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\305 McKendry Drive
\Menlo Park, California, 94025
\31 July, 1979
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Professor James N. Rosse
Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences
Building 1
Stanford, California, 94305
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Dear Professor Rosse,
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It was with a great deal of distress that I heard that Professor William Mahrt's
appointment to the Stanford Music Department was not renewed.  I feel that the
university is making a tremendous mistake in losing such a fine scholar, teacher, 
and performer.

As a Ph.D candidate in music I have had ample opportunity to observe Dr. Mahrt 
in the above capacities.

I joined the Medieval Performance Practice class reluctantly, with
a great deal of prejudice against the music of the period.  My ambivalent feelings
stemmed from a bad experience I had had with a similar course at another school.
Dr. Mahrt's class was
one of the most difficult ones I have ever faced.  Under ordinary circumstances, 
these factors would have been enough to permanently discourage me from any further
exploration of the field. Upon completion of the course, however, I was sufficiently
stimulated to join the St. Ann's Gregorian Chant Choir.
In addition to being an impeccable and thorough scholar, Dr. Mahrt has
the rare ability to explain extremely complicated concepts very clearly and 
concisely.  The organization of his presentations never ceases to impress me.  
He is knowledgeable without being intimidating. His respect and encouragement of 
student opinions,
and his obvious love for his field make his courses extremely enjoyable. Despite the
fact that I am no longer taking classes, I still attend Professor Mahrt's lectures
whenever possible.  I have performed for him in the same lecture demonstrations for 
a number of years, and have gained new insights each time.
Dr. Mahrt is constantly renewing his own knowledge, and his scholastic
openness makes any contact with him an interesting learning experience.  

For my teaching assistantship I was assigned the Music 20 courses.  These are
basic theory courses designed to be an introduction to the Music 100 series on 
music history and theory. Dr. Mahrt was also involved in these courses.
By experimenting with different teaching techniques, I discovered that the most
effective ones were those used by Dr. Mahrt in the classes I had taken with him.
They involved teaching by practice.  The concepts behind
Medieval theory and music are foreign to most people.  The students reponded
most positively and with the greatest comprehension to the application of the
unfamiliar techniques in class performances.  I referred many of them to
Professor Mahrt when they expressed further interest, and was gratified to find that
a number joined the St. Ann's choir after speaking with him.

The main reason that I chose Stanford as a place to continue my studies
was the close integration of scholarship and performance exemplified by Dr. Mahrt.
I believe, as he does, that theory and practice cannot exist independently 
of one another. In music, knowledge which cannot be utilized in actual performance
is empty scholasticism. I joined the St. Ann's Gregorian chant choir
in order to expand and to use the knowledge I had gained in Professor Mahrt's
Medieval Performance Practice class.  I have been an active member
of the group for six years now and am still constantly learning new things about 
the music. I am not alone in my enthusiasm, for at least half the choir consists
of non-Catholic students like myself. As a member of the Stanford Early
Music singers, I was exposed to a completely different secular repertoire.
Dr. Mahrt's knowledge of this area is equally impressive.  He makes his
choral groups an extension of the classroom.  His musical insights are always
based on a solid background and familiarity with the style.  Performing
early music from available modern editions is commonplace, but
a concert based on a careful study of period sources and treatises
is a rare and valuable experience.  A university should offer such
performances as an indication of its support of the pursuit of scholastic
excellence in the arts. The work of Professor Mahrt is clearly dedicated to
that precept.
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Dr. Mahrt also carries his scholarship outside the university.  I have been 
fortunate to be able to participate in a number of lecture demonstrations given
to such groups as the AAUW, Veterans' Hospital, Medieval Studies, and Art History
classes. In all cases, the performances have been enthusiastically received, and
participants learn as much as the audiences. These public lectures are a
definite contribution to furthering music in the general community, and
should be recognized as a valuable enhancement of the music department's programs.

In conclusion, I feel that Dr. Mahrt is an outstanding teacher and scholar whose
contributions and influence go beyond the scope of the university.  He has singlehandedly
built up the reputation of the St. Ann's choir and of the medieval studies 
program of the Stanford Music department.  His loss would be a great blow
to the academic as well as to the general community.
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\Sincerely,
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\Lynne Toribara
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