It is a pleasure to report that last night's concert by the Harvard-Radcliffe orchestra was a great improvement in every way over their effort last spring. The program was more coherent, each member played with interest and serious attention, and, most important, the group became a cohesive unit, devoted to getting music across.

A few general criticisms must be made. The first violin section occasionally lacked precision in both tone and timing. Some deficiency in quality is excusable, yet the Music Club has demonstrated that there are enough first rate violinists around Cambridge. The few ragged entrances are unforgivable, however, and the responsibility must be laid to conductor Holmes. Judging by the success with which the Orchestra has filled its peripheral areas, I feel certain that the few failings of the central section can be eliminated.

I fall to see the reason for ending the concert with Benjamin's Overture to an Italian Comedy. Though the performance was good, it is a slight piece and would have been far less of a sacrifice us a warmer-up than the Handel Concerto Grosso in B Flat. Otherwise the program was interesting and consecutive. Malcolm Holmes arranged the Purcell suite from separate dances which he found. With the exception of the Large-Minuet, all the movements contain delightful duets for violin and flute. Howard Brown played with skill but was too frequently obscured by the concert master's able, but over-enthusiastic, performance.

Mendelssohn's Fifth (Reformation) Symphony was the big work of the program. At times, particularly in the trio of the scherzo, the performance was as fine as I have heard. Any objection about the dominance of the brass was overruled by its ability. From my point of view, Bloch's Concerto Grosso was the tour de force of the evening. The strings joined together with such power an assurance that I truly regretted the omission of the third movement. The piano part is chiefly one of doubling. This was unfortunate last night, for it gave the audience no chance to appreciate Karl Kohn's superb playing.