The fourth annual meeting of the IDRS was held at Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois on August 10, 11, and 12, 1975. Attendance was 105 members out of 800-plus internationally, the largest showing of our membership to date. In addition to being the greatest attendance for an annual meeting, the consensus of opinion among members who had attended previous meetings was that this year's program was the finest since the founding of our organization. Much thanks must go to Wilbur Simpson, our host and program chairman at Evanston. When Wilbur accepted this post, I knew we were on the way to a fine convention, and he did not disappoint us.

The program began Sunday morning after a brief period for registration. Of immediate interest to members--an extension of the present term of office for a period of eight months so that officers of the Society will have terms of office running from annual meeting to annual meeting passed without dissension. Consequently our officers through our next annual meeting remain as they have been for the past eight months: Earl L. Clemens, President; Christopher Weait, Vice-President; Edwin Lacy, Recording Secretary; Lowry Riggins, Corresponding Secretary; and Noah Knepper, Treasurer. At this and a second meeting of the membership, three sites for the 1976 meeting were proposed, voted upon as an advisory to the selection committee, and a selection made. The sixth annual meeting will take place in Evansville, Indiana in early August of 1977, with the actual dates to be solidified in the near future. Starting with the 1976 meeting, a registration fee will be charged each member in attendance to help defray costs of the convention.

At the final general meeting, the name of Fernand Gillet was placed in nomination, seconded, and unanimously approved as our second Honorary Life member. Consequently on August 13, 1975, the following telegram was sent to Fernand Gillet: "Very happy to announce your election to honorary membership, International Double Reed Society, August 12, 1975. You have given us more than we can ever repay. Warmest greetings from the Society to you and yours. Earl L. Clemens, President, IDRS."

As to the program for the two and a half days of the convention, I can only say that those of you not in attendance missed many thrilling sessions. There was continually that feeling you get when you've been in a session and learned more and heard much more, and you have the inspiration to resolve to work harder yourself. Such were the sessions presented by Burl Lane, Chicago Symphony contrabassoonist, and Grover Schiltz, Chicago Symphony English hornist and specialist on the baroque oboe. Christopher Weait's fluoroscopic video tape of the internal mechanisms producing the vibrato was an eye-opener for all of us, while sessions by Robert Mayer, former member of the Chicago Symphony, Noah Knepper on problems of the doubler, the demonstration of the German and French bassoons by Gerald Corey, the newly-discovered baroque bassoon literature presented by Robert Thompson, and the double reed repair session conducted by William Brannen were all warmly received by the members. The lecture by John Mack, solo oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra, was a major highlight of the convention. Just before his lecture, we were treated to one of the finest concerts I've had the pleasure to hear, presented by the New York Bassoon Quartet. I'm sure the quartet will receive many engagements as a result of this fine performance. Gabor Janota, Budapest bassoonist, presented a talk concerning the training of instrumentalists in his country, and then performed two compositions, one of which - Episodi per Fagotto e Piano, op. 2, by Attila Bozay was a US premiere. Dorothy Mayer accompanied Mr. Janota and Mr. Corey and received a well deserved ovation for her work.

Such was the fourth annual meeting at Evanston. We look forward to next year's meeting at Toronto where plans are already under way. We hope to see you then.

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