Music of India

Sir,—It is a shame to see your able music critic refusing to apply the same standards of judgment to music outside his normal experience as he does to works with which he is more familiar. I don't agree with him that Ravi Shankar's Music of India is "one for the specialists," and I think that he is doing a disservice to people who are interested in a new form of music, even if they do not know much about its technical structure.

I would be the last to claim that I know anything about the mathematics of music beyond the most elementary rules of harmony, but I don't find that this hinders me in my appreciation of its intrinsic qualities. Although I agree that the development of taste and discretion is an important part of the proper appreciation or music, I'm afraid that I am one of those poor people who in the last analysis Judges his purchase of records by what he likes.

I have seen Ravi Shankar in person, without any previous knowledge of Indian music and he impressed me very strongly. I have played my Shankar records to other people, and have discovered that I could communicate my enthusiasm for him to them through his music. I continually replay the records and find that my experience — I can't honestly say my knowledge—broadens each time.

My total impression of the music is varied. The first thing that struck me was Shankar's incredible virtuosity. He improvises all the time except for the opening theme and several set pieces in the final section of his ragas, the classical model form of the Hindustani school of Indian music. The sitar, a sort of grown-up guitar, is complicated in its design and even more in its range of effects. Shankar claims that he has been studying the instrument for 25 years and is still not its master.

The second impression is of the care-fully induced mesmeric effect, largely established by the continuous drone of the tonic and dominant supplied by the tambour, another, considerably less complicated instrument of five strings.

The third is of the complex rhythmic structures—cycles of 16, 12, 11, 9 or 7 beats are common. Those are established and built upon by both Shankar and Chatur Lal, his virtuoso drummer, who plays the tabla, a pair of small drums which look a little bit like kettle-drum bongos. The high-pitched head of the smaller drum reinforces the tonic drone, and the larger one has an almost incredible range of pitch and tonal quality.

Shankar and Chatur Lal interweave rhythm and melody until the barriers between them seem to be broken down—or at least circumvented—perhaps by osmosis!

The fourth impression is that, despite the music's strangeness to Western ears—it has no harmonic structure and relies on quartar-tones quite a bit—it has an intense emotional effect. From the state of semi-hypnosis. If the conditions are right, one is conveyed by the music through a wide range of emotional experience.

So it's not jazz, despite the improvisation and the bluesy quarter-tones (sometimes uncannily like the blues), because it is less sardonic than genuinely and unabashedly emotional. It's not romantic either, because of the mystic quality of its effect. And it is most definitely not Western. But I labour on about its content partly because I was personally impressed by it, and partly because I was rather pleased with myself that I could honestly justify a theory that I have long held that true artistic achievement rests in the ability to communicate to any human being who want to listen.— Yours etc,

Rob Laking

Club For Student Rights

Inspired by the Government's Ombudsman Bill, a band of students is forming a club to protect student rights. The club will advocate measures to bring more democracy into students' affairs. Speaking for the group, Graham Butter-worth said: "We think that the method of appointing Exec. Committees should be one of the first things to be overhauled."

Apart from amending the Constitution, the club will press for a suggestion box and regular meetings of the Stud. Assn. It is the intention to approach the down-town Organisation for Civil Rights to parley over co-operation.

Canterbury Frolics

What is going on at Canterbury University? During study week Salient went down to find out. The results were astonishing.

Girls at the well known women's hostel Helen Connon Hall decided their washing facilities were inadequate. One dark night, two of them proceeded to an equally well known men's hostel to see if the baths there were any better. Throwing caution to the winds they disrobed and plunged in. Much to the chagrin of the men residents, the strip was not complete. The girls had bathing suits on underneath. Their motive in doing this is not certain. The fact that this hostel is also a theological college may have accounted for their modesty.

Bored theologians at the same hostel have resorted to water bombing for relaxation, (an occurrence not unknown at Weir). One of the bombs precipitated itself onto the head of a female member of the domestic staff. She was heard to utter a stream of profanities not at all in keeping with the traditions of the Theological College.

An institution Victoria could well emulate—The Canterbury University Men's Bathing Club. Membership is automatic upon the candidate producing evidence of having had a bath in one of the three women's hostels. This feat is by no means as difficult as it sounds, if the candidate is popular with the young ladies in the various halls. But there is one hostel that is virtually impregnable — Rosary House, the Catholic girls' hostel. Last month, however, 3 young Irishmen did it. It is understood that the Matron underwent a rather violent traumatic experience in consequence.

Each year the Bathing Club hold an annual dinner.

The intellectual section of Canterbury University have devised some new intellectual pursuits.

Canta, the student newspaper, challenged the Drama Society to a game of tiddley-winks. In the Interests of culture, this was changed to a contest in rugby. The match created a considerable stir in Christchurch as women were participating. Women were tackled as hard if not harder than the men involved.

Canta ran out the eventual I winners. The event did not go un-heralded in the local press, and even received TV coverage. Refreshment of a liquid variety was served after the match.

It is understood that some team members were removed by the constabulary from the hostelry, since they were under-age.

The event will be an annual one.

Conduct in Cafeteria

The House Committee Is particularly concerned at the conduct in the cafeteria of certain irresponsible and selfish students. It is seriously worried that the thoughtless acts of a small minority will irreparably damage relations with the Cafeteria caterer.

It may not be known that Mr Levenbach is badly short of staff and has suffered considerable losses through damage and theft. Rubbish tins have been provided and there is no excuse whatsoever for leaving tables littered with filth and lunch papers. Furthermore, strong objection is made to those students who insist upon needlessly wasting the salt and pepper provided on the tables. The Committee fears that if some students continue to abuse the facilities provided for them in the cafeteria, the consequences could seriously disrupt the services they are now receiving.

Salient Attacked

At the A.G.M., a motion was foreshadowed concerning Salient'S grant from the Stud. Assn. Mr N. Wattle flourished the Salient article headed "We Protest" before the meeting. He did this to contradict the statement in the Annual Report that Salient had avoided sensationalism.

He then foreshadowed a motion, "that the Salient grant be suspended on the grounds that Salient no longer represents student opinion."

Dissatisfaction was expressed to the reporter by sympathisers of the motion. They thought student affairs that should be covered by Salient are not being given fair consideration. Examples given were: No report on the Drama Club A.G.M.; and Music Society reports not being printed.

It was said that the opinions of a clique, which controlled Salient, were being pushed, while other opinions and articles were not being fairly considered,

Mr Wattie said that a drama criticism he had written, alterations to a slashed article of Mr Maconie's, and a Music Society notice, were submitted for one issue.

Claimed he: "All that appeared was a record criticism by the clique."

Mr Wattie said that he and supporters wanted to provoke discussion on Salient and the student body, rather than press their motion.

Vic Students Anaemic?

Quotes from an Education 2 Lecture (by kind permission of Mr McLaren):

"Our next topic is the influence of the Crusaders. The Crusaders did not return from their crusades clutching copies of Aristotle. And now at the risk of incurring censure from Salient, I would like to digress. I am sure you have all read how shocking we lecturers are! But I am going to digress all the same. Aristotle returned to Europe . . . ."

"Students in the Middle Ages were really well-rounded people. They would have regarded students like you as anaemic, and a newspaper like Salient—well! If they had run it, it would have had problems of censorship . . ."

"Really, my digression was on how Aristotle came into the Universities . . ."

S.C.M. Camp

"Commitment" was the theme Of the Student Christian Movement's Study Week Camp, Akatarawa was the site chosen. Talks by Rev. A. W, Sutton on the "Calling to a Christian Life," and study groups were held later. Formal addresses on the need for "worker" priests, and the openings for overseas service were given by Mr S. Dalziel and Mr P. Murray.

The presence of a panel to discuss the problems brought forward by various camps was greeted with enthusiasm. Indeed, the panel provided some assistance and much amusement.

Variety Concert

Rehearsals for the International Club's Variety Concert are in full swing. A play is being prepared in the university gymnasium and it was discovered that part of this play—The Dream of the Maya—will feature the dance of the nymphs.

The Fijians are producing acts, typically Fijian, labelled "Fijians at Leisure."

From the Indonesians there will be choir items, while the Vietnamese will be presenting "The Faithful Wife," and "Nostalgia."

The concert will not however be exclusively Asian. New Zealand, England, Germany, and Spain are also represented.

There are rumours that there will be a strip tease. For the benefit of some parents, It should be noted that this item will not involve any Miss Victoria contestants. Somehow or other, a charwoman is involved in this strip tease.

The music will come from the International Club Band.

Crazy Name for P.N. University

For years now, people have been trying to eliminate the "Victoria" from V.U.W. on the grounds that the link with the city was not shown clearly enough, and that the title was cumbersome.

And now, for reasons known to themselves alone, the committee that planned the merger of Victoria's branch college at Palmerston North with Massey College have picked on the prize-winning title of Massey University College of Palmerston North!

It didn't take long for Palmerston North students to point out gleefully that, if Victoria University of Wellington is currently abbreviated into VUW, then Massey University College will become abbreviated into MUC of Palmerston North.

Another objection, more serious in tone, was that Massey has been known for generations as a primarily agricultural Institution, and that keeping Massey as the key word in the title will give a wrong impression, and hold back the rapid expansion in Arts and Sciences that is planned for the new university college.

The local citizens in Palmerston North and in the Manawatu who have been talking for years of the time when the University College of Manawatu would be established have been going around with puzzled expressions on their otherwise happy faces.

Rumour has it that VUW's professors have already asked the Council at Vic to have another look at the title.

Students echo that thought in more vivid language in Palmerston North. There, the slogan is Don't Muc us About!

Stock Exchange Lecture

Ron Jarden discussed his new interest, "The Workings of the Stock Exchange," with the Commerce Faculty Club on Wednesday, July 11. He spoke and answered questions for over an hour to about 50 people, predominantly full-time students, in spite of obvious interest to part-timers.

To become a member of the stock exchange, Mr Jarden said, one must first apply to the Court. A thorough investigation of the applicant's background is made before being issued with a broker's licence. One then buys a seat on the Exchange for up to £2,000, compared with £15,000 in Sydney and $100,000 on Wall Street.

Wellington handles only 250 listed shares a day, he said, which necessitates a method of trading calls not used overseas. Elsewhere post trading is used—Sydney handles 500,000 shares each day. Mr Jarden described the types of shares and securities, debentures, preferential shares, and Government and local bodies' stock.

This talk by the most recent member of the Stock Exchange was informative, and presented in a manner that the student could easily understand.

Florence Jones

Of interest to irate S.G.M. students, is the letter by Florence Jones to the editor of the Weekly News, vindicating herself and claiming misrepresentation.

Quote: "I am surprised to have appeared in the article as so unperturbed about them. (N.Z.U.S.A. negotiations with the Minister of Education and the University Grants Committee). I blame myself for not having made it clearer to Mrs Wiserman (the reporter concerned) though I thought to have made it clear enough at the time.

"For myself, the article has had the repercussion of a resolution by a Special General Meeting of the Victoria University Students' Association to demand my resignation from NZUSA—and has enabled Members of the House who quoted it in last Thursday night's debate to "prove" that some students, the students represented themselves, are satisfied with the fees and bursaries regulations as they stand, and to represent a split in student opinion between those who are In favour and those who are against.

"There is no such satisfaction and no such split."

The Auckland University Students' Executive carried the following motions on July 4:

"That the Executive congratulate NZUSA upon the results of their negotiations with the government on the question of increased fees."

"That the President write to the President of NZUSA stating this meeting's confidence in Miss Florence Jones, as the newspaper article in the Weekly News dated June 13, does not warrant a vote of no confidence, but that more care be taken in future over newspaper interviews."

Demonstration

A blow has been struck for freedom from imperialist shackles by the Anarchist Association. In the words of Dwyer, "a little loyal demonstration" was held in the Plaza Theatre, Dwyer, upheld by about 20 anarchist stalwarts, including Shanley and Butterworth, refused to stand for the Queen.