Class of '52 Plays Sanders

Until last night, Barry H. Bragen ’52 had not played the clarinet for decades.

But after being persuaded to reunite with other members of the Class of 1952 for a concert in Sanders Theater last night, Bragen said he was thrilled to relive his days as a member of the Harvard University Band in front of 700 alums and guests.

“I really had to be coaxed,” he said. “But it was worth it by the time we got to rehersal in Lowell Hall yesterday. We had the same flippant comraderie that I remember from playing back then.”

Bragen’s band performance came at the end of the 50th reunion concert, which featured members of the Class of 1952 along with a handful of undergraduates and other musicians.

Nearly one quarter of the members of the band from the Class of 1952 made it to the concert.

Performers said they relished being reunited on stage with their former classmates. James M. Harkless ’52 said he was pleased to sing with his former accompanist from the Harvard Glee Club, Richard L. Sogg ’52.

Several of last night’s performers had gone on from Harvard to become professional musicians, including producer and singer R. Sterling Beckwith ’52 and Boston Pops cellist Joan B. Esch ’52.

Yesterday marked the first day of reunion activities for the Class of 1952. Before the concert, alums went on afternoon tours of Harvard museums before a dinner outside the Science Center.

At the dinner, University President Lawrence H. Summers praised the reunion class as “the best 50th reunion I have ever seen.”

“You have served this University spendidly,” Summers said. “We could not run this University without alumni support. Your support intellectually, morally, spiritually, is what makes this University work.”

In his address to the Class, Summers spoke about the possibility of Harvard’s expansion into Allston, current scientific research and grants awarded to Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals.

Summers drew applause from the audience when he said he wants to make sure that Harvard’s faculty members are accessible to students.

“We must make sure that students have the contact with the faculty that they expect and deserve,” he said.

—Staff writer Katherine M. Dimengo can be reached at dimengo@fas.harvard.edu.