Sphinx Virtuosi : For Justice and Peace

One of the nation’s most dynamic chamber orchestras, the Detroit-based Sphinx Virtuosi makes its Peak Performances debut with a program driven by issues of social justice. Comprising 18 prizewinning Black and Latinx soloists, the performance includes a new composition and inspiration for the title of the program by Xavier Foley, Philip Herbert‘s requiem for a life lost to violence, Jessie Montgomery‘s homage to African-American artists in the Civil Rights era, Michael Abels‘ ode to the well-being of earth, and more. With “immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty” (The Washington Post), these talented young artists address our current moment with a sensitivity and clarity that points toward peace.https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/peak-performances-2019-2020/1007/thumbnail.jp

A Legal Giant Is Dead

Herbert Wechsler died at his home on April 26, 2000. Two days later, the New York Times obituary\u27s headline announced the passing of a legal giant, a richly merited appellation. Herbert Wechsler was, I believe, the greatest academic figure in the history of Columbia Law School. At the height of his career, Herb stood at the top of three academic fields: criminal law, constitutional law, and federal jurisdiction. His achievements were, moreover, not confined to Columbia, the faculty of which he joined in 1933 after having served as law clerk to Justice Harlan Fiske Stone. From 1944 to 1946, Herb served as assistant attorney general in charge of the War Division. When the Nuremberg trials began, he provided technical advice to the American judges. In 1964, he argued New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the most important First Amendment decision of the twentieth century. And, of course, for over two decades, Herb was director of the American Law Institute