors; Donald Hayward and Douglas Reid, baritones; and II. Davi- son Osgood, bass. Gordon Sterns was the accom- panist, assisted by Lew Welch, when assistance was needed. This year the President of the “Mcddics” alter- nated with the President of the Glee Club in con- ducting the College Medley. In the past, the presi- dent of the club has closed the Glee Club concerts by conducting the Medley. Hating got this far, successfully remembering the rules of Freshman composition, and always speaking in the third person, I find that accepted practice is to make a short tribute to the Conductor. However, tributes are very hard to make in the third person, and tend to be impersonal, what with “Unusually successful seasons and “Fine spirit and all such generalities. If the Glee Club has been successful— if we have given pleasure to ourselves and to our listeners through music, tve all know the reason, and I'm sure the club joins me in saying humbly and thankfully, Thank you, Tilly.