Wednesday. November 4. 1959 University Daily Kansan
Page 7
Life Harmonious For KU Singers
College days, a wedding in Paris and a music career together—these are the memories shared by a KU professor of voice and his wife.
By Carol Heller
Late yesterday afternoon autumn sunlight flooded past the potted plants in the Wilkins' bay windows and filled the living room with a warm glow. A baby grand piano shone in the light at the end of the room.
Mrs. Wilkins' blonde hair was wrapped high in a neat chignon. She was dressed in the soft red and gray plaid suit she wore as hostess to a women's group meeting that afternoon. Prof. Wilkins had just come home from his campus office.
"I sang behind Marie in choir and stared at the top of her head for two years," mused Prof. Wilkins. "Then later we met when we were soloists in the same cantata."
Joseph Wilkins has been head of KU's voice department since 1935. His wife, Marie, once sang leading soprano roles with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York.
The couple met at Cornell University where he was an engineering studet and she was majoring in English.
Their first joint concert this season will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Swarthout Regal Hall.
Prof. and Mrs. Wilkins sat together on the couch, laughing when
Official Bulletin
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TODAY
Mathematics Colloquium, 3:50 p.m.
Coffee, 117 Strong, 4:15 p.m., 103 Strong.
Dr. S. K. Singh will speak on "Exception-
ion of Entire and Meromorphic功
Le Certeur Francais se reuilumre mercredi
au Château des Vins. Le Certeur
Causerie par Michel Catelusel; "Le Cinema."
Musique arrangee par Roger
Santelier qui s'intèressent au
français sur intègles.
Student Union Activities. The dance lesson program for the fall semester will begin on Friday, the Pine Room of Union. She's week 1 lessons will be given for a fee of $1.00.
Jay Janes meeting, 5:00 p.m. in the Pine Room.
Lutheran Gamma Delta Vespers, 5:00-
6 p.m. Danforth Chapel. Vicar R. E.
K197
Episcopal Evening Prayer, 9:30 p.m.
Danforth Chapel.
Mr. S. E. Ellis of Haskins & Sells will list his accounting position in 202 Summerfield
TOMORROW
University Women's Club, 2 p.m., Jayhawk Room of the Union. Mr. Richard S. Trump will speak on "Contemporary Sculpture."
KU KU pledge meeting in Room.305 inactive meeting will follow at 7:30 pm. active meeting will follow at 7:30 pm.
Poetry Hour, 4 p.m. Music and Browsing in Calderwood reading Conrad Alken.
Vox Populi, 7:30 p.m., Pine Room in the Union.
Christian Science Organization, 7:30 p.m. Danforth Chapel.
they interrupted one another as they reminisced and singing bits of operatic duets.
"Joe spent so much time singing in university operas, choirs and glee clubs that he didn't have much time for engineering," said Mrs. Wilkins.
"We were both from small towns. Joe was from Alabama and I was from New York—"
"She's a Yankee," teased Prof. Wilkins.
"and we had always been active in music. One of our favorite college voice professors, Eric Dudley, encouraged us to continue our singing. After I graduated, I went to Paris to study."
"Marie was younger than me, but was smarter. She graduated two years before I did—"
"The war slowed you up," interi- cted Mrs. Wilkins.
"I—but after I finally graduated, I met her in Paris. We were married in the spring and studied voice together."
"We always signed joint contracts so we could sing together," said Prof. Wilkins. "We didn't like to work separately.
"In fact, we were married twice once in a civil ceremony and once in a Paris church," added Mrs. Wilkins. "We started the vogue of married students going to school.
"Then we lived in Italy for three years and sang in small operas near Milan."
"When we came back to the United States we still sang together in such operettas as 'Desert Song' and 'New Moon,' and the operas 'The Magic Flute' and 'The Barber of Seville.'"
MARIE AND JOSEPH WILKINS "We always signed joint contracts so we could sing together."
"Do you remember when we worked with Cary Gran; in New York and Boston?" asked Mrs. Wilkins. "I think it was his second season after coming here from England."
"Yes, he was a good fellow to work with, wasn't he," answered Prof. Wilkins.
"Yes, our opera life was wonderful," he continued. "But we soon grew tired of the constant travel.
"We couldn't take our daughter with us in a trunk, and too often she was left behind with her grandmother.
"I had always wanted to teach.
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"Marie was a voice instructor here for four years. We started singing joint recitals then and have sung them all during our 25 years here."
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so when Donald Swarthout—who was dean of the KU fine arts school —came to New York and asked me to head the voice department, Marie and I were glad to move to Kansas.
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