JANUARY 1955 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER AND FESTIVAL ...

-2-Elizabethan drama the most important that has escaped the ravages of time is untdoubtedly the volume . . . known as Henslowe's Diary". A Book of Caricatures, byMax Beerbohm, is a large, well-produced, and anusing work containing reproductionsof 48 drawings. The subjects of caricature were statesmen, writers, and nobility,many of whom are remembered as having contributed to an era that became known as"The Mauve Decade".Horace Corner recently gave two books to the library. The first of these isAn Artist in The Tropics, which contains 56 illustrations by the author, Jan Poortenaar.The foreword, by Frank Brangwyn, states that in the exotic life of the MalayArchipelago the author "seems to have found a subject eminently suited to his individualsense of design and decorative interpretation". The second book, containing 16coloured plates, is Rembrandt, by Mortimer ienpes.A copy of The Year Book of Canadian Art 1913 has been donated by NormanAlexander. It is well worth having a spare copy of this important work, for it containsa number of chapters by early members, and has been generously illustratedthroughout.Two of the series of Modern Masters of Etching have been given by Jim Wardropper.One book presents some of the work of Joseph Pennel, the other of C. R. W.Nevinson; each book contains 12 plates.MISCELLANEOUSNOTESDuring the Lenten season the musicians were very busy as usual. A note-^ worthy feature of the three Lenten recitals given in St. Paul!s Anglican Church byCharles Peaker and Fred Silvester was that the three programmes were planned to includeimportant organ music prior to Bach, a selection from Bach' s own works, and music writtensubsequently. In the latter were compositions by Coutts and Willan.After an unbroken sequence of thirty annual Lenten performances of Bach's St.Matthew Passion, Sir Ernest MacMillan this year directed the Mendelssohn Choir in apresentation of the St. John Passion, in Massey Hall on April 6th.Healey •illan gave the last of the Monday afternoon organ recitals at ConvocationHall on March 14th. Je learn that Dr. Willan has written "A Song of Welcome"for chorus and crchestra to be performed at the music festival at Stratford, Ont., tobe held in conjunction with the Shakespeare festival this Summer. The work will beconducted by Boyd Neel.The Opera Festival, in which so many members are interested, ended itsseason in March, having given sixteen performances to some 22,000 persons.sixthDavid Ouchterlony was busy daring the season directing his male chorus "TheSongnen" in many recitals. Bill Thompson and Harry Ward are members of this group.An outstanding programme was given by the chorus on March 19th at Eaton Auditorium,with John Coveart assisting.The Ontario College of Art is to have an important new addition to the presentbuilding in Grange Park. This was announced in the Budget Address of the Ontario* Government. This must be welcome news to Fred Haines, former principal, and to SydneyWatson the new head. One wishes that the late Alec Panton, principal at the time ofhis death could have know of this. The hope must have been constantly in his mind.^