The Franklin, NEWS'-RECOrD

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1.972 1-B
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A Shopping and Entertainment Guide for Central Jersey
Sunday Afternoons
With The Classics
by Gloria B. Ilalpern
That unique Princeton institution,
the Society of Musical
Amateurs, is now well into its
37th season after a magnificent
"reading" of Haydn’s
"Creation" several weeks ago.
"You haven’t sung since May,
right?" joked Dr. Ray Robinson,
ORCHESTRA is assembled at each session to
meet requirements of that particular program.
HOUSEWIVES, coll0(la Inofo,~orL coll0uu,
ta!s Slltl sttKlel!iS jr;fin hi Iov of mi~ki~ltl nmaic,
president of Westminster Choir
College, who was conducting the
session, lie was referring to the
fact that the Amateurs meet’
October through May and might
have grown rusty over the
summa. His remark drew a stir
of amusmnent, then his listeners
went back to examining the
scores which had been
distributed earlier.
Keynote Is hfformal
Dr. Robinson, dressed in a
short sleeved sport shirt open at
the neck, was as informal as the
chorus which numbered about
10g and the orchestra.
Music making was what
evm’yone was there for:
housewives, college professors,
commuters, and a sprinkling of
high school students.
"Oddly enough, we don’t seem
to draw Princeton University
students," said Mrs. Michael
Ramus, the society’s president,
regretfully.
Each year the membership
changes about 20 per cent, as
visiting lecturers and professors
at Princeton University, the
Institute for Advanced Study,
Westminster Choir College and
other nearby institutions arrive
or leave.
Professional Leaders
The sessions are always
conducted by professional
conductors: Leon DuBois of
Rutgers, J, Merrill Knapp of
Princeton, Joseph Kovacs of
Douglass, Clyde Tipton of Rider
and James Litton, choral
director of Trinity Church will
take the podium this year. "Of
course, the soloists can do a lot to
carry .the chorus," said Mrs.
t{amus.
The soloists are the only ones
wire rehearse. Instrumentalists
arrive early and tune up for half
an Ilom" at most.
But from the moment Dr.
Robinson urged, "Everybody sit
up straight on the edges of your
chairs," and, turning to the orchestra~
sald, "One, two, three,
go," everyone concentrated and
SANG!
Though Dr. Robinson reminded
everyone, "We’re not performing
in Carnegie Hall," the quality
level is high. For instance the
soloists for "The Creation" were
professional. Mary Kemp, the
soprano, is a Westminster
graduate who has sung a great
deal of opera in this area. Gordon
Myers, the bass, teaches in
Trenton State College’s music
department and is a former
member of the New York Pro
Musics. Dean Wilder, the tenor,
heads Westminster’s voice
department and has sung in
leading opera houses of Europe
and America.
Program Selection
Most programs are planned
around the great classic choral
works, but in recent years the
nod has been given to more
modern composers - Vaughn
Williams, tlonegger, Stravinsky.
When the group assayed a
Gilbert and Sullivan operetta
three years ago, the enthusiasm
was so great that a G&S work is
sung every year. Naturally, all
the local Savoyards turn out for
the occasion.
This year’s Jan. 14 program,
Orff’s "Carmina Burana",
prmnises to be particularly
challenging. The Amateurs will
have to sing a combbmtion of
middle Latin and medieval
German and French, woven into
some very tricky rhythms.
lllshu’y
The Musical Amateurs are aa
mdgrowth af .’l series of Sunday
night musicales hekl in the
Philadel)hla hmne of llenry
,l)rinker, tie great adapter of
linch cantatas, Mrs. MacKenty
lh’yan hosted the fh’st Princeton
gatherings in her home, anti] tile
Society outgrew her living room,
The organization moved to the
old Miss li’hle’S gym and finally
to tile Uilitarian Church,
Those who low gond choral
nmsie but are not up to making it
thmuselves are Invited to listen to
the Musical Amateurs, The
schedule; Nov, 19, ltach’s
"Magnificat" and Clyde Tiptea’s
"GlorhV’, writttm exlmcially for
the Amatoursl I)oc, lO, ]landel’s
"Messiah"; dul|, 1’1, Orff’a
"Carmhm IItll’allal’~ Feb, II,
I*’I|UI’e’S ’qte( ilium" alltl
"Cantlt tl~ dO l(a~in~"; March l I,
GI hel’[ & SII vail a "Yeol|Rql of
the thlard"; A~rll l~,
Boethovell’a "Mass II C ; lllid
M+ly l;I, llach’s "Mass ill B
DRESS IS INFORMAL, the conducting professional,
as Dr. Ray Robinson takes the
podium at the first session of Society of
MusiealAmateurs.
:ii ’ Photos by it++++
+++++ Ctiff Moore ++++++
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