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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1948)
Fiftieth Year of Publication and Sendee to the University VOLUME L UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, EUGENE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1948 NUMBER 55 'Messiah' Concert Tomorrow * * ★ ★ * Vienna Boys' Choir in First Eugene Appearance Operetta Scheduled Monday Talented Singers Presented by Civic Music Association "Ladies in hoop skirts and white - wigged gentlemen in brocaded breeches” will appear on the McArthur court plat form Monday night when the Vienna Choir Boys present Mo zart's operetta "Bastien and Bastienne” as a highlight of their first Eugene performance The concert begins at 8:15 p.m. Now on their first American visit in a decade, the boys, directed by Felix Mozer, will arrive here from Vancouver, B. C., to present a se lection of sacred songs and music. The organization, one of the old est musical groups in the world, celebrated its 450th birthday July of this year. Membership is limit ed to 60, boys from 8 to 12 years old, but while on tour only 20 will appear. Occasional concert tours were made by the choir as early as the seventeenth century. They were first organized in 1498 by order of Emperor Maxmilian I to sing in the court chapel in Vienna. After the Emperor’s death, the Hapsburgs subsidized the group until their ruin after World War 1. The choir initiated tours in 1926 in order to continue its existence. It traveled throughout Europe and was brought to the United States in 1938 by impressario S. Hurok. The boys today are placed under the finest supervision in Vienna. To enroll in the organization, which is equivalent to a school, a prospective choir boy must pass rigid examinations of - scholastic ability as well as musical talents. Presented locally under the aus pices of the Eugene Civic Music association, the group will sing numbers by Giuseppe Verdi, Jaco bus Gallus, Franz Schubert, Jo hannes Brahms and others-. The music critic from the New York Post has written of them, “The applause abated only when there was singing or an intermis sion.” Exam Absences Clarified by Fogdall Absences from final examina tions will be excused only if in controvertible evidence is pro duced by the student that his ab sence was unavoidable, and then only at the discretion of the in structor, Vergil S. Fogdall of the office of students affairs stated yesterday. Serious illness or death in the family would constitute such an excuse, Fogdall said. Grades of “incomplete” will be registered for the student if his excuse is accepted by the instructor. The final examination schedule will be found on page 8. A WEWtHHSTMAS TO AIL. Faculty to Decide on Semester Plan L. S. Cressman, head of the an-, thropology department gave for-! mal notice yesterday that he will move that the faculty recommend the University calendar be changed from the term to the semester sys tem at the January, 1949, meeting of the faculty. If the faculty voted in favor of Cressman's motion, it would be the first step towards putting the Uni versity on the semester system, starting with the 1950-51 school year. The board of higher education must be notified of the desire of the faculty to change, if the mo tion is passed, and then must ap prove the change. On two earlier occasions, the faculty has regis tered approval of changing to the semester system, but has not asked approval from the state board. The last time such action was proposed was in 1939. In an Emer Happy Days-— Publication Ends The Oregon Daily Emerald, in ending publication for this term, leaves its reaeders with this thought: Don’t go away mad, Just go away, There will be n'o more Emer alds, After today. aid poll of students on the question, which appeared in the January 14 issue of that year, it was found that “All-in-all the campus is di vided on the subject, although most of the students interviewed mentioned that if it would not be in effect while they were in school the two semester plan would be all right with them.’’ Other views on the problem at that time were similar to the opin ions expressed pro and con today. Christmas vacation studying and inconvenience and expense of change versus easier on the admin istration and less time wasted in registration. Program Features 500 Voices First Performance Of Handel's Work Since Before War UO students and Eugene res idents are invited to be at Mc Arthur court tomorrow at 8 p. ni. to hear nearly 600 students in a presentation of Handel’s “Messiah.” 500 members of choral union and 70 members of the sym phony orchestra, both under the direction of Dean Theodore Kratt of the music school, will give the first performance of the "Mes siah" on the campus since 1941. The "Messiah,” a work which dis plays intense religious feeling, is particularly appropriate to the Christmas season. Most familiar passages from the oratorio are those included in the “Hallelujah" chorus. It has been traditional to stand during the chorus since King George II of England did so when Jje first heard it in 1744. This year’s pre-Yuletide produc tion is sponsored by the School of Music and the University Religious council, and has been in the forma tive stages for nearly a year. Students are urged to attend to moi row night, as no comparable' choral productions may be forth coming for a number of years. Soloists for the choral part of the production, chosen by Dean Kratt, include Virginia Walker, Claire Lewis, Dorothy Gangnath, Lucile Olson, Elizabeth Nelson, James Kays, Lowell Chase, Robert Rob erts, Phillip Green, and Wayne Sherwood. They have been given special instruction by the music school. General arrangements for the presentation of the “Messiah” are under the direction of Lou Weston of the religious council. Commit tees functioning under Miss Weston include Mac court arrangements, headed by Mickey Campbell and Glen Lamb; promotion, Gretchen (Please turn to page eight) Artist's Conception of New Library Addition Artists conception of proposed addition to library showing west face and extended wing and three story structure which will add approxi mately 35,000 square feet of space to present accommodations. Ex terior finish of the addition will he of brick and metal, designed to blend with present campus buildings. Bids were called for by the state board of higher education Tuesday.