Singers Scrap Britain Tour

One of three Harvard singing groups scheduled to tour abroad this summer has cancelled its trip in the wake of recent terrorist attacks worldwide, and will instead tour the West Coast, group members said yesterday.

The Collegium Musicum scrapped its planned month-long tour of Great Britain after the choral group's conductor said he would not lead the tour in light of recent terrorist attacks, even if the risk was small. "I could not accept responsibility for 50 lives. It's too much of a chance to take," said Collegium conductor Jameson N. Marvin.

The group first discussed the prospect of cancelling the tour after a rehearsal last Tuesday. An anonymous vote taken at the time showed that 15 of 50 members who had planned to go had altered their decisions, Collegium President Rebecca Ellis '86 said yesterday.

Eight of the 15 reportedly said they would not go even if the group decided to, while seven said they would probably go despite their reservations.

In a special meeting of the Collegium's executive committee last week, Marvin announced his personal decision and the executive committee decided that without Marvin they had to cancel the tour, Ellis said.

"When it became clear I couldn't go, they[executive committee members] said, `We can'tgo,"' Marvin said.

The group has raised $75,000 for the trip andhas rehearsed and performed songs slated for thetour since the beginning of the fall semester,Ellis said.

Two other Harvard singing groups, theKrokodiloes and the Din and Tonics, will tourabroad as planned, members of the two groups saidyesterday.

Reaction to Decision

The executive committee's decision to cancelthe trip was discussed at a special group meetinglast Thursday. "A lot of people were angry that wedecided not to go," Ellis said. But she said thatpeople have come to understand the decision.

"I think the chances of being blown up areminiscule and that we are probably more at risk onthe freeways of the West Coast," said Collegiummember Alida F. Griffith '88.

"I don't feel he's responsible for us. We'reautonomous adults, we're responsible for our ownwelfare, and we know the risks. We're not a highschool choir," she said.

Griffith also questioned the decision-makingprocess, saying she thought the final decision wasmade in a hurry. "I think it was media-inducedhysteria that cancelled this trip," she said. Ofthe increasing number of groups nationwide thathave cancelled plans for European travel out offears about terrorism, Griffith said, "If oneperson does it, it's stupid. If a million peopledo it, it's fashionable but still stupid."

"A lot of people were pretty upset" about theway the decision was made, said Clifford S.Goodstein '88, adding that group members wereinformed of the decision by phone Wednesday night."People were upset that it was not actually takento a final vote," Goodstein said. "There was a lotof initial resentment." "If the conductor says no,he counts for 51 votes."

Support

However, other members of the 15-year-old coedsinging group said they supported the move. "I wasvery disappointed [at first] but I think it wasthe correct decision since a substantial numberfelt they did not want to go," said Collegiummember Jennifer R. Weiss '87. "It's unfortunatebut it had to happen. I would feel responsible ifI felt I forced the people who had misgivings togo on the tour."

The change in itinerary has surprised somemembers of the two a capella groups that will touroutside the US this summer.

"I'm really, really surprised they're notgoing," said Steven J.R. Cass '87, general managerof the Krokodiloes, who he said still plan to goon a tour this summer which includes stops inAthens, Vienna, and Rome, sites of recentterrorist attacks.

He said the decision is a "total wimp-out." "Ithink it's an overreaction," Cass said. "England'sabout the safest place they could be."

Viable Alternative

As far as whether touring the WestCoast--including Disneyland and Yosemite NationalPark--will be as exciting as seeing Europe, Marvinsaid yesterday he feels that it is a "viablealternative" and that after practicing all yearlong, going on tour was the important thing.

"I already sense a revival of the spirit. The40 who are going are very happy about it," Weisssaid.

"It's going to take a lot of work on thespirit" to produce a different tour, Goodsteinsaid. And Griffith, who will be going, said of theWest Coast trip, "It's like getting into Harvardand being told to go to your state university.