Monday, October 3, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5
PAS begins;
reats patrons
ith orchestra
pro-
n.in
tiers
p.m.
or*
By Shane Hall
Staff Writer
The 1988-89 MSC-OPAS music
ason began in grand style Friday
ight in Rudder Auditorium. On tap
jfor the evening was a performance
f Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem
lass,” which brought together an
pressive array of talent.
'Requiem Mass” was written for a
uartetof solo singers, a mixed cho-
js and an orchestra. The Brazos
alley Symphony Orchestra, di-
ected by Franz Anton Krager, pro-
ided the music for the performance
nd the Houston Symphony Chorus
pplied choral voices. Topping ev-
rything off were four soloists from
le Metropolitan Opera in New
ork: Diane Curry, mezzo-soprano;
fancis Ginsberg, soprano; Gary
achlund, tenor; and Kurt Link,
ass. This combination of musicians
nd singers made for a stunning
lerformance that was warmly re-
eived by the audience.
“Requiem,” wnitten by Verdi in
873 in honor of Italian writer Ales-
andro Manzoni and first performed
1874 on the anniversary of Man-
oni’s death, is much like an opera
xcept that there are no costumes in-
olved. The four soloists at Friday
light’s show made it seem even
note like a performance of “La Tra-
ata” or another Verdian opera
omefii
aid.
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Review
with their outstanding individual
performances. Curry and Link were
especially impressive in their respec
tive ranges. Link’s booming vocal
and expressive gestures were spec
tacular during the composition “Lux
Aeterna.”
Ginsberg’s spellbinding rendition
of “Libera Me” gave a closing to the
show that the audience loved. Com
bined with the soaring voices of the
chorus and the Brazos Valley Sym
phony’s riveting musical work, “Li
bera Me” was the most impressive
moment of an excellent evening.
The Brazos Valley Symphony Or
chestra, guided by Krager’s baton,
was great throughout the perfor
mance of “Requiem.” From the sol
emn, meditative nature of “Requiem
and Kyrie” to the sheer dramatic in
tensity of “Dies Irae,” the symphony
did a commendable job.
The voices of the Houston Sym
phony Chorus were good as well,
making a fine vocal compliment to
the symphony’s music.
But Curry, Ginsberg, Bachlund
and Link were the real stars Friday
night. On “Lux Aeterna,” written
for three soloists, Curry, Bachlund
and Link took the spotlight, and all
three shined. They gave their all
during the show and the audience
loved them.
As the symphony completed the
final notes of “Libera Me,” a deafen
ing round of applause from the
nearly sell-out crowd filled the inte
rior of the auditorium.
General Dynamics
ii works with Taiwan
•eM !
-on secret fighter jet
FORT WOR TH (AP) — General
Jynamics Corp., one of the nation’s
ading defense contractors, has
leen working on a secret fighter jet
irqject with nearly 200 Taiwanese
ngineers and administrators for at
east three years, according to a pub-
ished report.
In a copyright story, the Fort
forth Star-Telegnun reported Sun-
lay that Fort Worth-based GD has
ieen secretly working on the Indige-
ious Defense Fighter program, a
illlon-dollar effort to develop a new
et fighter for Taiwan.
What began as a feasibility study
n the early 1980s developed into a
ull-scale development employing
mndreds, if not thousands, of engi-
leers and administrators at top
lerospace companies throughout
he United States, the newspaper re
torted.
A prototype is expected to be re
leased later this year with test flights
scheduled for early 1989.
“Nobody ever expected this,” a
GD official familiar with the project
said. “We thought it was just a way to
keep some guys in research and en
gineering busy.”
The new fighter is described as a
lightweight twin-engine jet resem
bling CD’s single-engine F-16. The
fighter is expected to have a top
speed of Mach 1.2.
For now, it is considered crucial
for Taiwan’s defense, yet there’s no
guarantee it will work as planned.
Much of the design and engineering
has been performed by young Tai
wanese trainees; the power plant is
being designed by a U.S. company
that has never built a powerful
fighter engine.
who,
and
I. Cobb
nia nui*
Boulf
q e ads
me ago
Cities hike taxes
to cover revenues
iews ac :
're alh
: of US
me tk
■wesctf
used be
attack
las, "f i HOUSTON (AP) — Texas cities
1 a IV hat operate on bare-bones budgets
ave hiked property taxes in an ef
brt to recover revenues lost to dwin-
|i jling property values
' The tax bite this year got bigger in
Ian Antonio, Houston, Dallas and
brt Worth, along with a number of
bunties, officials said.
I “There comes a time at which you
ake the step some governments
lave had to take,” John Kennedy,
itnior research associate for the
“'IBexas Research League, said. “You
nonly hold the line for so long.”
Kennedy said there are indica-
lons that many local governments
[re in a bind at a time when de-
ands are increasing.
^ ik The problem in raising taxes, he
W paid, is that the tax burden to finance
it
city, county, school and other gov
ernment services is becoming so
great that it may lead to protests and
calls for tax rollbacks.
Sam Seale, director of the Texas
Association of Counties, said the loss
of taxable property value due to the
oil bust has been widespread in
Texas, but the Gulf Coast region was
probably hit hardest.
Seale described taxes imposed on
property owners as nearing satu
ration level, and that state lawmak
ers should consider funding alterna
tives.
Among other problems, countries
are raising taxes to pay for the jail
detention of convicted state prison
ers the Texas Department of Cor
rections refuses to accept because of
prison overcrowding.
ouston heads state
in ecomomic change
ideiflif ||
HOUSTON (AP) — After suffer-
e rC,, j§ng the economic brunt of a lagging
■etroleum industry, troubled
ftrimp and fishing businesses and a
^-i | Sagging real estate market, Houston
I || setting the pace for a slow and
“‘eady economic recovery for the
ate.
And a new study says it will con-
nue to do so through the end of the
'ear.
Harold Gross, an economist at
iouthern Methodist University, said
Houston is doing more trade
hrough its port and has seen a re-
urgence in petrochemical invest-
(tents.
“Houston is benefiting both front
he lower dollar (value) and conse-
uently higher volume of goods
lassing through its port, as well as
the millions of dollars being invested
in upgrading the area’s refining and
petrochemical complex,” said Gross,
of SMU’s Center for Enterprising at
the Edwin L. Cox School of Busi
ness.
“Renewed industrial vigor, in
turn, has boosted business and con
sumer confidence,” he said.
The SMU study reports Houston’s
overall employment will rise by 1.9
percent in the fourth quarter, led by
an expected 3.6 percent seasonal
gain in trade and a 3 percent gain in
government employment. Other
gains are expected in the service in
dustry, mining and manufacturing.
But new jobs in construction and
transportation are unlikely and the
report projects a 1.6 percent decline
in the finance, insurance and real es
tate jobs.
MSC VISUAL—ARTS
ff- AM/PM Clinics £k
* GENERAL MEETING *'^kC r
OCTOBERS, 1988 ^
CLINICS
Our New College Station location <
offers
7 pm MSC RM 145
Birth Control Counseling
ITS NOT TOO LATE TO GET INVOLVED
Women’s Services
Female doctors on duty
IN OUR BEST YEAR YET!
Student 10% discount with ID 093“O2O2
A102
Intro, to The Short Story
When Carla told me that my date
was a little short, I thought she was
talking dollars and cents, not feet and
inches. So there I was at the door, in
my spiked heels, staring at the top of
my date s head.
All I could think was, how do I
get myself out of this? I could imagine
how my legs would ache if I had to walk
around with my knees bent all evening.
So to stall for time, while figuring
out how to fake malaria, I made us
some Double Dutch Chocolate.
When I brought it into the living
room, I discovered that Gary was
a chocolate lover too. Ahh, a man
after my own heart. Okay, I de
cided Id give him a chance. So we
sat down and saw each other face-
to-face for the first time. He had a
nice smile.
After some small talk—I mean
conversation—I discovered that we
both love Updike, hate the winter
weather, and both have minia
ture schnauzers. So, we made
a date to introduce Shadow
and Schatzi next week.
General Foods® International Coffees
Share the feeling.
SIGN UP TO PLRV!
fi
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
IM-REC SPORTS DEPARTMENT
SPORT OR ACTIVITY:
DIVISION(S):
SIGN-UP DATE(S):
TIME:
PLACE:
Golf Doubles
Co-Rec B
Entries Close Tuesday, October 4
5:30 p.m.
IM-Rec Sports Office, 159 Read Bldg.
SPORT OR ACTIVITY:
DIVISION(S):
SIGN-UP DATE(S):
TIME:
PLACE:
Volleyball
CO-Rec B
Entries Close Tuesday, October 11
5:30 p.m.
IM-Rec Sports Office, 159 Read Bldg.
SPORT OR ACTIVITY: Flickerball
DIVISION(S):
SIGN-UP DATE(S):
TIME:
PLACE:
Co-Rec B
Entries Close Monday, October 10
Entries Close Tuesday, October 18
5:30 p.m.
IM-Rec Sports Office, 159 Read Bldg.
General Motors and GMAC Financial Services are proud to be associated with your campus intramural-recreational
sports and activities. Stop by your Intramural or Recreational Sports Department today so you can sign up to play!
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