Three of the attractions of the Festival were the Ballet des Champs Elysees, from Paris, the Scottish morality play, "The Thrie Estaits", and the Glyndebourne Opera Company. I saw all three on successive nights, which gave me an opportunity of comparing their particular and contrasting merits. The Ballet des Champs Elysees is a talented young company—it was only started in 1945—in which the emphasis is on originality, and the constant search for something new—"Not to create is to stand still; not to be ahead of one's time is to fail". I was most impressed by "Les Forains", or "The Travelling Showmen", the story of a troupe of entertainers who come to a town, erect their stage and, after practising, present their show—clowns, acrobats, conjurors and all. After the show, the entertainers are unrewarded, and go sadly on their way. It is a simple but beautiful theme, which lends itself well to the ballet. From the first fanfare of trumpets I knew I was going to enjoy "The Thrie Estaits". Colourful spectacle is always a delight, and there was plenty of it in the Scottish play; comedy, too, was abundant, and was provided chiefly by the three clowns, who represented the Vices, Flattery, Deceit and Falsehood. The play was in the Scottish tongue—I bought a copy of the text afterwards—and (except for last year's Festival), had not been performed since 1554. The original, which took nine hours to perform—presumably with intervals for refreshment—had to be considerably shortened. The stage, in Elizabethan fashion, was surrounded on three sides by the audience, and all the entrances and exits were made through them. With the ,Glyndebourne Opera Company's production of "Cosi Fan Tutte", we went from partially unintelligible Scots to wholly unintelligible Italian. It was an impeccable performance, and, with Mozart's tuneful music, the fragile delicacy and artificiality of the production was pleasing to ear and eye. When I look back on my sojourn in "Auld Reekie", I recall two things in particular : first, of course, the Castle which dominates all things; and then the gay crowds of people—not only Scots, but people from every corner of the earth. For no barriers of sea or race kept anyone from the message the Edinburgh Festival speaks to the world. P. J. R. MASON.
THE C.C.F. Most of this term has been devoted to training on the parade ground as there has been no Certificate "A" Examination to prepare for. The Corps has been greatly assisted in drill by Regular N.C.O.s from the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, to whom the Corps is affiliated. Parties of Cadets and N.C.O.s went to Strensall Barracks once a week where they learnt how to drill in a rather different manner from what we have been used to. 46
