Pomfret School - Griffin Yearbook (Pomfret, CT)

Page 28 text:

CHORUS Pomtret's chorus suttered because it was a multi-purpose body. Some boys joined to sing light glee club numbers. Others joined to sing more serious choir music. Far too many joined not to sing at all, but to participate in the dances that came af- ter the concerts. This last group made more noise than music both in rehearsal and in performance. lt is unwise to measure the choral music season in terms of success, because Mr. Brown has tried for something differ- ent than the highly polished brand of sing- ing Pomtret has grown used to. lt has been the choral director's intention to in- terest people in singing and music as an end in itself, rather than as a vehicle for the exhibition of showmanship. We feel that this approach is valid, and we hope that Mr. Brown is able to encourage more Pomtret people to think along these lines. Beside the mammoth chorus, several splinter singing groups sprang up through- out the year. Billed at various times as The Penguins , Three Shaves and a Haircut , and The Six lor was it Sevenl Sons of Spain , these smaller singing groups fought hard. Sometimes what came out was music. This has been a year of change in the whole conception of music at Pomfret. From the polished productions of the past, we have begun to shift our emphasis to the pleasures ot the experience ot music itself, -N. Polsby

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THE VALIANT directed by Robert Dentler Walter Howard Paul Canham Susan Cameron Rodman Davis Pomfret with 35 as as 35 james Dyke Warden Holt losephine Paris Father Daly rviav 16, 1952 li X year reflect superior lead acting, compe- tent direction and adequate preparation. Still, both The Devil And Daniel Webster and The Valiant fell through. The problems of both productions cen- tered around atmosphere. The Devil stands or falls on the contrast in mood between the gay wedding scene and the grim courtroom. lf played over the proper at- mosphere. the lines of the principal play- ers would gain stature. Lack of atmosphere can be attributed mainly to the inexperi- ence of the extra players. Usually recruit- ed on the spot, their importance to the drama is never fully realized. Essentially, The Valiant lacked sustained tension also. Here, despite heroic effort and rewriting, the audience was not fully enveloped by the drama. Some thought it a grade school melodrama, below Pom- fret's undertaking, The play remained be- yond belief. ln spite of the talented contributions of the leading actors, The Devil and Dan- iel Webster didn't quite make it, and The Valiant died once too often. -N. Polsby 23

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FALL SPORTS l -.fy . ,155 A f A ff ,- 212471, X I-.4 ii' I ' y ,f ' A Qiff ll if ffl fifg .ww - ill ii ! XZ Tw, 4 I iff? E 'N T' ' , - .J-1 If you go by the record, the football team did not have a very successful sea- son. They lost all their games, except the one against star-crossed Kingswood, and the snow-out at Salisbury. The reasons for this record are simply injuries and inex- perience. Last year's powerhouse was bad- ly depleted anyway, and when the rest of the veterans were put out of action, refu- gees from the leagues, stepped in and did a really creditable job. Paul Bartholet sparked the club, and Ed duPont, Bait Rob- inson and Mouse Taylor, all out of the leagues, bravely filled the shoes of the de- parted monsters of yore. The football leagues continued in their role as a farm club for the varsity. Wheth- er or not this is a valid athletic policy was a matter of interest during the year. Some people pointed out the value in training the smaller boys in the fundamentals of football, while playing with people their own size. The more powerful argument, however, seemed to lie with the opposite side. This argument propounded the val- ue of football played simply for the sake of playing it-with little emphasis put on skill. For those interested in a high degree of skill, the varsity, with its excellent coaching was available. For those interest- ed in enjoyment of the game alone, the leagues should have been lbut were notl open. 25