w PAGE ix wI 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.> i ';:_;E. _. 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 D ft \ -: . p il J = ' r : . , ; " E . ._, -.. . , r, x . Ir, ' , , , ,, a .. admitting our occupational bias, nonet eless we recominend . . BOO0KS FOR SEASONAL GIVING BOB MARSHALL'S Basement Book Shop 211 South State Open every evening 'til 7 ji >f FOR MEN AND WOMEN VAN BOVEN SHOES 17 Nickels Arcade +" _ k'' .{ .4F,{ +yr x~ * x." K .v.y ,r.r .n..,," ." ":?? ."?f'ra l-? y. {C o{,r? 4..r, r{&.W :.I.ยข! s . *r. 6iwther J. H. COUSINS pecia' EXTRA! EXTRA! a Give YOURSELF a Christmas Present a 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 -. r' Ll K. -k .4. y .-_ On the Beach or In the Dorm This terry-cloth robe will serve the purpose. * Cannon toweling inside and out.