Holy Cross Magazine welcomes letters regarding the magazine's content. Letters intended for publication must be signed and may be edited for style, length and clarity. Opinions expressed in the letters section do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or the editorial staff.

To the Editor: 
The latest issue of Holy Cross Magazine featuring the musical world of Holy Cross is wonderful. I was especially pleased to have been contacted for a feature interview. It must have been a daunting task to speak to several musicians about their whole musical life and retell those stories in relatively few words. Allison Chisolm did a magnificent job. Speaking for myself, I felt she really captured the essence of the origins of what has become my life's work and the importance Holy Cross played in those beginnings.

With such a huge undertaking it would be extremely understandable that a few facts might get a little confused. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few items in my feature. First, it is important to note that Bruce Miller not only "encouraged" my "solo work on numerous occasions," but actually hired me as a soloist for several concerts. In the statement "I'm just one of the instruments. It's their show," I meant the conductor's show as it is his or her interpretation of the work. I do Wagner "in small doses" only because of lack of opportunity here in Boston. My intention is to make a career out of singing mostly Wagner as it is very comfortable for me and I have been encouraged to do so by many Wagner experts. Finally, though Centre United Methodist Church was indeed my first soloist position, that was back in 1982, and I have had several positions since that time. An understandable confusion came in that, this year I have returned to that church as Music Director. 

I am always proud to be an alumna of Holy Cross and it is a wonderful environment for the pursuit of music. 

Rebecca O'Brien '81 
Malden, Mass. 

To the Editor: 
It's a great day in the Pacific Northwest . . . the coffee was just right, the Mariners are hitting for a change and the sun is shining!  And, the morning mail brought the April/May issue of Holy Cross Magazine and some fairly neat memories. 

The inside column about Fr. O'Callahan caught my attention first of all. I read I Was Chaplain on the Franklin as a young teen in the mid-60s, and it had something to do with my awareness of Holy Cross, beyond the fact that the Syracuse Orangemen of Ernie Davis and then Larry Csonka beat them each year. (Dad was a Syracuse grad.) 

The second thing that stirred memories was your piece on Mark Randall. Somewhere in my junk is a water color Mark did of Alumni Hall in our senior year . . . no great work of art, but we'd lived on Alumni 3 Freshman year, and I was always nostalgic about the place.  Mark was incredibly talented; one of those people who could get good music out of three rocks and a string had he tried. In addition to piano, Mark played clarinet and guitar well enough. A major player in the glee club and the Paks, his humor and good nature really were incredible. In a time of life and a time of national life when we took ourselves oh, so seriously, Mark maintained an effective sense of balance. While we wrote agonizingly heavy poetry about love, Vietnam, and racism (or some combination thereof), Mark wrote limericks -and sold them as Animal Poems in the Hogan Center. He tried to take navigation from the ROTC department, because he liked sailing . . . gentle, balanced and always smiling. 

Great memories. And, it hasn't started to rain here yet today. 

Mike Farrell '73 
Lacey, Wash. 

To the Editor: 
I enjoyed the section of the April/May Holy Cross Magazine dealing with the music department. I was very disappointed, however, that the only mention of Fr. Thomas Culley, S.J., was to allude to him as Tim Culley on page 18. 

Fr. Culley brought classical music, especially baroque music, to the masses for many years, including my time at Holy Cross from 1969 to 1973. For me, a biology major, studying music was an important part of my liberal arts education, and Fr. Culley made the study of music a delight. How many schools can boast of a Jesuit professor with a harpsichord in the back of his station wagon, with unlimited zeal to share his knowledge, enthusiasm, Oklahoma chili, and friendship with his students? I'm sure he was a highlight of Holy Cross for hundreds of students, and he deserved mention (and honor) in your magazine. It's not too late. 

Paul Barcewicz, M.D., '73 
Guilford, Conn. 

To the Editor: 
I read with much enjoyment the recent edition of Holy Cross Magazine. When I was a student in 1974, there was not a music major. I therefore majored in psychology but took as many music courses as offered. I fondly remember my many nights in the Administration Building where we had headphones and big leather chairs in which to hear our lessons. I admired Suzanna Waldbauer a great deal. She was a fantastic inspiration. Shirish Korde was very special. I remember taking a course with him where we were supposed to come up with our own topic on American jazz. I wrote a children's book. It was great fun. 

My dream, however, was to spend junior year in Vienna so I could hear some of the most wonderful performances in the world. Unfortunately, they would not let me go as a music major since there was none, but since Freud was from Vienna, I was allowed to go under my psychology major. It was a life-changing experience. 

When I graduated, I became the Box Office Manager for the Albany Symphony Orchestra, my home-town orchestra. However, I was invited to attend a symphony management conference in Chicago and decided that the Chicago Symphony was the best in our country. I ended up working for them for five years in the development department. Although I am no longer involved in the music community, I still love it and attribute much of my knowledge to the wonderful professors I had at Holy Cross. 

Jane M. (Alvaro) Stern '78 
Chicago, Ill. 

To the Editor: 
Your new magazine format is wonderful. The articles are excellent and most informative. I do, however, have to make mention of a glaring oversight in your recent music issue. This, I am sure, was not intentional and should have been brought to your attention by the music department. But "out of sight, out of mind"-they probably do not even know about the man who, for 30 years, from 1921-1951, directed the Holy Cross Music Clubs. They comprised the Glee Club, the Marching Band, the Dance Band, and the Philharmonic Orchestra. The 30-stop Concert Tour of the Glee Club, Orchestra and Soloists each year brought Holy Cross to audiences of thousands throughout the East Coast. 

Hundreds of us "older alums" were privileged to perform under his expert direction. He was a legend! This gentle, bubbly man, with a skill to impart the love of music, both classical and contemporary, to students and audiences alike, brought honor to Holy Cross wherever we performed. He always epitomized the best of what our College had to offer to its students in the realm of leadership and education. We are grateful for his devotion and dedication. 

Please do not omit from your next music issue, and please acknowledge the contribution to Holy Cross, of Professor J. Edward Bouvier. The current music department should thank their lucky stars for the heritage passed on to them from "J. Edward." 

Joseph F. Whalen Jr. '52 
Worcester, Mass.