THE MICHIGAN DAILY SN IUNDA! RTS AND LETTERS: 1893 Error Helps 'Festival' 1. Student's Rocket Design Uses Detonation Waves I I mmr.. 'I By RISA AXELROD If it hadn't been for a misunder- standing, a premature statement and an economy measure, May Festival might never have come into existence, University Musical Society President Charles A. Sink says. . The Society, organized in 1879, presented five concerts per season for 11 consecutive years. In 1890, and for the next three years, the Society -decided to bring the Bos- ton Symphony Orchestra to play a climax performance to its Choral Union series.. In the fall of 1893, however, after announcing that the Boston Symphony would again appear, the board. of directors discovered that the orchestra would not be able to play here. Following much discussion, for "in those days there weren't many touring orchestras," the Society elected to bring the Boston Festi- val Orchestra to Ann Arbor. Three Concerts "A good, but not well-known orchestra," Sink says, the Boston Festival Orchestra was booked to play three concerts instead of one. This was done to draw in larger box-office receipts in order to pay for the traveling expenses of the orchestra. And so, in the spring of 1894 when the three concerts were pre- sented, and called the May Festi- val, a tradition was born that has continued for 68 consecutive years. Recalls Story Sink recalls the story he was told of this first May Festival. ACWR To Ratify New Contsitution Members of Americans Com- mitted to,- World Responsibility will meet tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in Rm. 3G of the Union to ratify their constitution and elect next year's officers. "In those days there weren't many big events, and widespread publicity throughout the state of Michigan brought out-of-towners into Ann Arbor in crowds." "Travel, of course, was consider- ably slower than now, but the rail- roads ran special trains with spe- cial rates to accommodate people coming to the Festival." University Hall The Festival was held in Univer- sity Hall, a building which stood where Angell Hall stands today and which seated approximately 2,200 people. "The festival drew many more people than had been anticipated and the hall was packed to ca- pacity until people overflowed into corridors and lobbies." In 1910 the fire department de- clared University Hall unsafe for the large crowds that filled its auditorium during the Festival. Arthur Hill, then a member of the Board of Regents, realized the need for a larger auditorium. To Construct A few years, later, when Hill died, he left $200,000 to construct a building which would house fes- tivals and other University func- tions. It was decided that the new auditorium should seat approxi- mately 4,500 persons and as a re- sult the University had to secure $150,000 more in order to begin construction. New Building Before the new building had been dedicated, in the spring of 1913, its auditorium was initiated with the May Festival of that year. "In moving the concert to Hill Auditorium, nobody, in the most optimistic mood, thought we would fill it up," Sing, then executive secretary of the Musical Society, recalls. "I ordered tickets for the whole building anyway. I never will for- get that time. We sold 2,000 sea- son tickets and later people came from everywhere to buy individual concert tickets to fill the auditor- ium to capacity." Every Festival "People said it was just because the auditorium was new and everyone wanted to see it, but from that time on every festival has sold to capacity." Since that eventful year of 1913 the number of concerts per year has increased from three to six. In addition, the size of the stage has been increased, and the organ has been rebuilt, allowing greater numbers of performers to appear on stage at once. Many prominent musicians and orchestras have appeared in the festival over the years. The Phila- delphia Orchestra has appeared every year since 1936. Always Impressed "Performers are always im- pressed by both the auditorium and the quality of the audiences before whom they play," Sink says. "Although we like to think that the May Festival provides enter- tainment, its prime purpose is to expose students who come here from varied communities, to good music." "Students are especially respons- ive to the perfection which the composer and the performer has been striving towards." Organization Notices Folk Dancers, Meeting, Constitution- al Amendments will be voted on, Danc- ing &. Instruction, May 9, 7:30 p.m., Community Center. For transportation call NO 3-2085 after 5:30 p.m. Gamma Delta,. Lutheran Student Club, Supper, Rev. Aurich will speak about Walther, May 7, 6 p.m., 1511 Washtenaw. Graduate Outing Club, Canoeing with instructions, May 7, 2 p.m., Rackham Bldg., Huron St. entrance. * * * Hillel.Fdn., Supper Club, Followed by Social. Dancing, May 7, 6 p.m., G1ick Social Hall. * * * La Sociedad Hispanica, Tertulia, May 8, 3-5 p.m., 3050 FB.' Lutheran Stud. Assoc., May 7, 7 p.m., Hill & Forest. Speaker: Dr. R. W. Heyns, Dean, College of LSA,."Religion & Psychology." Wesley Fdn., "If God is God, Then is He Good; If God is Good, Then is He God?", 10:15 a.m., Pine Rm.; Fellow- ship Supper, 5:30 p.m., Film, "The Sound of a Stone," 7 p.m., Wesley Lounge; May 7; Film: "Family Living," May 8, 7:30 p.m., 1st Meth. Church, Green Rm. I , TRIO-Angel Reyes, Gui Mourbaerts, Dudley Powers PROGRAM NOTES: May Festival ToClose oWith WarfieldIstomin Gary L. Cosens, Grad, has de-z veloped the theoretical design of a new rocket engine that utilizes detonation waves to burn fuels faster at higher temperatures and produce considerably more thrust than current engines. For years, engineers have had to contend with these waves in rocket engines. When they occur at ran- dom because of design defects, their extra heat can literally slice the engine apart like a cutting torch. But in Cosens' engine, fuel is oxidized in a detonation tube, and the resulting wave travels in a circular path around the combus- tion chamber. Produces Thrust This produces enough thrust so that a rotating detonation engine with the same power as the Atlas' 300,000 pounds thrust would be only one-third the size of the Atlas engine. Cosens used data on detonation waves obtained by Prof. William B. Sommers of the aeronautical and astronautical engineering depart- ment, who did the research for his doctoral thesis with support of the Institute of Science and Technol- ogy. "One big advantage of this en- gine is that you would be able to 'size' the system," Cosens said. It is not possible with current en- gines to design for a particular thrust level. Cheaper The engine would also be cheaper, because it would require a shorter development time. - l He said that a vehicle with this engine could be guided by varying the pressure within the engine by a slight amount rather than hav- ing to turn the engine. In other words, the rocket would turn be- cause the engine would "push harder" on one side than the other. Cosens predicted that if research and development projects were run simultaneously, the rotating deto- nation engine could be made op- erational in two years. Gothic Film Society EARTH (dir. by Doyzhenko, Russi.-Ukrania, 1930) and THE ROUNDERS (Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle, U.S.A., 1914) Monday, May 8, at 8 P.M. in Rackham Amphitheatre. Only those holding member- ship. subscriptions are admit- ted. Subscriptions to the two~ remaining films of the series cost $1.00. For further in- formation, call NO 2-6685 or NO 2-9359. DIALNO 5-6290 THAT SHAGGY n GUY INVENTS A NEW FORMULA FOR FUNI 1 e I Y TH ID-"...w It 11 li S.G.C. Cinem ul TONIGHT at 9 TH E SWAAN (COLOR) with Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, Louis Jourdain SHORT: PUCE MOMENT ARCHITECTURE AUDITORIUM 50 cents The May Festival will close to- day with two concerts. William Warfield, baritone, will sing the' lead in Mendelssohn's "Elijah," assisted by the Choral Union and, the Philadelphia Orchestra at 2:30 p.m. in Hill Aud. Pianist Eugene Istomin will play an all-Rachmaninoff concert at 8:30 p.m. NU Trio The Northwestern University Trio is slated to present a public concert at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Rackham Lecture Hall. The program will include "Trio in E major K 542" by Mozart, "Trio in A minor" by Ravel, and "Trio in B major Op. 8" by Brahms. Shakespeare Continuing his discussion of "The Plays of Shakespeare," Prof. Arthur Eastman of the English de- partment will speak on Henry IV, Part I at noon today on WWJ. 'U' TO sponsor Hospital FWeek Beginning tomorrow through Friday, more than 200 civic, school, and industrial leaders will visit the University Medical Cen- ter as part of National Hospital Week. Chairman of the Hospital Week activities is Robert W. Spencer, an administrative resident. The guests will have lunch at the hospital and then tour select- ed areas in the Medical Center. Mayors, police and fire chiefs and civil defense directors will visit the emergency suite and the areas equipped to monitor and treat radiation accidents. They will examine the Medical Center's preparedness to handle major dis- asters. Principals and administrators of public and parochial schools in Washtenaw county will tour the teaching facilities in the hospi- tal. These special programs will re- place the usual "public open house" which has been held each year at the Hospital. The problem of guilt as seen in children, criminals and all people is the subject of a discussion on the University Television series "Understanding Our World." The discussion by a psycholo- gist, a psychiatrist and a lawyer, will take place at 9 a.m. today on WXYZ. I' DIAL NO 2-6264 Shows at 5:00 -7 Feature a 5:20 - 7 Now! I m HIR I N Y if COMING FRIDA "GONE WI THIEWIk Continuous a DIAL TODAY *DA NO 8-6416 from 1 P.M "A JOLLY GOOD SHOW INDEED"-Time Magazine ~" Brood Humors" TEK~ Tw"-N Y Tms Next Highly '"BREATHLESS" RecommendedI" --- -- ALL.inKO gJff ROBJ~iSN fWIIR1RG6[S" O RMERN 1:00 -2:55 :00 and9:00 at 1:25-3:20 :25 and 9:25 I/ Hemingways THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA SPENCER TRACY and COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL Steve Allen Jayne Meadows Walter Winchell Mamie Van Doren I I I Larry Parks Faye Emerson Donald Cook Nancy Kelly 1961 ANN ARBOR DRAMA SEASON , / / %%''"" -- : !" : 1 . a " " s " ' .. . s -_ Heads ... It's 7:00! Tails . . . It's 9:30! But either " " s .." _.* ' " * ! ® f "4 f + "e 9s way it's the Men's Glee Club SPRING CONCERT COUNTER SALE OF SEASON TICKETS OPENS TOMORROW,10A.M. 5 Plays * Recent Broadway Comedy and Dramatic Hits 5 Weeks FAYE EMERSON and JOHN BARAGREY in "The Marriage-Go-Round"-May 16-20 NANCY KELLY in "The Bad Seed"-May 23-27 ALBERT DEKKER in "A Touch of the Poet"-May 30-June 3 LARRY PARKS and BETTY GARRETT in "Send Me No Flowers"-1June 6-0 DONALD COOK in "The Pleasure of His Company"-June 13-17 for me! Tues. thru # *4" 4 * Season Ticket Prices Thurs. Eves. $15, $13, $11. Fri. and Sat. Eves. $17, Thurs. and Sat. Mats. $12, $9 Box Office Hours: 10 A.M.-5 P.M. Single Tickets Do Not Go On Sale Until May 12 LYDIA MENDELSSOHN THEATRE $15, $13 HILL AUDITORIUM Saturday, May 13 Betty Garrett Albert Dekker Ann Summers John Baragrey I Tickets available at Ad. Bldg. Ticket Window ~Q. 00A XA 00 PKA 0 m .:.:. . ._