Visiting home
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Visiting home |
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 48 Aurora Tce, Wlgtn 1 27/9/73 Dear Mum & Dad, Well, the classes at Tawa College went very well. I taught 5 classes on the Tuesday, 3 on the Wednesday afternoon & 7 on the Thursday. A Mrs. Poppelwell took them on Mondays, Fridays & Wednesday mornings. They were 3rd, 4th & 5th form classes. I had a few classes that got a bit riotous! But the rest were good. Sally Crystal, who lives on the Terrace & teaches French at Tawa, picked me up at 8 in the morning, and brought me back in the afternoons. On Wednesdays I went out on the Unit. The article in the Evening Post on Leila was in the Dominion about a week ago. I didn’t see the Evening Post one, but from what you said, the Dominion article was much the same. Yesterday, the Music Education class put on a concert at 1 p.m. There are only 12 of us in the class. We put it on for other music students. It was very successful. We made everything up ourselves. My piece, “Three sheets in the wind” was a piano solo piece. All the other pieces, except the electronic works which were simply tapes, were played by everyone in the class. They were not the usual pieces that you hear at concerts. “Prophecy” by Alan Woodcock was a song in 3 parts. “Rondo” was a series of tongue clickings, finger clickings, clapping & stamping. “Piece No. 1” was mainly for drums, but at one stage I had to thump my arms down on the piano. The best part of the concert was our little operetta “Jonah & the Whale”. Fr. Woodcock was Jonah. It only lasted for 10 minutes, but the audience enjoyed it. We have only 1 week of lectures left before exams, lectures finishing on Friday 5th October. My exam dates are as follows: Eng. Poetry: – 15th Oct. 9.30 a.m. – 12.30. Eng. Prose: - 25th Oct. 2.30 p.m. – 5.30. Shakespeare: - 1st Nov. 2.30 p.m. – 5.30. I don’t have written exams for the music units. For Music Education we have to write a composition, & the class has to put it on in front of the Professor (Jenny McLeod). That is worth 20%. The rest is made up of an essay done during the year (10%), an electronic work (10%), plus weekly assignments during the year & class involvement (60%). Music Analysis is judged on 4 essays done during the year (I still have 1 to do). And Music History is judged on 5 essays during the year (I still have 1 of these to do too) & a project we have to finish by Oct. 26th. I’m doing my project on Plain Chant. Fr. Hickey, the Provincial, is in Germany at present at a meeting of Provincials. Fr. Delaney is in charge until he gets back. 3 new college rectors have so far been announced for next year: - Fr. F. Bliss – St. Augustine’s, Wanganui - Fr. D. Darby – St. Bede’s, Chch. - Fr. D. Scully – St. Pat’s Timaru. Michael Austin left about a fortnight ago. I think I told you. I don’t know what he’s going to do, but the doctor told him to go labouring for a while. Last Saturday, Barry Leech’s parents from Miramar, celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary. They had a Mass here at 4.30 p.m. then a party at their home. Last Friday I sat an English Term’s Test, which entitles me to sit the English Prose Exam. I did alright in it. After the exams we have a retreat, then we help out in the schools for a while, then we have a months holiday at home (!), then we help the brothers with cooking until the Seminary starts again next year. So we are going to be busy. Well, I must go now. Love from Bruce |