ET CETERA
University Daily Kansan, April 25, 1985
Page 6
Lon Dehertn, Lawrence graduate teaching assistant of chorale are helping Dehertn earn his doctorate of musical music, conducts the Concert Chorale. The 17 students in the arts in choral conducting.
Students chorale voices for TA
By RICK ZAPOROWSKI
Staff Reporter
Earning a degree isn't always an individual project. Lon Dehert knows 17 reasons why that's true.
Dehnert, Lawrence graduate teaching assistant of music, is counting on 17 of his students to sing well so he can earn his doctoral degree. Dehnert directs three singing groups, including the Concert Chorale, a chorus with the primary purpose of completing Dehnert's conducting requirements.
"I don't know if I will ever have a group this much fun to work with," he said recently. "I know I'll have one, but it'll be a long time."
THE CONCERT CHORALE will perform at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall. The concert will be DeHenner's third and final recital needed for him to earn his doctorate of musical arts in choral conducting.
The group, which meets for rehearsal three times a week, will perform 16 early classical choral selections. The program consists of maridgals all having similar styles, although the years in which they are taken range from the 16th to the 20th return.
Dehnert, who also directs the University Chorus and the Concert Choir, hand-picked members of the chorus, then they enrolled in Choral Music 220, Concert
"I WANTED A very particular thing," he said. "I had knowledge enough about the voices here, so I could get the kids by himself and I could get the sound I wanted."
Dehnert said he had looked for a particular sound so he had chosen the members according to how well their voices blended. He said finding a good mix could be difficult, especially because of a change in the maturity of the student's voices.
Despite the differences in students' singing abilities, the University of Kansas has a chorus for anyone who wants to sing, Dehner said, but the groups vary in talent and size. He said he deliberately shrank from one semester to another this semester to cater to his rectal needs.
The small size of the group has drawn its members closer than members of the larger groups. Debhent said, because they teach each other and has fun during rehearsals.
"THE KIDS EMOTIONALLY have become incredibly tight this semester," he said. "A big group can do it, but they have to work hard at it."
Dedhert he tried to make all his choruses feel close by making the practice more comfortable.
There's a lot of teasing and joking and
having fun that goes along with learning the music," he said.
Jeff Lady, Lenexa sophomore, said the chorus members mostly took the class because they enjoyed singing and weren't too concerned about the course's one hour
"There have been times when he (Dehennet) couldn't be there, but we showed up anyway." Lady said. "That shows how much fun it is."
"He's getting graded on this," Lady said. "If we're joking around or something, he'll remind us it's for his grade. We kid him about it a lot."
LADY SAID CLASS members really didn't feel the pressure of having to perform in front of a critical audience, because their grade depended on their performance.
Dehnert said he received two grades of A on his first two recitals, one occurring in each of the past two years. Dehnert's graduate committee, made up of four music professors, will evaluate Sunday's recital performance.
"Basically, they will grade me on the quality of the performance." Dehnert
Dehner said the class treated its responsibility casually at times but seemed aware of the performance's importance.
"When they start telling me they've got my career in the palms of their hands, you know."
Actors to play two literary legends
By SHELLE LEWIS
Staff Reporter
The dusty days of life on the plains, without television or radio, could be considered boring by today's standards.
But at the turn of the century, The Great Plains Chataqua Society, a group of traveling performers, provided recreation for boom towns throughout the Midwest.
Decades later, the Great Plains Chatt
oua Society 1985 is keeping this historical
document.
Sally McNail, instructor of English, and Frederick Krebs, an instructor of humanities and social sciences at Johnson County Community College, will give a preview of the Lawrence attendance at 8 am. Saturday at the Lawrence Theatre, Theater 194, New Hampshire St.
The society will go on the road in June to weeklong performances in eight Midwest towns, including Neodesha and Colby in Kansas.
McNall said The Great Plains Chataquai Society 1965 was not merely a group of performers, but a society to promote the humanities.
For reservations, call 843.SHOW Tickets are $4 for adults and $5 for students at the
MEALL WILL PORTRAY author Willa
Williams and Krebs will play journalist
Wilson William will play journalist
Krebts said, "The whole idea of Chatauqua is to bring history alive to the people."
IN ADDITION TO Cather and White,
members of the society will portray three
other writers: Sinclair Lewis, Mari Sandoz
and Hamlin Garland.
Each member of the group will have one evening to present his character, then answer questions from the audience as his character and as himself.
Last year, McNall appeared in "Belle of Amherst!" at the Lawrence Community Theatre and Krebs appeared in "The
Consituent" at Johnson County Community College.
McNall majored in drama as an undergraduate at Mills College in California and Krebs majored in history at the University of Kansas.
McNall, who had been researching Cather's life and works since December, said Cather attended a Chataquua in Nebraska in the 1890s. McNall said she could relate to Cather's childhood and her new-kid-in-town feelings.
"CATHER MOVED TO Nebraska when she was 9 and hated it," McNail said. "I moved to New Mexico when I was 9 and I grew up in Nebraska, where me like she has Nebraska imprinted on her."
McNail said Cather later grew to love her Midwest hometown of Red Cloud, Neb. His mother was a nurse at the
"IN SOME WAYS it is her most autobiographical work," she said, "although she
However, McNall said Cather's most famous work was "My Antonia," which is the story of an immigrant family's new life on the Nebraska plains.
McNail said her favorite work by Cather was "The Professor's House."
"Most of her best work is about early life in Nebraska," she said.
In 1922, Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for "One of Ours: a story about a Nebraska
Cather often wrote about strong men and understood the complexities of love, even when she was a child.
"I think she was in love with women," she said. "She was not a public person about it."
"Although she was very open," MeNall said, "she was not very in on what was going."
Cather's devotion to her writing made her a private person similar to Emily Dickinson.
As did McNall with her character, Krebs learned to identify with White, an editor of a
"White was a little more stubborn than I think I am," he said. "He tended to have eyes of steel sometimes. He was a very self-assured man. He also had a tremendous sense of humor, and I think I'm pretty funny sometimes, too."
small but mighty Kansas newspaper
For instance, an editorial titled "What's the Matter with Kansas?" written by White in 1986, condemned the Popolist Movement and lashed reputation for his views. Krebs said
White was a dominating political and public figure. Krebs said.
"I didn't realize the closeness he had with Theodore Roosevelt," Krebs said. "White wrote that the first time he saw Roosevelt he was overwhelmed by him."
"IVE ALWAYS BEEN a ham."
The editorial was written by White one
who had bad become the editor of the
Emporia Gates.
In addition to Roosevelt, Krebs said, White
virtually every president from Me
Kinley.
Band to burn up stage this weekend at Hoch
White was a strong force in the Progressive Party and kept the progressive wing of the Republican Party active.
"HE HAD A lot of compassion for Warren Harding even when all of the scandals were gone."
In 1924, White ran against Benjamin S. Parke, the governorship of Kansas as an independent senator.
By RICK ZAPOROWSKI Staff Reporter
However, White's close third place finish in the election, behind incumbent Democrat Jonathan Davis, put public pressure on him to run against him from getting support in Kansas, Krebs said.
Staff Reporter
Before his performance at Johnson County Community College last year, Krebs said, he had not done any theatre work since high school. He said he was excited about performing and enjoyed the research.
Hoch Auditorium often has disappointed them by taking them away from the University of Kansai.
it's the kind of scholarly activity I like doing." Krebs said. "My wife says she hasn't seen me get this excited about anything in a long time."
Concert-goers and performers have complained about its large, open interior, which is often unsuitable for rock bands and other musicians. The form mostly in large arenas or concert halls.
However, at least one popular band hasn't been scared off by the mediocre acoustics. The up-and-coming band Jason and the trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Hoch.
TICKETS ARE ON sale at the SU box office and at Omni Electronics, 540 Fireside Court. All seats are reserved. Tickets cost $9.50 and $8.50. Students with a valid KU student identification card receive a $1.00 discount available only at the SU box office.
Fran Macferran, Student Union Activities special events chairman, said that SUA had been planning this concert for about nine months and that no difficulties had arisen because of Hoch. SUA finalized the concert only recently because it was waiting for the Scorcherts to announce the tour promoting its new album.
Macerfan said he thought this concert might silence some of the people grumbling about the lack of big-name bands performing on campus.
THE BANDE BEGAN performing about 3½ years ago. It made its Lawrence debut late in 1981 at Off the Wall Hall, which now is closed, and became a favorite among Lawrence band fans.
"I think it will satisfy some people's needs, but not everybody's," he said recently. "This campus is too diverse to bring in just one act of demonstration, but I think a lot of people will be into this."
Warner Hodges, the band's lead guitarist, said many changes had occurred in the band since the days when they were just getting off the ground.
"Muscally we've matured a bit," he said in a telephone interview from Dayton, Ohio.
"The band's gotten tighter and we have a lot more original songs."
Jason and the Scorers play rock 'n' roll, although many critics have given the band labels reflecting influences in blues and country music. Hodges said the band preferred a simple description to the critics' creative labels, which have included names such as rockabilly, punkabilly, country punk and cow punk.
Other members of the band are Jeff
Oliver, bass player, and Perry Baggs,
djumper.
"WE'RE JUST A rock 'n' roll band from Nashville," he said.
Jason and the Scorchers' album already has received positive and encouraging reviews from music magazines such as Rolling Stone, Billboard and Record.
The band took advantage of its first chance to record with a large record company last year when EMI America reissued the group's independently produced extended/playing record "Fervor." Critics described the record as high-spirited and rambunctious, showing great potential for the band.
THE BAND RECENTLY released its first long-playing album, "Lost and Found," also on the EMI America label. The album was produced by Terry Manning, who has produced albums for George Thorogood and ZZ Too.
The band's lead singer, Jason Ringenberg,
learned to play harmonica on his father's
Illinois hog farm. He lead several rockability
groups and won a Grammy for bluesgrass bird, before heading to Nashville.
Earl Pool Ball, Kenny Lovelace and Donald W. Spicer played with the band on "Lost and Found." Ball has recorded with a number of well-known artists and has been a member of Johnny Cash's band for many years. Lovelace, a fiddler and guitarist, is associated with Jerry Lee Lewis, as a performer, producer and pal.
The band is now on a U.S. tour covering mostly the South, the East and the Midwest. The Scorcherists will tour Europe beginning in New York to return to the United States for more concerts.
Group hits unique note
Staff Reporter
By JEANINE HOWE
Unlike other singing groups, the Jayhawk Singers sing just about anything outside of classical music. The 10-member group performs at various venues and ranges music ranging from pop to jazz to country.
The Jayhawk Singers will present "An Evening of Pop, Jazz and Showtunes" 8 p.m. tomorrow in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union. Tickets are $2.50 and can be purchased at the SUA box office in the Kansas Union or at the door. Groups of 15 or more can receive special group rates of $1.50 per ticket.
THE SEVEN-MEMBER singing ensemble and the piano, bass guitar and drums accompanies will perform such popular songs as "What I Did For Love" from "Chorus Line." On Broadway from "All That Jazz." Cats" from the Broadway show of the same name, a Beach Boys medley and a tribute to Karen Carpenter.
"We are more relaxed. We're not uptight," Lozt said. "Other choirs are so formal. We are allowed more individuality, a freedom of expression. We can ham it up a little."
John Lozz, Chicago junior, who sings bass for the group, said the Jayhawk Singers were "very professional."
The group is young -- only five semesters old. Lennie Shaffer, musical and executive director, said the Jayhawk Singers began in 1979 under the name of the Singing Jayhawks. The group received funds from the Alumni Association.
In 1980, the group was under the school of education. Members received two hours of credit and $250. Budget cuts in the school of education forced the Singing Jayhawks to
switch to the department of music. Members received one hour of credit and $250.
The singing group practices about six hours a week. Auditions for the group are conducted at the beginning of each semester. The group performs quality, rather than quantity, for the group.
THE GROUP IS limited to the number of performances and where it can perform for financial reasons. Unlike other singing groups, the GROUP has no formal financing. Singers receive little financing. Shafer said.
The Singing Jayhawks resumed in the spring 1983 under the name Jayhawk Singinger. The name changed because the new school was a class to being a student organization.
And members of the Jayhawk Singers continually strive for that quality.
"In our group we sing songs we want to sing," said Stacia Holladay, Kansas City, Mo. freshman "We work hard because we enjoy it."
In the past, the Jayhawk Singers have performed at residence halls, Lawrence civic clubs, alumni events, conventions and nursing homes. This semester, the group performs at the KU Medical Auxiliary Hotel at the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park.
"Most people think we're just a chor," Shafer said. "We do music people enjoy. We're not just an entertaining group but also a representative group."
Sci-fi club hatches magazine
IT REMAINED IN the department of music during the 1981-82 school year. Budget cuts once again removed the Singing Jayhawks. The group was abandoned in the fall 1982 and plans were made to start up again in the spring.
Staff Reporter
The Jayhawk statue in front of Strong Hall has been the subject of students' jokes and ridicule for years and has even acquired a nickname — The Paterodicty.
By SHELLE LEWIS
However, the KU Science Fiction and Fantasy Club folded in spring 1982 and in the summer of that year the Knights of Infinity became the KU Sword and Shield.
KU SWOOR & SHIELD adopted the name of the magazine last year when it began publishing its own science fiction and fantasy literary magazine.
Sarantha Herman, KU Sword & Shield president and Tonganoxie freshman, said the purpose of the publication was to get students' works published and to promote the
HERMAN SAID KU Sword & Shield was now accepting for its tail issue and warranty.
"It's one of the only undergraduate magazines being published at KU," she said. "We accept art, poetry and short stories from students and alumni. We are trying to make it an undergraduate magazine, but we take what we can get."
The 8-inch by 7-inch magazine usually
runs about 50 pages and costs 50 cents
Herman said.
it is available at Kwality Comics, 107 W Seventh St., The Town Crier, 930 Massachusetts setts St., and Exec Records and Tapes, 15 W Ninth St.
Russ Ediger, Newton sophomore, is a graphic arts major and had some of his art exhibited at the University.
He said improvement of the publication's appearance would help the magazine.
"I think they could use some funding," Edgar said. "I think if they had some more funding they could put out a little bit slicker stuff." He pointed to something that people would look twice at.
EDIGER SAID THAT there were people on campus who were willing to submit material
"I'm sure there are lots of people out there who are willing to do art and write stories for absolutely nothing other than to get exposure." he said.
John Boyce, Sword & Shield member and Prairie Village senior, had a story of his, "Caretaker," published in last spring's issue.
He said, "We are trying to get more quality — stuff that is worth reading. We don't want to go back to being a collection of chaotic wonder stories."
Boyce said Sword & Shield's goal was to improve the quality of The Pterodactyl's Egg, beginning with the fall issue
"We want to entertain our readers." Boyce said. "And the best way to do that is by having good stuff because nobody wants to read junk."