October-December, 2009
From 1770 to the present day, music has played a key role in the life of the Mission campus. "Don't Stop the Music! The Campus Musical Experience at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½," a new exhibit in the Harrington Learning Commons, surveys the variety of musical expression at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ through three centuries. Visitors will see manuscripts from the early Mission period, music and printed books from the ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ College years (1851-1911) and numerous photographs of the University Orchestra, Choir, and various campus bands, from 1950s to the 1990s.
Highlights of the exhibit include two music manuscripts from Mission ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ - a choir book in the hand of the 19th-century Franciscan musician and scribe Florencio Ibáñez, and a manuscript of the Catholic Mass, in the key of C. Also on display are: the 1856 first edition of "The ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ Polka," composed by James R. Lawrie, Professor of Piano at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ College from 1856-1902; the original steel engraving plate used to print the cover of Lawrie's work; musical scores for University songs of the early 20th Century; programs and posters for student performances; and numerous photographs of professional popular musicians who have performed at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ from the 1960s to the present.
The exhibit features books, manuscripts and ephemera from the Archives & Special Collections, with additional materials loaned by the Department of Music, the Department of Theatre and Dance, and several private collectors.