Brooks School - Bishop Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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only to Hnd the game called for rain, Saturday afternoon was spent watching the exciting but disappointing races with Exeter. The dance at Russell House Saturday evening was, needless to say, a success. The next day Mr. Flint was more than pleased to have a reinforced treble section in the choir. Then how suddenly Sunday afternoon and train time descended upon the happy throng. Despite the various ill-fated happenings, of which the weather man was not the least cause, no one regrets a nevertheless convivial time. The Sixth Form prides itself with having opened further opportunities along these lines for future years. MUSIC E were fortunate again this year to have Mlle Boulanger as guest con- ductor of our annual concert with Concord Academy. Time was short and some of the music was difficult, but with the constant work of Miss Loring of Concord and Mr. Flint the two choruses synchro- nized very well in their first rehearsal together at Concord. A week or so later, Mlle Boulanger conducting a joint rehearsal at Brooks, was pleased with the performance and added only a few of her interpretations to what had already been achieved. However, by her deep understanding and feeling of the music she gave the choruses a new slant on the pieces which improved the singing very much. The program itself chosen by Mlle Boulanger, was most interesting in its composition for it was a mixture of the products and styles of all centuries. Though, as I say, completely different from one another, the pieces were skill- fully blended into a logical progression. First sung were three acts from Pur- cell's King Arthur which displayed to perfection Purcell's ability to write great and beautiful music while preserving simplicity. The second part of the program contained works from Tallis to Mr. Fillmore, a pupil of Mlle Boul- anger. Though they were good in different ways, I personally considered Dieu qu'il la fait bon regarder by Debussy outstanding for its delicate yet powerful composition and for its perfectly beautiful harmonization. Mr. Fill- more's Prayer W Richard de Casfre was another outstanding piece and certainly compared very favorably with the works of the famous writers who appeared on the program. The concert reached its climax and conclusion with the Pmlrn 24 written by Lili Boulanger, sister of the conductor. Though it was done well, I am afraid it was impossible for our relatively untrained voices to bring out its stirring greatness. Top honors of the evening went to Miss Catherine Maguire of Concord for the way in which she handled the difficult solos in King Arthur. Miss Maguire has a pleasant sounding well-trained voice and should go far in her field. A well balanced madrigal group put on a good performance and indeed the singing throughout the program was extraordinarily good and we are already looking forward to next year's concert. 30

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DRAMATICS INCE we have already described this year's school play in a previous issue, we will confine ourselves to the statement that the performance over the dance week end was very favorably received by its audience, and represented an excellent job by all concerned. With the departure of Mr. Wilder to work for the Navy, the Dramatic association suffers a staggering loss. For with limited talent and inadequate facilities, he raised Brooks School dramatics to a very high level and has maintained that standard successfully, year after year. Fortunately, we still have Mr. Waterston with us, and feel confident that because of this the school plays will continue to be as well-directed as they have been in the past. The Cabaret, with a few exceptions, was more or less of a failure this year. One reason, indeed, is that with exams coming right before vacation, very little time was available for preparing a skit. However, an atmosphere of indifference and lack of initiative seemed to hang like a pall over the school, this must be swept away before the cabaret can regain that note of sparkling gayety so characteristic of former years. As a result of the Spring elections, heading next year's Dramatic Associa- tion will be: Hotz, president, Herrick, vice president, Wlulsin, secretary. DANCE GCIAL activity at Brooks this year has not slackened despite the war. On the week-end of Washington's Birthday the transportation facilities were not yet acute enough to keep some thirty visions from appearing before and stimulating the subdued nerves of the astounded average Brooksian. On looking back through a term of springtime and an Easter vacation to that particular week end, We cannot but feel disappointed at its remoteness and realize its pureness as an oasis in the desert of the winter term. May the Dance committee be assured of our appreciation of their efforts in making the dance excellently managed, and We feel that we have no one to thank more than the girls themselves for inducingjoyful moods and enlightened spirits. But turning to more recent events, a minor miracle took place when Brooks School's first spring houseparty materialized. For six months the Sixth Form pleaded with the Headmistress for her consent to a Sixth Form dance, after which time it finally dawned upon them that the only obstacle was their own lack of initiative. A date, badly chosen to be sure, was set, and bids on guests were shipped out in the mail. Came May twenty-third and with it seven girls, bubbling over their relief to be out of their schools, but still just enough restrained by their numbers to make for a smoothly running week end. Except for the two who got to St. Mark's in hopes of shining on the diamond 29

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MEDE-PERSIAN CREW I-IIS year for the first time, sixth formers were not allowed to row on the club crews, but instead, they were organized into two separate crews. The best of these would have an opportunity to race the winning club crew in order to determine a third boat to race against Exeter. On the thirteenth of May, the season opened with the first Persians beat- ing the first Medes by a half length. The Persians started very high and the Medes pulled away from them a little until they came to the rock where the Persians began to forge ahead. Rowing higher than the Medes, they crossed the line in the good time of3:02M. In the second race, a favored Mede crew was beaten handily by a fast Persian boat stroked by Bugs Courtney who really put up the stroke at the finish and set a new barge record for the course in 3:15. On the nineteenth the next race was held with a headwind blowing down the course. The first Persians started at a sizzling 42 and let it down slowly as they began to get an edge on the Medes. Towards the finish, the Medes began to put the stroke up, but the Persians finished with a lead of half a length though they did not put the stroke up. The second Persians again showed their worth and beat the second Medes by a comfortable margin. To determine the third crew, the Persians raced the best sixth form boat and, although the sixth form boat had a lead of a length in the middle of the race, they began to disintegrate just before the finish. The sixth formers caught four crabs in the last three strokes, and the Persians, raising the stroke very neatly, caught up to them and the two crews finished together in a dead heat. Though the result was a draw, Finley was taken up to the second school crew and so the Persians became the third crew. Mr. Bragdon, Mr. Spock, and Mr. Scudder should be congratulated for the fine job they did in coaching their crews and making the competition so close. Next year, three new oarsmen will be needed to fill in on the school crews and undoubtedly those places will be filled by boys who gained valuable know- ledge of the essentials and experience on the club crews this year. T. C. JANEWAY, '43 CREWS 1sT PERSIAN 2ND PERSIAN lsr MEDE 2ND MEDE Norris, B. Nash, B. Janeway, B. Canfield, B. Abbot, 2 Mayer, 2 Dearborn, 2 Clunie, 2 Runnells, 3 O'Brien, 3 Bersbach, 3 lVIacFarlan, 3 Newbold, S. Courtney, S. Rackemann, S. Finlayson, S. Hurlburt, Cox Keyser, Cox Wallace, Cox Buchanan, Cox 31