PRINTER'S NO. 1439
No. 58 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY CUNNINGHAM, PITTS AND DeVERTER, APRIL 27, 1981
ADOPTED, APRIL 27, 1981
In the House of Representatives, April 27, 1981
1 WHEREAS, The year 1981 has been declared the beginning of the
2 Tercentenary Celebration of the founding of the Commonwealth of
3 Pennsylvania by William Penn; and
4 WHEREAS, The citizens of Pennsylvania have been encouraged to
5 contribute to our heritage as a Commonwealth where people can
6 share their own State, which in accordance with William Penn's
7 dream did indeed become "the seed of a Nation"; and
8 WHEREAS, Raymond Brown, Director of Choral Music, School of
9 Music, College of Arts and Architecture, the Pennsylvania State
10 University, is the director of the Pennsylvania State University
11 Concert Choir and the founder and director of the Penn State
12 Singers; and
13 WHEREAS, It was at Raymond Brown's suggestion and request
14 that the Nation's bicentennial year be celebrated by having the
15 Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies commission an
16 opera, "Be Glad Then America", by Pulitzer Prize winner John
17 LaMontaine who put to music the events and great oratory leading
1 up to the American Revolution and which was premiered at Penn
2 State University in February 1976 with the Penn State University
3 Choirs, Sarah Caldwell, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, Through the foresight of Raymond Brown, a musical
6 work entitled "Peter Quince at the Calvier", by Pulitzer Prize
7 winning composer Dominick Argento, has been commissioned by the
8 Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies for the
9 Pennsylvania State University Concert Choirs in commemoration of
10 the Tercentenary of the founding of Pennsylvania by William
11 Penn; and
12 WHEREAS, "Peter Quince at the Clavier", is based on a poem by
13 Wallace Stevens, also a Pulitzer Prize winner; and
14 WHEREAS, Dominick Argento and Wallace Stevens are natives of
15 Pennsylvania, Argento of York and Stevens of Reading; and
16 WHEREAS, The Penn State Singers, one of the Penn State
17 University Choirs, is giving the World Premiere Performance of
18 said work on April 11, 1981 in Schwab Auditorium on the Penn
19 State University Campus, University Park, Pennsylvania; and
20 WHEREAS, Additional performances of this work are already
21 scheduled for York, Reading, Pittsburgh, Hershey, Washington,
22 D.C. and locations in England that are associated with William
23 Penn's life; and
24 WHEREAS, The current repertoire of the Penn State Singers
25 includes a variety of other American works from several periods
26 of our history which will be performed during this Tercentenary
27 year; therefore be it
28 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That since the Penn State
29 Singers have a distinguished history and excellent reputation,
30 they will be admirable representatives of the Commonwealth of
19810H0058R1439 - 2 -
1 Pennsylvania in their appearances during the Tercentenary Year
2 of 1981 both here in the United States and abroad; and be it
3 further
4 RESOLVED, That the Penn State Singers, under the direction of
5 its founder Raymond Brown, be designated official ambassadors
6 for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the Tercentenary
7 celebration year of 1981; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That Raymond Brown be commended for the Penn State
9 Singers outstanding musicianship, for his fine leadership,
10 interest in and sensitivity to our Nation's history; and be it
11 further
12 RESOLVED, That we congratulate Raymond Brown and the Penn
13 State Singers on their continuing record of contributions to
14 music in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate and
16 the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on behalf of the
17 General Assembly, present this resolution to Raymond Brown, to
18 the Penn State Singers and to President John Oswald as the
19 representatives of Penn State University as a token of
20 appreciation and esteem.
C6L82JR/19810H0058R1439 - 3 -