THE BENNETT
\OM .MK XII
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Little Theatre Guild
Presents "The
Living Madonnas
The most beautiful storj' eve/ told,
tliat of the Nativity, related in a
series of animated tableaux, entitled,
“The Living Madonnas”, was pie-
sentod to a large audience here De-
oeml)er 13 in the Annie Merner
Pfeiffer Chapel, by members of the
liennett ('ollege Little Theati-e Guild,
under its director. Miss Gladys Forde,
Director of Diamatics.
These ;ableaiix, which were repre-
i-entations of some of the world's
g^iat masterpieces of the 16th. 17th
anc'' 18th centuries, I'eceived able
supji‘'irt for their stoiy of the Birth
of ■ Christ from the beginning of
anthems and traditional Christmas
music by the Bennett College choir of
4 0 selected voices, under the direc
tion of Orrin Clayton Suthern, IL
celebiated organist and conductor,
who was at the organ. The reading of
selected Scripture was by Mis.-i
Orial Banks: Jan?t White Sang as a
solo. Schubert’s. "Ave Maria.”
The sei'ies opened Avith the repre
sentation of Fra Angelico's 15 th
centuify painting, "Annunciation,”
and closed w’ith Gossart’s, “Madonna
and Child.” Others in the series in-
cludede Honthorst's. “Nativity”;
Goes’, “Adoration of the Shepherds”;
Durer’s, “Adoration of the Kings”;
and Murillo’s, “Holy Family.”
tiHi tfifliro bei'ies was an
imiii'essive dramatic spectacle and
drew tlie outspok'sn approval of the
audience, it was. perhaps, in the
“Nativity” tableau, which featured
Sara Harris, of Wilkesboro, as
“Mary”, Rachel Manley, of Greens-
lioi'o, as “Angel”, Miss Vivian Ayers
of Chester. S. C.. as “Angel” and Miss
Francis Spurlock of Detroit, Michi-i
gan, as “Joseph”; and the “Madonna
and Child” tableau, featuring Miss
Anona Blanchet of New Orleans, La.,
as “Mary” and that the production
reached its greatest height.
Othei' students participating in
cluded Miss Edwina Schnyder of New
Orleans, Miss Ellen McLester of
Camden, S. C.; Miss Claire Johnson
of Salibury; Miss Rubye Doyle of
Senaca, S. C.; Miss Isabele Collier of
Cleveland. Ohio; Miss Wilhelmina
Chappelle of Columbia, S. C.; Miss
Willie Perrin, of Greenwood, S. C.;
Miss Winifred Taylor of Marshall,
Texas; Miss Bettye Ann Artis of
Columbus, Ohio; Miss Carrie McCon-
ald of Cherew. S. C.; Miss Helen
Frazier and Ann Ford of Greens-
l)oro; Miss Laurita Ashmore of
Ai>pling, Georgia; Miss Anna Atkins
of Winston-Salem, N, C. and Yvonne
Lyon of Greensboro.
Also assisting were Miss Naida
Willette. of Belleville, N. J., and
Miss Grace Pollard, of Richmond,
Virgina, as pages; Miss Bettie Wade
of Winston-Salem and Miss Helen
Horton of Gary, West Virginia, in
charge of lighting. Miss Nancy Mc
Dowell of New York City, Instructor
of Ai't, painted the background for
the settings, and Mrs. Marie Bather
of Brooklyn, N. Y., Instructor of
Clothing, designed the costumes.
Orchestra Heard
In First Concert
Of the Year
The Bennett College all-girl orches-
tra, under the direction of F.
Nathaniel Gatlin, instructor of pub
ic school and instrumental music,
played its first concert of the year
iieie Deccenibr 5, before an enthusi
astic audience in the aduitorium of
the Little Theatre on the college
ampus.
The highlight of the program was
the performance of the orchestra in
Excerpts from the first movement
of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The
symphony is representative of all
symphonies. It is used today as and
considei'ed the victory theme of the
Allies.
Opejiing the program was the
masterful “March of the Miestei-
^.ingers” by Wagner. It is a regal but
stilling musical processional, par-
ti(:iilarly adapted for the strings. It
set the mood foi- the rest of the con
cert and left the audience in a warm
and receptive frame of mind for the
rest of the program.
O t h e r compositions included
“Themes from Piano Concerto,”
(Tschaikowsky) ; “The Young Prince
and Piincess” (Rimsky-Korsakoff);
and “Hungarian Comedy” (Keler-
Bela). Featured as soloists W'ere
Director F. Nathaniel Gatlin, con
ceit clarinetist, who played “Finale
from Concerto op. (Mendelf«ohn)
and Miss Lucille Foxe, trombonist, a
freshman from Rocky Mount, who
played “Ciribiribin” (Pestalozza).
Miss Farra Young, a graduate of The
Oberlin Conservatory of Music and
now a meml)er of the Booker Wash
ington High School Faculty of Rocky
Mount, appeared ae guest cellist.
As an innovation, the Bennett Col
lege “swing octette,” also under the
direction of Mr. Gatlin, was intro
duced during the intermission and
responded by playing Handy’s “St.
Louis Blues,” much to the acclaim
of the audience.
The perfomance of the orchestra
won the acclaim and the outspoken
approval of the entire audience, and
it represented the willingness of the
participants to subject themselves
to long hours of preparation for such
a concert. It exhibited also the great
e.xtent to w'hich these young inex
perienced musicians have progressed
over a period of three sliort years
under their director and founder, F.
Nathaniel Gatlin, a graduate of the
Oberlin Conservatory and a former
member of the Oberlin Symphony
Orchestra and the Wood-Wind
quintet.
Hoigate L;brary
Student Publication of Bennett Cbllege
(JRKEXSBOKO, N. IMX'EMUKK, 1!)42
‘t'i S
OMEGA
The untimely death of Irma
Graham, ’4 2, was a distinct blow
to all who knew her. Our only
consolation lies in the fact that
during her brief span she found
herself and made her contribution.
CHRISTMAS CALENDAR
December 20, 1942, 4:00 p. m. —
Christmas Carol Concert, Freshman
and College Choirs.
December 23 — Coral concert by
Dormitory Groups.
December 24 -—■ Christmas party
by Student Senate in each dormitory-
2:30 p. m. Christmas dinner.
December 2G — 8:15 P. M. —.3
one-act plays in the Little Theatre
by the Little Theatre Guild.
December 31 — Little Theatre
Guild Entertainment.
December 31 — 11:00-12:00 p. m,
-Watching for New Year in Gymnas
ium.
January 1 — Dining Hall Girls
Entertainment.
January 3 — 4:00 p. ni. Paul
Robeson recital.
CHRISTITtnS GREETINGS
Christmas — a magic word for an equally magic season.
Christmas — the mere mention of the word conjures up a
mental rosy glow — recollection of small boys’ choirs sing
ing quavering “Ave Marias” — visions of festive menus—
memories of childhood happiness, gifts. But suddenly reality
comes back to us — the glow fades — a gray chill takes its
place. 1941-1942 WAR!!
What place has Christmas in a mad world at war? —
Christmas with its evangel of “Peace on Earth,” “good will to
men”. A cynical reaction is likely to set in. “Peace on earth!”
Indeed! It’d be funny if weren’t such a grim war we’re fight
ing. Oddly enough this is the time that Christmas should
have its greatest import—NOW when the world is in aching
chaos. Of course the pure enjoyment of the holiday season
must be curtailed somewhat drastically —- of course the family
cannot expect all its members around the Yuletide fire—
but the essence of Christmas, the ideal it commemorates is
something that can live in the heart of every man—regardless
of nation, principles, creed, or color. The BENNETT BAN
NER staff pauses to wish you a joyous holiday season
and a meaningful one. May the ones in years to come more
nearly approach the herald of the angels—“Peace on earth;
good will to men!”’.
—Editor, VALENA E. MINOR, ’43.
Choir Holds Annual
Christmas Concert
The Bennett College choir, under
the direction of Orrin Clayton
Suthern, II, presented its annual
Christmas concert Sunday, Dec. 20,
in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel
at 4:00 p. m.
The program consisted of French,
English, Russian carols and Negro
spirituals. The trio for the occasion
were Misses Janet White, Priscilla
Brown, and Betty Artis of the Junior
Choir. The entire Junior Choir sang
a group of selections also.
De Burgo’s “Rock de Cradle
Mary“ and “Gloria in Excelsis” by
Mozart were the high points of the
well-rounded program. The candles
In the chapel added immeasurably
to the impressiveness of the occasion,
as did the new maroon robes of the
choir.
Hazel Harrison Gives
Concert At Bennett
Hazel Harrison, concert pianist,
displayed extraordinary musical in
telligence and universally smooth-
flowing technique to the large group
of students and local townspeople
who attended her concert here Decem
ber 11, which was played in the audi
torium of the Little Theatre on the
Bennett College campus and present
ed as the third in the series of lyceum
programs for the year.
Beginning with Rudolph Ganz’s,
“'V’erpetual Motion,” an arrange
ment of th? very popular Finale of
Weber’s “C Major Sonata,” and
following with Busoni’s, “Cha-
conne”, arranged for piano from
Bach’s, “Fourth Sonata,” Miss
Harrison immediately d i sc 1 o a e d
sound musicianship and skill that
won tremendous applause and. set
the stage for the audience’s i^ndy
acceptance of the rest of her pro
gram.
Although Jier interpretation of
Chopin and her Brahms playing •vvexe
satisfying and disclosed tfue excellent
(Continued On Pa(?«^ Two)
North Carolina Methodist
Conference Holds Spec^
Session At Berinett-i%"
Bishop Shaw Speaks
The North Carolina annual con
ference of Methodist churches met
in a spe';ial roll call December 15 at
Bennett college, v/ith Bishop A. P.
Shav/, of Baltimore, Maryland, resi
dent bishop, presiding, and reported
a total contribution of $2,037.41
to the college endowment fund drive.
Openin,?' the morning seof^ioii,
Pibiiop l-ihaw said, in his addresi on
“Sacrificial Giving”, “It is no! poss
ible to do too much for BenufH
college.” He praised the dele.^ates
tor their efforts in behalf of th"!
endowment drive but admouisheu
lest t’ley peimit the success v.hich
the college has enjoyed for the past
few years become a deterrent i)i
their further support .if the institu-
iii'..
Following the address by the
bishop, financial reports were read
by conference districts, and superin
tendents of these districts reported
as follows: Greensboro, Reverend
II. Vv. Winchester, superintendent,
.$674.21; Winston-Salem, Reverend
R. F. McCallum, superintendent,
$573.85; Western, Reverend G. M.
Phelps, superintendent, $419,25;
and Laurinburg, Reverend R. B.
McRae, superintendent, $370.10.
Great enthusiasm was occasioned
by the reports, when President David
D. Jones, of Bennett college, in
thanking the conference for its con
tribution, announced that the Gener
al Education Board, of New York
City, has modified the terms of its
conditional grant to the college en
dowment fund, and will now pay an
unconditional r.6 2-3 cents pro rata
supplement to the endowment funcl
for every dollar raised by the col
lege. Luncheon was pi-epared and
served to the minister.s in the Science
bulling by Miss Ware and memebers
of her Foods 101 B elass. ,
Student Senate
Sponsors Annual
Christmas Party
The tradition of the liennelt
Chi'istmas Sisters reaches its high
point tonight, Christmas Eve, at
the I’arty .given in Thirkield Gym.
by the Student Senate. There around
Ihe Christmas tree will )>e placed
all the presiits given by the liennett
girls and faculty members to their
Christmas sisters. The presents will
lie disti'ilnited by a real Santa Claus
—in this case represented by Mr.
Orrin Clayton Suthern. II, of the
Music Dejiartment.
The Christmas Sister is as much
a part of the Bennett tradition as
the Birthday Dinner, or the Thanks
giving White Breakfast. Girls in
each dormitory select by drawing
names, some girl to play sister to
during the holdiay season. The girl
whose name is drawn does not know
who has drawn her name but is
constantly surprised by little acts of
thoughtfulness and kindness. Each
girl does her bit toward making an-
onther girl’s Christmas happy and
each girl is in turn made happy.
Little deeds like turning l>ack a girl’s
bed at night, sending her things from
the book store, sending her your
iessert in the dining hall, are usual
'exTiT^slans" or ih u - c itiTsTrmjtS-
The faculty membei’s exchange
names with the city students.
Secrecy and anonymity are the real
joy of this tradition. Not until the
annual Christmas party are the
Christmas Sisteis revealed by name.
There under the Christmas tree
in the gym the presents are placed—
not expensive presents, just remem
brances of the occasion and the sea
son — and when each girl or faculty
member opens her present, she finds
who has made her days so pleasant.
Tliis year is the first year in his
tory of the institution that the Christ
mas Party has actually been held
on Christmas Eve. Heretofore Ihe
Party has always been held a few
days before the girls leave for home.
In the light of the curtailed holiday
though the greater majority of the
students will be on the campus this
year and the Party will be more fun
than evere since it is much nearer the
actual Yuletide.
Annual Founders'
Day Observed
The Founder’s Day exercises were
held at Bennett on November 16 in
the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel at
10:10 a. m. The Rev. Amos Thorn
burg, pastor of the Matthewson
Street Methodist Church, Providence,
R. I., was the main speaker.
At this exercise the faculty made
a contribution of $1,000 and the
student body made a contribution
of S450 towards the endowment
fund in an effort to prove “There’ll
Ahvays Be A Bennett”.
The academic robes of the faculty
and the customary white dresses worn
by the students added much to the
beauty of the .service.