248 ST. JOHN'S RECORD
an anecdote on how Liszt visited personages and localities of note, collected his most beautiful impressions, and portrayed these in his ' Venice and Naples/ which Dr. Lauder performed with admirable effect. With a miniature travelogue on ' Historic Associations ' the musician introduced the sketch ' Old Chelsea/ an early English dance. Then followed a selection from Mozart's opera 1 The Magic Flute.' The artist associated his next number with St. George's Hall, Genoa, where the allied conferences are being held, for there is preserved what is assumed to be the Holy Grail or cup used by our Lord at the Last Supper. Wagner immortalized the Holy Grail theme in music in his opera ' Parsifal/ from which Dr. Lauder selected and played the Good Friday arrangement by Rubinstein- Finally Liszt was re-introduced with a pert bouquet of merry jests and a few drops of practical wisdom distilled from the speaker's experiences. He then played Liszt's magnificent ' Spanish Rhapsody/
The following evening's program was conducted in a lighter vein. Dr. Lauder interspersed his piano performances with briefer talks and grouped his selections in triads. His program consisted of Liszt's arrangement of the Mendelssohn fantasia, ' The Wedding March/ Liszt's ( Gypsy Galop chromatique/ Chopin's berceuse, * Cradle Song/ the ' Phrygian Dance ' by Saint Saens, a selection from Gluck, Beethoven's * Ruins of Athens/ Grieg's * On the Mountains/ and the sprightly ' Kirmess ' by Gounod.
In two succeeding programs which were of a somewhat informal nature. Dr. Lauder lectured on and illustrated on the piano selections from Wagner and Beethoven. These two programs were given before a select audience composed of the members of the Faculty of St. John's Music Dept.and advanced students.
Dr. Lauder thus gave his audiences at St. John's a series of pianologues of the highest class and value. Even the youngest student in attendance received some added musical knowledge and some insight into aesthetics, facts attributable to the renowned musician's wonderful versatility in expression. His programs, in consequence, were the great musical treat of the year.
CONTESTS The annual contests for the Gold Medal Awards were officially announced on April 28. The Literary contest is open to all College students of English, who are required to submit their final contributions before May 20. The written matter of Oratory contestants is due on May 18 and the accepted orations will be delivered on May 24. The High School Elocution contestants will receive a preliminary hearing on May 12; the five best will then be allowed to compete in the final contest on May 17. The gold medals will be awarded the winners on Commencement Day.
COLLEGE HALL Work on the new College Building is nearing completion. The roof has been covered with special curved tiling, and on the ridge appear three attractive ventilators. Interior finishing work and the arch which is to connect the building with the main building at the rear of the Commercial Hall are about all that remains to be completed.
THE PRESIDENT'S On Sunday April 30, at the close of ' College Week/ the
SERMON Rt. Rev. President Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B., Ph.D.,
delivered a sermon on the subject ' Catholics and
Higher Education/ during the student's High Mass. He emphasized particularly that every Catholic young man with an inclination to study ought to ob-
