Chinese company bids to buy Westminster Choir College
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Outrage after Chinese company makes bid to buy NJ music school
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,367
    One has to wonder if our government, our academic professors, our leaders in all walks of life are not blind as bats as to what lengths the Chinese will go to nurture the falsehood that the Chinese are not a threat to all we stand for and our way of life. We cannot assume that any of their thousands of students in our colleges is anything other than a carefully groomed agent of the Chinese communist party, whose motto might well be understood to be l'etat c'est nous. China really is not China - if it were correctly identified in writing and on maps it would be labeled 'The Land of the Chinese Communist Party', not 'China'.

    Too, one can only wonder at the philistine duplicity of those who would sell such a gem as WCC to any Chinese entity. Nothing and no one that comes from China is benign. Boycott! - Stop buying Chinese stuff.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen CharlesW dad29
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    Egads! MJO has a better foreign policy understanding than every President since Nixon inclusive.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen CharlesW
  • Ken of Sarum
    Posts: 406
    I went to WCC long ago. I agree with MJO and it would be a hugely enormous and stupendously dangerous event for any Chinese and or communist entity to acquire WCC or anything in Princeton, NJ. FYI - There are also several large underground facilities at WCC whereby things could go on unnoticed. This is critically dangerous!
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    When I was in graduate school at Princeton and subsequently in residence as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study, I had several friends and musical acquaintances at WCC. And I sang in the church choir of and with Robert Simpson, a faculty member at WCC. I've always held WCC fondly in my heart.
    Thanked by 1Cantus67
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,367
    Chuck -

    Interesting that you sang with Robert Simpson at WCC. He is now Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston. He was Clyde Holloway's successor quite some years ago now. He also is director of the Houston Chamber Choir, which he founded when he came here. There are few in his league.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    That must be the wrong person, Jackson. Robert D Simpson passed away in 2015 at the age of 91 in Gainsville, Georgia. Bob had a beautiful tenor voice and an effusive spirit and he was loved by all his students and colleagues. There is a memory page on Facebook that has many pictures and recollections of Bob.

    https://youtu.be/-6SAPzk6_HQ
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • Ken of Sarum
    Posts: 406
    CHG - you are absolutely correct in every aspect of Bob Simpson. RIP He was a great friend and teacher! One day during rehearsal in the playhouse, the Italian grounds keeper - Benny - got too close with his riding mower. Bob in smiling frustration, hoped down from the podium, went over to the side door, pushed it open and in his finest Wagnerian heldentenor voice, projected at an enormous decibel, "hey, Benny, presto vada via, go away!" Bob and everyone laughing and smiling at the moment. He was a truly humble and great man. What a voice!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • narfie13
    Posts: 18
    I assume you are not a Russian bot, though nowadays one is suspicious of the veracity of astonishing news.
    Do the Chinese wish to buy the building or the choral members?
    Not waiting with baited breath.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,148
    Who are you assuming is not a Russian bot?

    Is outrage, nyet?!?!
    Thanked by 4Incardination mmeladirectress Carol Cantus67
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    Yes, I agree with MJO (of course I usually do)
    I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Simpsons' choir and was bowled over. And let it be said as well, that his wife does a superb job with the chilrdren's choir as well.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • quilisma
    Posts: 136
    Maybe they are making a mistake and what they really want to buy is Westminster Cathedral Choir School in London, England?

    Reminds me of a particular Urban Myth:
    https://www.citymetric.com/skylines/was-american-really-conned-buying-wrong-london-bridge-1162
  • Cantus67Cantus67
    Posts: 207
    I got my undergrad at WCC. It was poorly run then, it was poorly run when it was a part of Rider and to be honest the amount of exposure should have meant that it was well run. Instead they tried to constantly ask for money from previous alumni (not unusual for any school) but then tended to over rely on that. Private music schools and academies have the foolish notion that you have to have a musician running the school in order for them to "understand" the musicians needs and that attitude seemed to infest WCC as well. I'm disappointed that it's closing, not surprised that it's sold to the Chinese, and really saddened at it's passing but to be honest again, not surprised.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    That has been my observation in a number of places. By that I mean, pastors with no business training, musician who don't understand management, administrators who don't understand people, and the list goes on. It has made me less than popular in some places mentioning that subject expertise is not a substitute for financial and management abilities.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Elmar Carol
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