As presiding officer of the International Double Reed Society I am in a position to view with exceeding pleasure the work being done by the Executive Committee and the members of the Society working directly with us. From the original forty-eight people attending the organizational meeting on December 16, 1971, our Society has grown to a membership well over eight hundred for the year 1974, and promises to approach or even surpass the one thousand member mark for 1975. Growth of this kind can only he attributed to the abilities of the past Executives combined with the enthusiasm best demonstrated by our editors, Gerald Corey and Daniel Stolper. Their outstanding work with the bassoon and oboe newsletters necessarily must receive major credit for the initial success of our Society. Major strength comes of the Executives through the untiring efforts of Noah Knepper, our treasurer. Noah's advice is actively sought by all members of the committee. Other members include Christopher Weait (Vice President), Edwin Lacy (Recording Secretary), Lowry Riggins (Corresponding Secretary), along with Richard Rath (Business Liaison), James Burton (Advertising Agent), Bruce Degen (Librarian), and finally James Moore and Wilbur Simpson, in charge of the 1975 meeting of the IDRS to be held August 10 and 11 on the campus of Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois. This fine team of Executives should be encouraged to continue the work of the Society for much can be said for continuity of direction. Being one of the forty-eight founding members, I have been in a position to appreciate their efforts, and strongly recommend their retention.
While still far from complete, plans for the meeting at Evanston are well under way. We have high hopes that Maurice Allard, the distinguished French bassoonist, will perform for us. In addition. Christopher Weait will present a paper and video tape on the inner workings of the bassoonist; Dr. Chester White, Jr. - a paper on nerve deadness in performers' fingers; and Robert Thompson - a program of unpublished baroque bassoon literature. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be performing at its summer home, Ravinia, and time will be left open in our schedule so that members may hear the performance. As further plans materialize, we will keep the membership informed in our newsletters. May I take this opportunity to invite all members of the Society to attend the August meeting.
Our Constitution calls for the establishment of a library, and this has been done. The library was originally housed at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, with Lawrence Intravaia as Librarian. Upon the untimely death of Dr. Intravaia, the library was named "The Lawrence Intravaia Memorial Library of the IDRS" and moved to Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa, where Dr. Bruce Degen undertook the position of Librarian. His address - Dr. Bruce Degen, IDRS Librarian, Division of Fine Arts, Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa 50125. A recent letter from Bruce informs me that the library is quite static at the present time for several reasons: 1) Lack of adequate funding; 2) Very little has been donated by the membership in the way of music, recordings, or literature relating to the double-reeds; and 3) Apparently few members are aware of the existence of the library, for relatively few have written for aid in finding materials. The Society is now in quite sound financial condition, and has requested Dr. Degen to outline his financial needs for the library so that we can begin a funding program. Obviously, any members of the Society who wish to make a contribution to the library are encouraged to do so, and your contribution will be most warmly received. Such contributions may be monetary, but may also take the form of books, recordings and music. Of special interest to all of us would be out-of-print materials (recordings, music) which are no longer available through the usual sources of supply. Materials of this kind can be reproduced relatively inexpensively upon request of individual members, and the member would be required to pay only the expenses for this service. We specifically request any member with such materials to contact Bruce to make arrangements for such donations. A library is only as good as the people who use it, so let's make our own library a real asset!
While the Society's growth has been quite impressive, there is need for even greater growth if we are to attain the goals set forth in our Constitution. The Executive Board is attempting to increase membership through advertising our existence in trade magazines and journals. You, as a member of the Society, can aid us in this endeavor by helping us advertise. Many of us are performers and teachers, and are therefore in a position to be respected for our abilities. If each of us made a conscious effort to discuss the IDRS's work with our students and double reed colleagues, our membership would swell with ever increasing speed, and thereby make our goals more readily attainable. May I therefore ask each IDRS member to make it a point to discuss the Society and its goals with others. Carry our treasurer's address with you at all times (elsewhere in this issue) and talk about the organization; I do, and I know it works.
I am looking forward to meeting at Evanston in August and hope to see all of you at that time. May all your reeds be concert caliber!
