Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1982)
Mt. Angel Abbey shows rare art to students By Doris I. Hatcher a guided tour. Of The Print Where would you expect to find a group of artists, who are studying art history, caligraphy and sculpture, but at a historical site such as Mt. Angel Abbey, St. Benedict, Oregon. Last Thursday, Micki Templeton, caligraphy teacher and Norm Bursheim, head of the art department and art history teacher at Clackamas Community College took a group of students on a tour of -the Abbey where they were able to study first-hand rare ob jects of art. Eighty-year-old Father Martin, a Benedictine Monk, who celebrated the golden jubilee of his priesthood on Ju ly 10 of this year, met them at the library and took the class on Alvar Aato of Helsinki, Finland, one of the most renowned architects of the 20th century, constructed the library which was dedicated in 1970. In the rare book collection is one of the two known copies in Oregon of the Book of Kells in the editio princeps; the first American reprint of the Guten- burg Bible of 1476, by Sensenschmidt and Loefler. Sensenschmidt was the first printer of Nuremburg, the greatest printing center of the medievel Germany. Also included in the library is a collection of 18 Catholic Ladders, a visual aid in teaching of Catholic doctrine to the Northwest Indians. Father Martin spoke to the students and showed them slides of art in the Abbey. They were allowed to enter the rare book vault which has control led temperature and humidity. Many of these books are bound in animal skins or wood, and were printed by hand, by the Benedictine Monks who lived in those days. In the auditorium is a tapestry by Mark Adam of Abeegnone France valued at $3,500. The church has among other works, a mosaic of Young Benedict at Subiaco in the foyer and a statue of St. Joseph by Frances Rich. There are 14 stations of the cross done in mosaic by Louisa Jenkins who took 6 months studying and sketching before she undertook the actual work. The stations of the cross are substitutes for the holy land and are scenes of the passion and the death of Christ. Bush’s “The Dreaming”highlights neglected career Ediorial By F. T. Morris For The Print sounds, as Lene Lovitch does, she sings in that high voice). Let’s start with a blunt What made me go back for a question: Do you know who second listen was the fact that Kate Bush is? although her voice was strange If you answered no, then (but wonderful), her songs chances are her new album were not. With a voice born to isn’t for you; if you said yes, sing new wave, Bush’s decision then “The Dreaming” is just to sing “normal” songs was, I what you’ve been waiting for thought, quite courageous. (provided you like her music, That first album, “The Kick In of course). side,” was good enough to The first time I heard a garner more attention than it Kate Bush song, I mistakenly did. Sales were dismal despite thought the album was playing the album being issued three at 78, though it was not; she can hit incredible high notes times, and her next two that don’t seem to belong to a albums, “Lionheart” and human being (she does not “Never For Ever,” were not simply make strange high released in this country at all (both are availa’be-for a high price—as imports). “Lionheart” was interesting, mainstream rock, but “Never For Ever” is a classic, the indispensible Kate Bush record. As an import, it made her semi-famous in this country as a cult favorite. “Never” was marginally new wave in execution, with lots of sound effects and electronic released. This is good because more people will have a chance to hear her (she’s my idol), but bad because this is not the album for people hearing her for the first time; we need the earlier imports to prepare us. “The Dreaming” is far more experimental than anything she has ever attemp ted, and, though quite each song is, in its way, ex tremely effective). The multi dimensional layering of voices, instruments and overall sound demands special attention, but it pays off. As an import, it made her semi-famous in this country as a cult favorite. ✓ gadgetry (it is also the only albut I’ve ever heard where all the sound effects were necessary artistic choices, and that includes Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”). Bush once and for all proved herself to be a for midable singer/songwriter, capable of jolting unexpected nerves in the listener’s psyche. Had it been released in the U. S. I don’t see how it could have failed. Now for the good news and bad news: “The Dreaming” has been nationally marvelous, it is not completely successful. Her songwriting is still fresh and evocative and her singing is first-rate, but as pro ducer she has made some un fortunate choices, re the ar rangements, that even fans may have a hard time handl ing. For example, the title track, a funny song about smashing Aborigines with a van on a lonely Australian highway, is sung in an inten tionally (but why?) ultra-nasal voice that is nifty but just plain weird. And a good tune, “There Goes a Tenner,” is bog ged down in a maddeningly slow arrangement that doesn’t work. She also insists on screaming some of the lines in “Houdini,” an otherwise gorgeous song, and in one song brays like a mule. But . . . I’m drawn to this album, and I like it very much. When I first heard it, despite my reservations, I was over come with the feeling that it was somehow very right, the next logical step in her career. Each song is like a little mini page 6 opera, relying little on tune fullness to reach its full poten tial (and even when there are serious lapses in judgment, “Sat In Your Lap,” “Night of the Swallow” and “Get Out of My House” are terrific songs -the last is perhaps the angriest feminist anthem ever written. “Suspended in Gaffa” is infec tious and captures one’s heart with its simplicity and carnival air; this is among the most outstanding cuts ever put on a Kate Bush LP, though it can’t quite come close to “The Infant Kiss” or “Egypt,” both from “Never For Ever,” or the title track of “Lionheart.” So . . .1 guess I recom mend “The Dreaming.” Sort of. It is an album that absolutely demands the listener to catch its wavelength and go with it. If the two previous import alhums were readily available, this wouldn’t be such a big risk for the average consumer. As it stands now, those unfamiliar with her work (unless they are the daring sort) will probably never hear this record, let alone buy it. For this reason,) Kate Bush will most likely con tinue to be (unfortunately) unknown to the American public at large. Clackamas Community College
