The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, December 4, 1979-Page 5 Ye festive sing anticipates holidays By ERIC ZORN The spirit of Christmas past and elsewhere paid a visit to Ann Arbor Sunday night. It came from the days. when the holidays were pageants, celebrations, and true festivals of merriment and song, and "not just the orgy of gift giving and ripping paper apart."- Said spirit arose in a concert, entitled "Nowell Sing We Clear," performed by British folksingers John Roberts, Tony Barrand, Fred Breunig, and Steve Woodruff at St. Andrew's Church, and sponsored by the Ark and Canterbury Loft. The four musicians are touring the country-spreading an old fashioned version of the Christmas spirit, emphasizing not only the attendant fuss over the birth of Jesus, but the rituals, myths, and traditions associated with the coming of winter and the approach of the mid-winter holidays. The spirit of the evening was neither commercial nor insufferably laced with sentimentality and goodwill: The songs, plays and stories communicated joy and the fervor of true celebration. "We are trying to put the dance back in Christmas," said Tony Barrand, in- r "., 0'0 0 Tony Barrand and John Roberts during an earlier Ark performance. troducing the sprightly, almost Dionysian "The Lord of the Dance." Soon after, the foursome sang: h fRise up, Jock, and sing your song, For the summer is short and the winter long. Let's all join hands and form a chain 'Til the leaves of springtime bloom again. The comfort in a song like this, being sung, as it was, on one of the colder nights of the ineluctably approaching winter, is that it redeems the frosty months and our choice to live in a brutal climate: We will earn our spring season, unlike those in a more temperate climate. ABSOLUTELY NOT ENOUGH can be said about the, incredible talents of Roberts and Barrand. The duo, who performed in last January's Second Ann Arbor Folk Festival at the Power Center, were the centerpiece of "Nowell Sing We Clear," and their act was completely professional. It's not enough that they sing in perfect, blending harmonies and never miss a word, but their stage presence is warm and effective, rounding out their performance without a rough edge. . When all four men sang together, their reedy harmonies never missed, and the instrumentation-concertinas, fiddles, and accordions-was tasteful, smooth, and of a piece with the entire performance. Still, though Roberts, Barrand and company may have a mission in bringing old traditions out into the light, there was no sense of reproachful tsking at an audience mostly steeped in a single-shot "OhWBoy!" Christmas. "Nowell Sing We Clear" was neither a lecture or a sermon, but a pageant (early in the month, yes) designed to raise all voices together in remembrance of what was. Said Barrand, "Christms begins on the 25th, it doesn't end there." RECO.RDS THE MESSIAH: 'U' cre' BY DAN EHRENKRANTZ The annual presentation of Handel's Messiah in Hill Auditorium came off admirably well this past weekend. Donald Bryant led the gala performan- ce of soloists, chorus, and orchestra, and considering that the majority of performers were University students and community members, the presen- tation was quite good. The orchestra was at its best when accompanying the chorus of soloists, playing ,or them rather than forcing the soloists to follow their lead: In the opening "Sinfonia" as well as in the "Pastoral Symphony," the orchestra was not as impressive. At times, there seemed to be a struggle to stay together between the various sections. The or- chestra deserves praise for their work, with special recognition to Scott Schroeder and Kenneth Olsen, who handled all trumpet solos confidently and securely. THE WEAKEST LINK of the per- formance was the soloists. None of the w can Handel it soloists were exceptional and only the tenor, David Eisler, sang his part musically and with a full tone. The con- tralto and the soprano, Victoria Grof and Elizabeth Parcells, had good voices but both lacked volume. Donald Bell, the bassist, was harsh in his approach. He sang all his runs stacatto (short and separate) rather than legato (smooth and connected), and his stage manner was removed and condescending. The chorus was well prepared and gav'e the evening its brightest momen- ts. Approximately 300 voices combined, filling the auditorium with a full, rich sound. The final "Amen" chorus was professionally done, yielding all the power and excitement that the music demands. An amateur group achieving such precision and ensemble is a rare accomplishment, and one for which all members can be proud. Donald Bryant obviously knows how to work with a choral group and bring them up to their highest potential. Use Daily Classif ieds Edell, Lippett shine in Oasis concert abortion? ., Free Pregnancy Testing Immediate Results Confidential Counseling Complete Birth Control Clinic Medicaid e Blue Cross ( 313)941-1810 Ann Arbor and 3) 94 -Downrive r a rea (313) 559-0590 southfield area Northland Family Planning Clinic, Inc. UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS By LAURIE KRAUTH Following Therese Edell and Betsy Lippett's Saturday night performance at the First Unitarian Church, one con- cert-goer summed up the evening: "On a scale of one to ten, I'd rate it a fif- teen." Edell and Lippett are responsive, un- pretentious musicians from Cincinnati. They sing about women's concer- ns-growing up, careers, marriage, and women's love for each other and in concert they bantered with one another and the sell-out crowd of 250. At one point, singing against an accor- dian from a wedding downstairs, Edell gracefully used the music to introduce a song about her sister's wedding and marriage. Her voice is rich and direct, and she sings passionately, often playfully. She demonstrated her ver- satility by singing a sensitive and moving song about a woman con- sidering suicide, and later an amusing defense of Ohio, which she acted out with her hands while she sang. LIPPETT IS not only a singer, but a violinist cs well. She used both talents Saturday. night, often within the same song. Her voice, sandy and fluid, com- plemented her partner's and stood well on its own. She highlighted an extraor- dinary old English ballad by swinging her bow during particular phrases. Later, Lippett used the bow in a striking number which combined singing and acting. Edell and Lippett were introduced to Ann Arbor at a 1978 concert at the Michigan Women's Music Festival in which Edell served as M.C. Last spring they produced their firat album, From Women's Faces, on a Sea Friends Records, a feminist recording company owned by Edell and Teresa Boykin, their sound engineer. These women's songs are written by- Ellen McIlwaine, of country-western style, and Joni Mitchel, but most are authored by the women themselves or their friends. OASIS, A women's production com- pany, brought Edell and Lippett to Ann Arbor. Because Oasis is committed to giving local artists an audience, their concerts usually begin with such per- formers. This concert was no excep- tion; Kathy Moore and Joyce Schon sang a short, enjoyable set, mixing Motown and women's music. Moore began with an a capella version of Cris Williamson's "Shooting Star." Schon followed with "Joan Little," a powerful song about the famous woman who killed a jail guard when he tried to rape her. These singers ended with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," a Motown classic, to wild applause and a standing ovation. Quite an oasis of an evening, I'd say. OPT"IMIATION A PITT MBA Our accelerated 11-month MBA program is smart management: optiniation of time, future inCome, and management education. PITTSBURGH DOES MEAN BUSINESS. 01 Mail for catalog and application. - - -- - - -- - - ----- -- - ---- -- - -- - - -- - Name Address ..mommom m" recovering nicely when further tragedy struck. He has had to undergo two brain operations recently' and suffered' a stroke that has left him partially (and temporarily) paralyzed. The financial burden on the young folksinger has been eased somewhat through benefit concerts throughout the country (Linda Ronstadt is expected to give one, as is Pete Seeger). He is. currently recovering in a hospital out east, and his fans and friends are urged to write him care of Front Hall Recor- ds, RD 1, Wormer Road, Voorheesville, N.Y. 12186. Mail to: Graduate School of Business, Admissions University of Pittsburgh 1401 Cathedral of Learning Pittsburgh, PA 15206 C' I. ._ 1 f4.4'm t Still Cooney After All These Years Michael Cooney Front Hall By ERIC ZORN Michael Cooney hates to make recor- ds, but does once in a while - presumably because everyone asks him to and, hell, he could use the bucks. Though it is always preferable to see one of our country's most eclectic and personable traditional folksingers in pWrson, his albums are wonderful fac- similies. The third such effort; Still Cooney Af- ter All These Years, is his best to date. The song selection shines, and, for the first time, Cooney has relaxed in the studio enough to let his whimsey show through, playing with the, nuance of ex- pression in his lyrics and pounding on his instruments just like in concert. Most of the cuts are traditional - with the exception of "Me and My Shadow - and they include "Sloop John B.," the haunting "Spanish Flang-dang," and "Woah Back Buck," an instantly captivating tune that can- not be beat for images of rural Ap- palachian farming (that we all love so well). ,COONEY was in a serious auto ac- Sdent in August of this year - as reported in the Daily - and was Are you planning to continue your education? Ask your professors about graduate studies at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Special fellowships of $5,000 PLUS FULL TUJTION are available to Ph.D. applicants in: Chemistry, Computer Science, English, History, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Statistics. Other assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships are available on a competitive basis. 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S -P i r- -- - -- -- ----- - - - - - - - - Please send catalog and application Q a. , ,_____________ Return coupon to: Graduate Admissions Office Rutgers-- The State University of New Jersey 542 George Street New Brunswick, NJ 08903 or call 201/932-7711 Program o nterest Name Address I 1 City IState Six miles southeast of campus on Carpenter Rd. t~t 'V- - -A -- Zip MONDAY GREEK NiGHT Frats-Sororities, FREE with proper I.D. Non-Greeks admitted after 11 PM with a cover charae