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THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1950
POETRY ON RECORDS:
Professor Originates New Disc Series.
By CHUCK ELLIOTT:.-
Prof. Austin Warren, literary
critic and scholar, stood u firm-
ly, opened a book, and began to
read aloud with the clipped, dy- =
namic tones of a prober Boston--
ian :
"" 'Tis the year's midnight,
and It is the day's,.
Lucy's, who scarce seven_
hours herself unmasks..."
A microphone in front of him
transmitted thus the beginning
of John Donne's "Nocturnal Upon
Saint Lucy's Day" to a tape re-
cording apparatus, which, when
completed was cut into a long
playing master record.
IN SHORT, this is the story of
an "Idiom" recording. Behind it
is an idea conceived by Prof. War-
See REVIEW, Page 4
ren early in his literary career
and which is now becoming real-
ity.
Nine Prominent Artists
To Perform at Festival
SAYS PRESTIGE THREATENED:
Peek Hits GOP Attack on Acheson
1.>
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If all goes well, a whole series
of poetry recordings bearing the
Idiom label will eventually be
i s s u e d, forming the audio-
chronicle of a thousand years
of English poetry.
Last spring, Prof. Warren met
John Teachout, lifelong Ann Ar-
bor resident also intensely inter-
ested in the possibilities of oral in-
terpretation of poetry.
BECAUSE Teachout possessed
facilities for tape recording and
cutting permanent records the
two began to work together, Prof.
Warren reading and Teachout
managing the technical aspects
of recording. It was not long be-
fore they realized that the pro-
ject had commercial as well as
aesthetic possibilities.
Since then, they have record-
ed hour upon hour of poetry,
including Donne and Dickinson,
Pope and Poe. From these -miles
of tape reco'ding they have
culled the best items, possessing
both aesthetic and technical
excellence, to be cut in perma-
nent discs.
Poems of Emily Dickinson and
WARREN RECORDS-Prof. Austin Warren, of the English de-
partment, prepares to record a portion of the New Testament in
the living room-studio of John Teachout. They are collaborating
to produce a recorded series of poetry in English covering the
past thousand years.
NEW YORK - Contracts were
signed Monday with nine promi-
nent concert artists to appear in
the annual May Festival to be
held May 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Hill
Auditorium.
Individual programs of several
of the artists were announced
here yesterday by Charles Sink,
Survey Shows
Students Pass
Up Geography
A virtual ignoring of geography
as a subject in American univer-
sities leaves a gap in education,
two University geographers agreed
yesterday, commenting on the
findings of a recent New York
Times survey.
Decrying the facts revealed by
the survey, that only five per-cent
of all college students in this coun-
try are taking courses in geogra-
phy, Prof. Stanley Dodge assert-
ed the importance of geography as
a field of study .
. ,*
"A BASIC KNOWLEDGE of ge-
ography, the 'where' and 'what'
of countries, is essential to any
further study of many areas," he
said. "The knowledge it can pro-
vide is important at any time. It
is a particularly glaring evil at
this time, when we are embarked
on so many world enterprises."
Expressing views parallel with
78% of the educators questioned
in the survey, Prof. Dodge said
t h a t geographic information
helped persons to be better citi-
zens.
"An intelligent reading of news-
paper accouhts often rests on basic
geographic knowledge," he said.
* * *
PROF. CHARLES DAVIS con-
curred with his colleague on the
importance of geography. "The
knowledge of the differences in
the surface of the earth from place
to place and the significance of
these differences to the people are
important basic parts of liberal
education," he asserted.
Prof. Davis attributed the low
interest in geographic studies to
several factors. "Many students
are enrolled in specialized schools,
there is more emphasis on the oth-
er social studies and geography
as a subject is comparatively new
to American universities," he ex-
plained.
Only 4 Shopping Days
Until Christmas
president of the University Mu-
sical Society.
** *
ALL NINE of the conceit stars
have previously appeared in Ann
Arbor either in the regular con-
cert series, the Messiah concerts
or the May Festival.
Pianist Artur Rubenstein will
open the four day festival play-
ing Chopin's "Third Piano Con-
certo."
May 4 soprano Eileen Farrell,
mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom,
tenor Koloman De Pataky and
bass Oscar Natzka will be soloists
in Verdi's "Requiem."
** *
MAY 5 Tossy Spivakovsky will
perform Sibleius' "Violin Concer-
to," and William Kapell will play
Prokofieff's "Piano Concerto."
Natzka will make'his second
appearance May 6 afternoon in
the American premier of the
British composer Constant Lam-
bert's "Summer's Last Will and
Testament."
The programs for mezzo-sopra-
no Rise Stevens, who will appear
May 5, and soprano Patrice Mun-
sel, who will sing in the conclud-
ing concert May 6, have not yet
been announced.
,r f,.
," '
. '
' .. " "
Republican demands that .Sec-
retary of State Acheson be fired
threaten his prestige at the Brus-'
sels Atlantic Pact meetings which
b e g a n Monday, according to
George Peek, of the political sci-
ence department.
The demand, voiced formally by
Senate and House Republicans
Saturday, shows a lack of unity
on foreign policy at a time when
the country faces a grave crisis,
Peek said.
* * *
BESIDES, "the proposal prob-
Buses Chartered
xT o Willow Run
Students planning to take char-
tered buses to Willow Run Friday,
arranged by the Wolverine Club,
have been urged by Joe Lupion,
'53,, club member, to register at
the Union as soon as possible.
The Wolverine Club booth will
be open from 2 to 5 p.m. today
and tomorrow. The club will spon-
sor as many 'buses as there is a
demand for, provided it gets a
minimum of 20 students for each
trip.
* * *
George Herbert are coupled on
one LP, Poe and W. S. Gilbert on
another, and Alexander Pope and
John Donne on a third. Complet-
ing the list is a 78 RPM recoi'ds of
poems by John Crowe Ransom.
* * *
PROF. W A R R E N described
these first issues of the "Idiom
Poetry Series" as only "first sam-
ples of a projected grandiose
scheme."
Briefly outlining the plan,
he explained that when finish-
ed the series will embrace po-
etry from Old and Middle Eng-
lish 'to 1900. It wlil form five
volumes of long-playing records,
five or six records in each vol-
ume.
"I myself will read for volumes
Plan Interviews
The Bureau 'of Appointments is
now scheduling interviews for
February graduates desiring teach-
ing positions in Detroit.
George Baker, personnel director
of the Detroit Public Schools,.will
be on campus Jan. 10 conducting
interviews for prospective elemen-
tary and secondary school teach-
ers.
* * *
two through five-Elizabethan to
modern poetry," he said, "and
will choose readers and poems
for the other periods."
* * *.
THE NOVELTY of the idea of
the audio-chronicle lies in the
fact that although poetry has
been recorded before, it has been
generally restricted to modern po-
etry read by the authors, or
$hakespearean verse read by ac-
tors, Prof. Warren asserted.
"The field of oral realization
of poetry has been virtually un-
touched as a teaching medium.
A reason may have been that
until recently there have been
very few teachers capable of
properly reading poetry aloud.
I have great faith in this idea."
The records already issued are
being distributed through record
and book stores in Ann Arbor now.
Warren said that they saw the
immediate market for their re-
cordings as being universities, col-
leges, and high schools through-
out the Midwest.
"But we will not limit ourselves
only to the Midwest, nor even to
this country," Prof. Warren re-
marked.
ably won't result in the removal of
Acheson," he continued. "It may
more likely be a political boome-
rang when the entire country is
asking for unity."
Peek said unity is now indis-
pensable.
Moreover, he was unable to see
what the Republicans hoped to
gain from their "unprovoked" at-
tack on the Secretary of State.
*I * *
ACHESON is merely the agent
of President Truman in carrying
out a foreign policy dictated by the
President," Peek asserted. "Even if
Acheson is ousted, the prevalent
foreign policy of the Administra-
tion will continue."
The political scientist suggest-
ed that it would have been more
plausible for the Republicans to
take their grievances to Presi-
dent Truman-boss of Adminis-
tration foreign policy.
As it is, the Republicans have
misdirected their attack, by mak-
ing Sec. Acheson a scapegoat for
their grievances, he added.
THE MUSICAL groups that an-
nually appear in the May Festi-
val will also be on hand for this
year's performances.
The Philadelphia Orchestra
will play at all concerts, and the
340-voice Choral Union choir
will make two appearances. The
Festival Youth Chorus, com-
posed of grammar-school stu-
dents from the Ann Arbor area,
will give its annual presentation.
Eugene Ormandy and Alexan-
der Hilsberg, of the Philadelphia
Orchestra. Thor Johnson of the
Cincinnati Orchestra and Prof.
Marguerite Hood of the music
school will be the conductors.
handsome
comfi
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admitting our
occupational bias,
nonet eless we recominend . .
BOO0KS
FOR SEASONAL
GIVING
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MARSHALL'S
Basement Book Shop
211 South State
Open every evening 'til 7
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FOR MEN AND WOMEN
VAN BOVEN SHOES
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Give YOURSELF a
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1951 ENSIAN
Christmas, 1950
To Our Friends:
At Christmas time we like to pause for a moment
} rand look back over the year now closing
There is a real satisfaction and pleasure in
recalling the happy association with old and new
K ;. friends, whose friendships with the seasoning of
time become more real and lasting. We want
you to know we value yours most deeply'
And so our heartiest good wishes to you and
yours - for a Joyous and Merry Christmfas
and an abundance of everything that's good for
the New Year.
Sincerely,
ARTWAY CLEANERS %
HJesse L. MorleyU T
.,THE HOUSE OF QUALITY -.
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On the Beach or In the Dorm
This terry-cloth robe will serve the purpose.
* Cannon toweling inside and out.
<s
* Turn-up collar and back fullness.
. Doubles as a full-length robe and giant towel.