I
PAGE FOUR THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SUNDAY, MAY 14, 1933
the unique and praiseworthy tradition with the
performance of' William Walton's "Belshazzar's
Feast" on Thursday night and the world premiere
of the Hansoi opera "Merry Mount" on Satur-
day evening.
William Walton is a young English composer
who has come into world wide prominence in the
last ten year§. His name was quite unknown to
the English musical public until 1923 when his
"String Quartet" was chosen for performance at
the International Festival of Contemporary Music
at Salzburg. In the same year came "Facade," an
entertainment scored for an orchestral accom-
paniment of seven instruments to a group of
poems all of which are to be played and recited
behind a curtain. Later "Portsmouth Point" an
overture inspired by a print of Thomas Rowland-
son, and his "Concerto for Viola and Orchestra"
established him- in a position whose significance
was only culminated by the appearance of his
latest work "Belshazzar's Fest," which, since its
performances in England in the summer of 1932
and in this country last winter, has been ac-
, claimed as the greatest English choral work since
Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius." The "Feast" can
Y be rightly called neither a cantata, oratorio or
series of dramatic scenes, for as it has been
Y pointed out, "There is no exact term in the mu-
sical vocabulary. to cover adequately a work which
presents a dramatic picture by choral narrative,
o with a strong sense of the historical connotations
of the scene. Before our eyes (and ears) this
d music lays the vision of the Jews in captivity, of
the prophet's warnings against Babylon's wicked-
ness, of the false gods, the writing finger, the fall
r and death of Belshazzar, the joyful liberation of
the captive race, and their thanks to God to
E whom they had returned."
The work is in three main sections, divided
'. by unaccompanied baritone recitatives. The first
part opens with the warning of the prophet,
1 followed immediately by an extremely moving
setting of "By the waters of Babylon." In the
second section the chorus offers a vigorous and
i, exciting description of the feast, broken by a pa-
: gan hymn to the images of Belshazzar's gods
which is in the form of a highly rhythmic march.
Y This ends with the episode of the writing on the
d wall and Belshazzar's death, announced in dra-
h matic accents by the soloist. The final section is
an exultant hygmn of praise to God for deliver-
ance.
attitude, upon the part of young people-attitudes
and states of mind which in previous years would
have been considered rebellion.
But after these polls are taken and analyzed,
there still remains the fundamental fact that war
is primarily emotional, primarily "melodrama," as
one speaker described it, and progress in its elim-
ination'will only be achieved if the polls and the
symposiums of today are folo ed by a critical,
realistic plan and organization capable of curbing
economic interests and national sovereignty which
underlie all wars.
Students of America are haVing the courage to
believe in a world community, in the face of long
generations that praised nationalism.
But such a community will not be realized by
merely believing. Last night's speakers stressed
the importance of this belief, fjhis new attitude,
but there remains an imperative need for some
device-other than war-toadequately. adjust
economic, nationalistic rivalries, to protect and
appease patriotic emotions, if peace is to be en-
joyed by young people who feel it is to be desir-
able.-W. E. T.
-Chicago Daily Maroon
THE LEGISLATURE
CURBS THE FRATERNITIES=
Because some fraternities on the campus have
been unable to curb disagreeable forms of hazing,
the Kellman bill, passed Tuesday by the legisla-
ture, has done it for them. From now on, Greek
letter organizations will be compelled by law to
abstain from such practices under the severe pen-
alty of 60 days imprisonment or a maximum fine
of $200-if caught.
The Daily Cardinal welcomes this legislation,
for it has always opposed those forms of hazing
which inflict physical or mental discomfort on
"victims." h{owever, it regrets the necessity of such
an ultra-paternalistic measure for groups within
the university community.
It seems absurd that, in spite of actual trends
of fraternities away from this system, some houses
should still persist in continuing this unsports-
manlike horseplay. Fraternity activities can surely
be enjoyed by all participants without resorting
pledges and initiates to debasing humiliations.
It is a sad commentary on the fraternity sys-
tem that the state legislature had to force a
reform which the fraternities should have adopted
voluntarily.
-Wisconsin Daily Cardinal
A RISE IN MENTAL
RECOVERY
An editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle of
recent date has given rise to the question of the
"Rising Mental Tide" with the words, "Just as
thought was a by-product of the depression, so
is study an incident of the managed recovery'."
Everywhere today one can see ' the progress
made by the sources of thinking that come before
I the public. The radio has risen to be a means, not
only of entertainment, but also a disseminator of
knowledge. Daily account4 of proceedings of com-
pressional and administrative doings are told to
the public. Speeches, lectures, even systematized
courses of study by prominent universities are
being b fought to the publi, *ith much, success.
The shut-in, the time-saving housewife, and the
radio-equipped classroom find a new means for
acquiring useful information.
-Los Angeles Junior Collegian
THE PRINTED
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-Kathleen Murphy
.(at
Campus Opinion
T "y- --
-cjTLmS'
Letters published in this column should not be
construed as expressing the editorial opinion of The
Daily. Anonymous communications will be disregard-
ed. The names of communicants will, however, be re-
garded as confidential upon request. Contributors are
asked to be brief, confining themselves to less than
300 words if possible.
FIGHT FOR COUNTRY?
Wednesday evening during the band concert
an invitation was extended to the general public
to attend an anti-war meeting.,A special invita-
tion was given to the members of the R. O. T. C.
I cannot guess why their presence should be espe-
cially desired. Perhaps the leaders of the meeting
wished to, ex s their views to these men, who
many think are militant through. and through,
and try to convert these same men to the idea
of world peace and fellowship through disarma-
ment. If this was their motive, they completely
failed in executing it. I was one of the few
R. O. T. C, men to attend the meeting. Instead
of coming away from the meeting feeling that I
had heard some plausible and intelligent reasons
and methods of ending war, I came away antag-
onistic to the greater part of the various talks.
Dr. Fisher of this city gave an excellent talk
and advanced praiseworthy theories. His talk was
the only one that merited the attention of the
group present. However, the effect of his talk was
soon lost in the scathing talk of the last speaker,
who as near as I could discern was an anti-every-
thing to the present social order. The speeches
as a whole were not anti-war. The expressior
"revolution by the masses" was used to such ar
extent that it should have been replaced by an X
and a great deal of time would have been saved.
The word capitalist was so scorned that Dr. Fisher
had jokingly to apologize for using it once. The
meeting was in essence anti-capitalistic, and the
subject of anti-war measures merely furnished ar
angle in which the present social system could be
railed. I should like to say that in the R. O. T. C.,
anti-war sentiment is stressed much more than it
was in this meeting. (The members of this clut
should ask some R. O. T. C. men their idea of war
I am sure theywould be enlightened).
At the concl ion of the meeting. the audience
was asked to vote whether they would, bear arms
to protect thi -country and our flag. Of course
the majority present voted negatively. (Were they
voting agai'st war, or for a change in gover-
ment? I am inclined to believe that most of themr
voted for the latter). When the remaining fe'
stood up to signify their willingness to protect th
country and 4l4g they were met with "boohs'
from the first'faction.
In conclusion I should like to ask: Are the
people of this campus who recognize their coun-
try to be jeered?
-Arthur E. Gulick.
' .i. e {
250
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-- & STRIPES
By Karl Seifert
EDITOR'S NOTE: We know what youre thinking-
"If Seiffert concocted that mess that's defacing the
paper like that, I'm damned If I'll bother to sit and
peruse it and hear that big Dutchman discourse
through his hat. Now, I've read both his rhyme and
his prose stuff for ages; I've sat and I've tried to dis-
cover some sense; but the gags and the wisecracks
he sells to the public can barely be said to show
humorous intents."
SEIFFERT'S LAST QUIET TEAR
Well, maybe you're
Right, Mr.
Wrathful Old
Reader, and
Maybe we
Shouldn't be
Giving you
This.
Perhaps we are
Causing you
Shudders of
Nausea, but
Anyway,
We'll never
Hear the low
Hiss
That grates through your
Teeth as you
Grind them with
Passion in
Time with the
Meter of
This little
Dirge.
For that's what it
Is, Mr. -
Reader, old
Fellow-aid
Now that you
Know, you should
Pardon the
Splurge.
sa
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Editorial Comment
EMOTIONALITY-WAR
RATIONALITY-PEACE
In the tremendously interesting four-sided an-
alysis of war made last night by Professor Gid-
eonse, Associate professor Kreuger, Dean Gilkey,
and Mr. Darrow, one fact stood out most prom-
inently:
There is no rational defense for war; it is a
matter of the emotions, and it has come to have
such a great influence in the world's history be-
cause of man's selfish desires for national sover-
eignty, the securing and preserving of which in-
You really' sh
Thank all yo
Stars that, we
Chosen to
Write this in
Metrical
ould
ur
've
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