The Debating Society

managed to convey some of their enthusiasm to the audience. And for the performers themselves it was a great experience to have sung such a great work.

Special thanks must be given to our two soloists, Mrs. Kemp-Welch and Mr. Ockenden. We are fortunate in having singers of such talent in our midst and their presence at our concert lent distinction to the occasion.

The second part of the concert was in less serious mood. The Choral Society sang a number of better-known carols. Every member put everything into his delivery ! The "Octet" gave us a very polished rendering of "Christmas is coming" and "Little David play on yo' harp", both of which were received very well by the audience. They are to be congratulated On an excellent performance.

A special word is due to the Orchestra whose very strenuous work is so often overlooked. Some members of the audience probably little appreciated the work that had gone into the production of what was called on the programme "The Orchestral Interlude". This work, slight in itself, represented the result of a term's hard rehearsals on the part of the violinists, who performed here without outside help of any kind. We would, however, like to thank all the visiting instrumentalists who formed the majority of the Orchestra for Messiah and the Carols. Jones also deserves a word of congratulation for his confident handling of the continuo part on the piano.

During the past year the Choral Society has been under the able secretaryship of S. M. Badham, to whom we can attribute a large part of the success of this and previous concerts. We extend to him our hearty thanks and send him our best wishes for the future. D.N.L.B.

The first meeting was an open meeting, and the motion that "This House deplores British Policy in the Middle East", was topical. Mr. D. G. Cummin suggested three reasons for supporting the motion. The Government had encouraged the French to pursue a bad policy, and in so doing had shattered the bi-partisan spirit of British Politics, at the same time destroying much good-will with the U.S.A. P. A. Morris, opposing, appealed to any latent Tory instinct in the House. The respective seconders, M. B. Wilson and G. V. Plester, dealt with Cyprus, viewing the situation from different angles. There were several speeches from the floor, and after Mr. D. K. Crews had pointed out that the Government had no policy in the Middle East, the motion was carried by 79 votes to 16. "Civilisation is only skin deep" was the motion proposed by M. L. Bywater at the next meeting. Both Bywater and his seconder, T. M. Jenkinson, seemed deeply convinced, the one maintaining that with- 29

out our fathers' precepts we should be lost, while the other recounted the foul crimes that "civilised" man was capable of committing. B. W. H. Carter, opposing, said that we had an innate sense of civilisation. Civilisation, he said, was the broadening of men's minds and was enduring. C. W. Jose, seconding the Opposition, thought that the teddy boy was a sign of the strength of the civilisation against which he rebelled. The motion was carried by 98 votes to 17.

At the third meeting D. Pfluger proposed that "the House regretted the influence of the U.S.A. on the modern world". America dominated the West as Russia dominated her satellites, and, he suggested, hindered civilisation by separating the East from the West. E. C. Sedman, seconding the Proposition, said, after making several self-deprecatory remarks, that U.S. atomic schemes were designed to enslave Britain. The Secretary, opposing the motion, suggested that America had had a good influence in every cultural sphere; he was supported by P. A. Crossley, who produced an astounding list of beneficial American inventions. The motion was carried by 42 votes to 18.

The fourth meeting, being close to the fifth of November, a suitable motion was devised by the Committee. L. Burgess, Esq., proposed that "the House was proud of Guy Fawkes". He painted a glowing picture of the militant Fawkes, and suggested that he was a reformer before his time. F. J. Wiseman, Esq., opposing the motion, asked how, as Englishmen, the House could be proud of one who had fought with Spain five years after the Armada. R. L. Evans, seconding the Proposition, said that Fawkes had acted in the firm conviction of his Catholic faith. For the Opposition D. L. Brown said the gunpowder plot had delayed Catholic emancipation. Speaking from the floor, J. B. Robinson suggested that respect for an O.P. should be tempered by the knowledge that in Fawkes' time the School was Catholic in tone. The motion was carried by 49 votes to 16.

The fifth meeting was an open meeting and the House debated the motion that "Communism should be outlawed". J. Chilman, proposing, asked the House if they could agree with a system that forced men to act against their wills, a system where God is not held supreme. D. Kirby, opposing the motion, thought that personal prejudice was not a substantive reason for outlawing a political ideal. F. A. L. Kirby, supporting the motion, quoted with some effect from "Animal Farm". M. G. Sykes, opposing, thought that to outlaw Communism a Police State would need to be instituted. After a number of speeches from the floor, the motion was lost by 87 votes to 17.

The last meeting of the term is best described by its unofficial appellation "Debating Society Christmas Party". It opened with the trial of Friese-Greene (M. B. Wilson) for inventing the motion film and corrupting a nation. Counsel for the Prosecution (T. G. Stephenson) won his case.