Strauss Lauds 50 Freshmen, Points To Top Band Year

The Harvard Band, with fifty-one new members, will make its first appearance of the season Saturday when the Crimson team meets Ohio University. Fifty of the additions will be freshmen culled from the 93 who auditioned for places on the band. But the top new man will be G. Wright Briggs, Jr. '31, named Monday as Conductor to succeed the late Malcolm H. Holmes.

Despite this addition of talents, Peter Strauss '54, Band Student Manager, expects no alteration in existing Band procedure. "The only difference will be one of interpretation and shading which will appear later," he said. "Our new freshmen should improve the band considerably if they do as well at the games as they did at the auditions. The clarinet section, in particular, will be strengthened 600 percent. I'm looking forward to the best year in the past four."

Briggs has so far conducted the band members twice in preparation for the Saturday appearances and scheduled concerts. Already on the Band program are two trips, to Columbia and Yale. There will also be the traditional Dartmouth concert, and on the same weekend, an appearance before the National Association of Milk and Ice Cream Industries.

Strauss added that television appearances would be considered under certain conditions. The Band and the Dean's Office would have to be satisfied that any profit was going to a legitimate cause or charity, he said.