Verdi's Requiem Mass at SF State College (1963)

Please note: This 'kinescope' recording was originally made on November 24th 1963 by filming the picture from a live video monitor. The picture quality - especially sharpness - is much lower than the rest of our footage produced on 16mm film. As noted by KRON-TV GM Harold P. See in a brief introduction (which was shot on 16mm film): "This process has resulted in some loss of [picture] detail." A KRON-TV special program featuring San Francisco State College's Choral Union, conducted by John Toms, singing Giuseppe Verdi's Reqiuem Mass in the campus Main Auditorium, as a tribute to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated two days earlier in Dallas, Texas. Includes a speech by SF State's Dean of Creative Arts Dr. J. Fenton McKenna and extended views of the 85 member orchestra and 150 voice choral union performing Requiem Mass. The live telecast was directed by Herbert Zettl from a temporary control room on campus, with assistance from Darryl Compton as technical director. Broadcasting students helped with the video and audio setups and operated the cameras. It's worth noting that mezzo-soprano Donna Petersen was an SF State graduate (thanks to Helene Whitson for letting us know). We'd also like to thank Steven Gurr for identifying his mother Nancy Cronburg as being the soprano soloist in this performance.