Joint concerts became more frequent in the late '30's until finally in 1942 the Pierian suggested that the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra be formed. Both groups could benefit from this step because the girls needed basses and the men strings. After a year of trial, the group held a plebiscite and voted to have permanent status.
No organization in the University has a parallel arrangement for administration and membership. The players in the orchestra fall into three catagories: Harvard men who are members of the Sodality, Cantabrigians interested in orchestral music who play a vital but scarce instrument like the viola, and Radcliffe girls who are members of the Radcliffe Orchestra.
The girls pay dues to the Radcliffe Orchestra, which has its own officers, and the Pierians pay dues to the Sodality; no one pays dues to the H-R O, which is administered by "the Board," consisting of Pierian's officers, the Radcliffe President, and the conductor. The Radcliffe dues are never spent because all expenses for the concerts are paid by Pierian dues, concert profits, and the Pierian Trust Fund. Thus the Radcliffe group has accumulated $209 in its bank account, and this year reduced its dues to $.50 per year.
The Pierian Sodality's constitution reveals another complicated relationship between the Sodality and the Radcliffe Orchestra. If the combined orchestra separates, Pierian will pay Radcliffe the percentage of its treasury which is "equal to the percentages of Radcliffe members in the Harvard- Radcliffe Orchestra, not to exceed $100."
Since its inception, the joint orchestra has been able to undertake more ambitious projects than either group could manage separately, and has still carried on some of Pierian's previous activities, although it no longer serenades.
Following Pierian's tradition of visiting women's colleges, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra travelled to Colby Jr. College in February, 1943. Although a 'Cliffie reports that the girls were taken along as "excess bags," she later adds that "a glad and gleeful time was had by all." Wellesley and Groton School were also destinations of the combination's travels, but in February, 1948, the Pierians asserted their freedom by giving a concert with the Mt. Holyoke College orchestra, or so the first page of the program says. Radcliffe girl's names appear in the roster on page three.
The question of a tour comes up each year, yet the orchestra has not recently gone far afield because of the expense and time involved. Before October, 1948, the tours had occurred while school was in session, but at this time there was a revision of tour policy. "Henceforth, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra will give no joint orchestral concerts while school is in session. . . Mt. Holyoke, Colby Jr. and Wellesley College take notice."
Pierian usually sponsors a joint choral-orchestral concert as a highlight of the year's schedule, following the pattern of joint concerts started in 1943. Boston's Chorus Pro Musica, the Brandeis University Chorus, the Glee Club and Choral Society have all joined with the orchestra in recent years, as have the Lexington and Framingham Choral Societies. This year's performance of Haydn's Creation was a renewal of association between the three Harvard musical organizations after a separation of four years.
The orchestra, besides performing accepted classics, has kept the Cambridge public aware of new musical work. Music by Shostakovitch, Piston, Mennin, and Vaughan Williams has appeared on the H-R O program, despite the objections of reactionary elements in the Cambridge audience. Soloists such as Ruth Posselt, Joseph Szigeti, and Johanna Martzy have performed in Cambridge under Pierian's auspices, and university hopefuls also