OPERETTAS OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN IS TITLE OF DAVISION'S LECTURE

No review of last night's lecture on Gilbert and Sullivan given by Dr.A.T. Davison '05 for the benefit of the MacDowell Memorial Colony can help but be thoroughly enthusiastic over what had promised to be an instructive evening, and what turned out to be a highly entertaining one as well. Seldom in the run of musical efforts that in the present age of canned, uncanned, and uncanny variations of the orphic chord does one find an evening's program which in a light-hearted way gives the listener so genuine a sensation of pleasure.

In presenting the material about the two famous Englishmen, Dr. Davison wasted no time with lengthy and wordy dissertations on the technical intricacies of the music, and avoided any internal analysis of the origin and influences on Gilbert's compositions, which although of interest to the academician, are of minor concern to the average person interested in music.

The chorus, recruited from the University Glee club as well as from the Radcliffe Choral Society, presented a long list of choruses for the enthusiastic audience, giving to the swinging rhythms and agitated choral comments a delicate interpretation par excellence. In clearness of enunciation, which is so important for the true enjoyment of the Gilbertian witticisms, and in rapid shading of tone and prompt assertive entrances so inherent in the music, the chorus did outstandingly well. Singing with enthusiasm which nevertheless was confined to tonal and not physical motions, the chorus interpreted the ringing operettas with much success, while Dr. Davison lent his hand with the accompaniments to trace the motivating harmonies and to follow neatly the swift running passages.