Brooks School - Bishop Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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MUSIC 1938-1939 HIS school year has been another most successful one from the musical point of view, and once again this success may be particularly attributed to Mr. Flint, who, not only by his indefatigable and well-rewarded efforts with the choir, but also by his excellent organ-playing in the Chapel throughout the year, has contributed immeasurably to the noble cause of en- couraging the appreciation of good music in the school. Aside from Mr. Flint, the greatest asset to music in the school this year was the anonymous donation ofa really fine pipe organ. The particulars of this instrument may be found in the fall issue of the Archbishop. Suiiice it to say now, that it has already proved to be of tremendous value both by permitting for the first time the rendition of organ music as it really should sound, and as an aid to the singing of the choir. The fact that the choir, although larger this year than ever before, was still mainly composed of veterans of at least one or two years standing, meant that it had a fairly large repertoire of anthems which could be prepared rela- tively easily. Consequently there was more time in which to rehearse the new material needed for the two concerts with Concord and the Cantata recital with Mlle. Boulanger, all of which took place in the Spring term. Two concerts with Concord Academy were given: the first, here, on April 29, the other at Concord, on May 6. The program consisted offive groups, the first ofwhich was performed by the joint choirs, and contained three anthems: Haydn's The Heavens fire Telling, Bach's ffesa foy QfMHH,5 Desiring, and Holst's Turn Back O Man. Concord then presented separately seven songs, the most memorable of which were Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart, and Purcell's Passing By, in which Edith Cowles sang one verse as a solo. Next came three secular pieces by our own choir, the most popular of which was St. Patrick, an amusing lrish folk song. This group was concluded by Bach's difficult My Spirit Be Joyful from Cantata 146. The next group, which had required the most preparation, was presented by the joint Madrigal chorus, consisting of select members from both Choirs. They rendered four songs, by Festa, La-Ieune, Gibbons, and Pur- cell. The concert was concluded with two Gilbert and Sullivan choruses: name- ly, Take It as It Comes from The Gondoliers, and Behold the Lord High Ex- ecutioner from the Mikado. Both concerts were greatly enjoyed, both by the participants and by the audiences. Not the least popular feature of the Concord Glee Club's visit to us was the informal dance which was held afterwards to the strains of Chase's phonograph. It is certainly to be hoped that it will be possible to continue this extremely successful and popular arrangement with Concord for many years to come. Bach's Canlata 150, which the choir performed in the chapel under the direction of Mlle. Boulanger, was probably the most diflicult music which the choir has ever undertaken. The task of learning the notes and singing the Ger- 28

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Baker from growing, Scudder from it all,- Buckey from Chamberlain, O. Root from birds, Parkman from loafing, Shepley from words, Where Harvards cease from troubling and Elis are at rest, And Wigglesworth's fire engines may receive a proper test. Num dimiltis, Domine, from dormitory life, Who leaves a bachelor estate, but hasn't got a wife. Long live the Tower, swift rise the walls! When strikes the hour and duty calls, We'll all be there in one big bunch For breakfast, supper and for lunch, We'll spend the night and spend the day And when we come again we'll say: John Tower Thompson, master, may you live Forever, long enough that you may give The friendship that is planted in your heart A chance to bloom and bear its fruit! -Now start! 27 F. D. A

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ww, , .wa Y . , man text of the seventeen-page manuscript at first seemed almost insurmount- able. Soon, though not until after considerable rehearsal, it began to come comparatively easily, as the beauty of the music began fully to make itself felt. By the time Mlle. Boulanger came to rehearse it Cin the middle of the week between the two Concord concertsb it was in at least fairly presentable shape, in spite of several rather doubtful spots. However, after a rehearsal with Mlle. Boulanger, fairly long, but extraordinarily untedious, most of these were ironed out, and by the time of the actual recital, the choir was able to do a job which was certainly commendable in view of its many limitations and of the fact that rehearsal for it had had to be carried out simultaneously with rehearsal for the Concord concerts. Besides leading the choir in the Cantata, Mlle. Boul- anger gave an explanation of the significance of the Cantata, played, herself, Toccota, by Frescobaldig and presented Pie Jesu, from Faure's Requiem, sung by one of her soloists. Thus the school in general, and especially the choir, was once again given the privilege of contact with a truly remarkable woman, and the advantage of what was certainly a great musical experience. It should be mentioned here that the choir was fortunate in obtaining some very valuable outside assistance in the Cantata in the treble section. Not unnaturally the boy trebles would by themselves have been overbalanced by the numerous and noisy tenors and basses. In the Cantata, however, there were not only five masters' wives, and Phyllis Ashburn, but also four other recruits to swell the soprano and alto ranks, not to mention the invaluable assistance of Mlle. Boulanger's two soloists. Thanks to Mr. Niccoli's untiring efforts, the school orchestra, although this year for the most part decidedly not overflowing with talent, was able to perform its annual concert on Father's Day in at least fairly creditable fashion, striving nobly, even ifnot flawlessly. Mr. Niccoli deserves a great deal of credit for his efforts in the orchestra's behalf, and anyone who heard the orchestra before it started rehearsing this winter would appreciate the fact that his efforts were not in vain. The program included Dvorak's Largo, from the New World Symphony, the famous Intermezzo by Mascagni, a group of Classical Dances, and a piece by whose real title is Ronde anfimour, and which proved the most popular of the evening, at least with the lower school, thanks largely to Thayer, who did nothing but bang a triangle at appropriate moments. A. N. T. 29