Lowell House Will Offer New Opera

A world premiere of an American opera and a CBS broadcast keynote the plans of the Lowell House Musical Society as it prepares t hostage its fifth annual opera, "Solomon and Balkis," Richard P. Gifford '43, manager of the Society, announced last night.

The stage performances will be held April 14 and 15 in the Lowell House dining hall and will be preceded by an abbreviated radio production over the Columbia Broadcasting System on March 29. This marks the first time a Lowell opera has been aired on a major network.

Written by Randell Thompson '20, Director of the Division of Music at the University of Virginia, "Solomon and Balkis" is the product of a commission from the League of Composers and CBS to write an opera suitable for performance in colleges and conservatories. The libretto is based on Rudyard Kipling's Just-So story "The Butterfly That Stamped."

Malcolm H. Holmes '28, conductor of the Harvard, Radcliffe, and Wellesley College orchestras will direct the musical portions of the opera. The production committee is headed by Gifford and includes S. Leonard Kent '43, John A. Holabird '42, William M. Green '42, John E. Sawhill '43, Thomas Matters '43, and Niles Chubb '43, all of Lowell House.

Cast in the four lead roles are M. Willoughby Todd of Radcliffe as Balkis; Robert Soule of the Medical School as Soloman; Marjorie Rice of Radcliffe as Butterfly's Wife; and Philip Stolar of the New England Conservatory of Music as Butterfly. The Pierian Sodality will supply the orchestra.