V ' ', i I I It will be a happy homecom ing for James (jimmy) Mere- ditti, when he is presented in concert at the New Bern Golf and Country Club on Monday evening, Sept. 26, sponsored by New Bern's St. Cecilia Mu sic Club. The young pianist, a rising senior at the University of North Carolina, lives in Cliapel Hill now with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Meredith, but is a New Bern High school graduate. He is pleasantly remember ed here as an easy going, soft spoken teenager who displayed none of the temperament that musicians are accused of. Aside from excepttonal talent in his chosen field, he was outstanding as a scholar. Jimmy was hardly a child prodigy. The truth of the mat ter is he didn’t start his study of the piano until he was an eighth grader in Jimior Hi^, Once the urge struck him, however, he made rapid progress under the tutelage of Nara Snornleks, who was his Instructor for six years. By the time he reached High school, he had become so pro ficient that Donald Smith sing led him out as the accompanist lor die a capella choir. Despite limited training at that point in his budding career, the constantly smiling yoimgster ' handled the assignment with- ease. While in New Bern, he serv ed as organist for die Lutheran Church for three years. An Episcopalian, he used to rush down to Sunday school at Christ church, and then back to die Lu theran church in time to take over at die console there. Deadlines and crowded schedules never seemed to worry him. Somehow he found time to devote a great deal of time and effort to North Carolina Music Federation work, and proved he was a born leader. In quick succession he be came president of the West New Bern Junior Music Club, the Southeastern Junior Music • Club lor two years, and final ly president of the State Junior Music Club. He presided at the State Convention in States ville, and for diree or four years was District "King” of Music in the annual compe tition for that title conducted by the FederatiOD of Music Clubs. As a New Bern High school frediman, he was runner-up for the State "King” of Music crown. While attending NBHS, he performed for State Junior Music Federation conventlcms at NagsHead, Asheville, States- viUe and New Bern. For five years he played for DisMct Festivals for ttie Fed eration of Music dubs, compet ed inHigbsdioolpiano contests, and received Siqierlor plus ratings annually in Guild audi tions. Nara Snomieks present ed him in Senior Recital be fore he graduated from New Bern High. At the Oniversity of North ■Carolina, young Mer^tb holds a Blanduurd Academic Sdto- larahip in die Bachelor of Arts program, and studies pdano with Dr. William New man. He has remained active in Music Federation work, is State Student President, and (Continued on page 3) The NEW BERN FUBLISHID WIIKLY IN THI HIAirr OF lASTIRN NORTH CAROLINA Nc VOLUME 9 NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1966 NUMBER SMALL WORLD—When these three youngsters ap peared on Jo Ann Frank’s popular WNBE-TV pro gram, Open House, thousands of Eastern Carolina viewers heard an interesting story. Just a year ago, when Nelson McDaniel enrolled with 30 other select ed UNC students at the University of Lyon, these two French girls, Genevieve Weltert, left, and Helene Perroud, right, befriended him and he was enter tained frequently in their homes. During the inter vening months they became interested in coming to America to continue their own studies, and arrived early enough to visit Nelson and his family for sev eral days before heading for the University of North Carolina and Oberlin College in Ohio respectively. Genevieve, 19, will be an observer at UNC, and hones du^g her year’s stay in Chapel Hill to perfect her English, which isn’t bad now. Helene, 22, is so youthful looking she could pass for 14 or 15. It surprises every one to learn that she is a Fulbright Scholar, and wul teach French to undergraduates and post graduates at Oberlin while studying American literature. She dances well (her specialty is the Charleston) and can do an imitation of Donald Duck (vocally and visibly) that is fantastic. Genevieve skis often in the French Alps, and didn’t have a moment’s trouble becoming proficient on water skis the first time she tried skim ming for miles on the Trent. Both girls were delighted with the warmth of the ocean along Atlantic Beach, compared with the surf they are used to back home. Still loyal to the famed dishes of their native land, they are enthusiastic about American hamburgers. Genevieve found collards delightful, and Helene was intrigued by the hush nunoies served with seafood. They said that the hospitality shown them by South erners surpassed anything they had ever encountered at home or abroad. Inddentallv. Genevieve has al ready learned to sing “Hark The Sound of Tarh»*»l Voices’’ as perfectly as any Carolina student possibly could.—Photo by Ted Carey.

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