Dear Sweetheart A Letter by Vola Wyatt Dear Sweetheart: Tonite the orchard is white with cherry blossoms. The branches, heavily laden with the dainty blooms, bend willingly to the newly added weight. The sweet, almost ethered, scent clings intangibly to the soft night air and often the gentle canyon breeze rouses itself and gently wafts the fragrance down into the valley below. I wasn't coming to see the cherry blossoms this year, but when I walked along the road I suddenly found spring quivering all about me. Down by the swamps the fireflies were winking their way in and out among the cat-tails and the air was full of the sounds of spring. A katydid sang sleepily and a swarm of gnats flew by. The rich dark smell of earth came from the farmlands and often the contented lowing of herds reached my hearing. As I walked along I saw that the buds on the willows along the lazy canal were bursting into leaf. The moon would be up in a very short while. I could see the yellow light that was flung over the mountain top in prognostication. I'm not going to tell you how the moon looked when it came over the mountain ridge. You've seen it so many times. All around me I could hear the crickets. They sounded so deliriously happy. In that moment I remembered how you had laughed because I had called them frogs when I first heard them. It wasn't so odd that from that night on I was your cricket. The second year we found the orchard just as it had been the year before. We both knew that would be the last time we'd see the cherry blossoms together. That was the reason that night had to be flawless. I wasn't going to come and see the cherry blossoms this year but now I'm glad I did. All winter long the orchard had been bare and lonely. The limbs had stood gaunt and lean before the bitter cold and ruthless winds. But now a miracle has taken place and the orchard is a moon-lit fairy land, alive, vibrant and wonderful. We talked about that miracle those other two years; to us it was wonderful. You see, my dear, bareness and loneliness can disappear. Another year will bring another miracle, another cherry orchard in the moon light, and with it maybe even you. Your Cricket page eighteen Discord A Criticism by Shirley Cunnington In nearly everything we do in life there is one discord one false move which sets an entire program into a mad whirl. Music is no exception. From the time that man first conceived the melodious rhythm of a small spray of water trickling from a waterfall, he has loved and appreciated music. Music anticipated the triumph over dissatisfied emotions and conquered the love of the world. Music is life. The great musician can note harmony and rhythm in every form of life. But not all music contains the qualifications of the kind the world loves. Music and musicians have come and gone, but there are certain musicians and some compositions that will live forever. The classical masterpiece is the music that everyone listens to. Our ears are conditioned to the sweet strains of Tschaikowsky, Beethoven, Schubert, and the harmonies of later composers. They have come down through the ages, each century presented and interpreted in a different light; and yet they have stood the test. Music must speak for itself. It is enjoyed by the emotions; and if it must be explained to another, it loses its value so that the listener himself is not interested. Music must contain sentiment that comes from the heart. And like writing, it must be created for the hearer. It must reach people and touch them it must turn them over, inside. It must cause them to remember. Out of a war-torn world has come a new type of music called modernism. This is not real music; rather it is a trial, an experiment to see how the discords of composition will react upon adolescence. It does not appeal to the qualified musician, nor will it in the end appeal to the world as a whole. Probably the most potential criticism of modernism is that its rhythms are harder to follow. Composers have tried to develop an individual style by running two or three different rhythms concurrently through one piece of music. This makes the number harder to interpret, and punctuates it with insecurity. There has been a change in the entire concept of melody. Music is less singable and does not linger in the hearts of music lovers. Elements of dissonance mark modern music. Contemporary addicts do not strive for perfect harmonies. There is a combination of two or more tones which do not blend. The composition is dominated with discords. The importance of aural conditioning may anticipate the appreciation which the composer of modern music is seeking to find. The thing that is wrong with music today is that it is composed on a moment's notice. Out of a wartime, short-notice emergency, men have supplied our country with patriotic songs in the attempt to build morale. Their intentions are good but the sentiment is wrong. However, modernism is not genuine music, but merely an experiment, a cacophony. It is the discord in the age of music. Let us enjoy it while it is here, but let's not lose our appreciation for classical masterpieces music that stands the test, music that is not a discord. Artists All A Criticism by Betty Lou Lamoreaux Matthew Arnold said, "Culture is knowing the best that has been said and done in the world." Our student body has been provided an opportunity to see and hear some of the best in the world of culture, for the Weber College Lyceum Association perennially has presented programs both educational and inspirational. During each season, drama, dance, orchestra, opera and concert soloists have been chosen. One of the finest was the Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo. Artistic costuming, colorful settings, a large cast and an accomplished orchestra made the dancing breath-taking. The technique exhibited in the ballet was superb, the interpretations unexcelled. One of the outstanding numbers was Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." Recently lovers of the dance were delighted to see Mia Slavenska and her troupe in a combination of ballet and modern dance. This in itself is a delicate task combining two fine arts, but even so they were masterfully united. The interpretations were so amusing, yet so meticulous and well chosen that meanings were strikingly clear. Miss Slavenska's charm and exquisite movements seemed to endear her to each person in attendance, as though she were performing for that individual personally. Weber College students were fortunate to hear four of the world's most noted singers appearing as the Metropolitan Opera Company Quartet. Igor Gorin, popular baritone, made a favorable impression with his rendition of Figaro from the Barber of Seville. His pleasing personality and jovial manner supplemented his fine voice. Nino Martini, well-known tenor, added much to the program although he held himself more aloof than did the others. Josephine Tuminia, coloratura soprano, rendered The Shadow Song from Dinorah beautifully. The other member of the quartet, Helen Olheim, mezzo-soprano, sang with ease and superb quality. The quartet arrangement of the Sextette from Lucia Di Lammermoor held each listener spellbound. To all lovers of the symphony, the appearance in Ogden of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was one of the great moments in Ogden's musical history. This particular orchestra composed of one hundred of the finest instrumentalists had a striking appeal. It thrilled the audience with its wonderful variety in the colorings and shadings. In the realm of the theatre the name of Cornelia Otis Skinner is well known. She is a beautiful woman who posesses not only ability and self-confidence, but poise, charm and a pleasing personality. Miss Skinner is heralded as one of America's finest actresses, a truth easily understood after her local performance. She used no costuming, settings or makeup. With the readings tending toward the dramatic side, her facial expressions were wonderful and her voice vibrant with meaning. These represent but a cross section of the two dozen programs or more presented by the College Lyceum. It is believed that with another school year even more students will realize the joy and the education derived from such attractions urging all those who love the Arts to attend with them. This is one phase of a complete education. page nineteen