Throughout their history, the purpose of the Harvard and Radcliffe Music Clubs has been to encourage the performance by their members of contemporary or rarely-heard older music. Many of the works played at the 12 concerts this year were composed by members of the clubs or by the faculty of the Music Department. The policy, therefore, gives students a chance to participate in music and young musicians an opportunity to have their compositions heard publicly.

Desirable in itself, the plan has also contributed to the achievements of former members. Randall Thompson '20, professor of Music and well-known choral composer, Virgil Thompson '24, Naumberg Professor of Music, harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick '31, and composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein '39 were all active members of the Harvard club during their college years.

Under the leadership of Karl G. Kohn '48 and Margaret Sherman '50, the combined clubs have held regular monthly concerts of chamber music. Many of these have included such guest artists as Phyllis Curtin, soprano, and Lukas Foss, pianist. In addition, the Intercollegiate Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Samuel Adler, gave a concert in March at which works by contemporary composers were performed. The Orchestra included many of the most capable performers from colleges in the Boston area.

In May, the clubs presented a concert of choral music by the Bach Cantata Club assisted by the Harvard Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Van Slyck '46. Most recently, the clubs gave a concert of modern chamber and choral music. The chorus, directed by Assistant Professor Irving Fine, one of the faculty advisers of the clubs, sang two of his compositions and one by Gordon Binkerd, a teaching fellow in the Music Department. During the year the clubs also provided a complete performance of Bach's Musical Offering under the direction of David G. Hughes '47 and a lecture on twelve tone music by Martin Boykan '51.

This has been a good year for the Music Clubs, and they have furthered the cause of contemporary music. But the sometimes pathetically small audiences, the vanishing of the Music Club Chorus which flourished last year, and the relative inactivity of the Chamber Orchestra are warnings for the future. There is no longer such an active group of veteran musicians around Harvard, and if the clubs are to maintain the high standards which have been set up to now, they will need a more efficient and more perservering management to encourage other groups to cooperate with them in getting good music heard. There is and will be a market for music around here and talent to create and perform it, but the two must be brought together more enthusiastically.