Attendees of the "Kemeche Program" included: Barbara Wanke, Romayne Kazmer, Beverly Conroy, Haslina Sniezek, Denise Amon, Margaret McCarthy, D. Clancy, Irma Oppenheimer, Theodora Nicolandis, Elly Sempurnajaya, Susanne Roubik, Margaret MacDougall, Marita Landa, K. Moody, Joyce Traynor, Lorna Bennet, Sharon Barton, Wyszomirski Margo, Margaret Bennett, Sel Yackley, Hatun Arica Hilton, Emel Singer, Julia Beemer, Muge Hanioglu, Sezgin Uskup, Semra Prescott, Neriman Gezen, Canan Koru, Sedef O’Connell, Maral Bensch

Prof. Kaygusuz compared the western classical favorites with Turkish classical music by singing arias and playing her kemenche, an ancient instrument often called the grand daddy of the violin. A favorite in Turkish classical and folk music, the small string instrument with four strings is held upright and played with a bow. The fingers go between the strings, nails--not the fingertips--touching them. Mrs. Kaygusuz explained the various influences western classical music had on Ottoman music and vice versa....she demonstrated the similarity in the notes and the tones written several hundred years ago by composers from European and Ottoman cultures.

Kemenche originally had two strings and came in two shapes...In the Black Sea region, it was long and narrow and basically used for folk music. In Istanbul and Western Anatolia, its body was oval, almost pearshpaed and used for ferforming classical Turkish music. It is made from rose, butterly, cypress or ebony woods.

In addition to Turkey, the kemenche is kown and played in Balkan countriees such as Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia-Montenegro.

Following her lecture and demonstration, members who performed at the Turkish gala once again treated us to great singing....A delicious Turkish lunch followed the concert.

Fourteen Turkish ladies of 450 members of IWA, put on such interesting programs that their monthly meetings have become the most popular of the 15 established groups. Lectures, demonstrators, slide shows and concerts expose non-Turkish members to various facets of Turkish Culture.

Neraly 300 attended a benefit gala "Istanbul Night, Turkish Delights," held at the Four Seasons in Chicago in April. "It is a wonderful way of introducing Turkey to Chicagoans and 53 other nationalities who live in Chicago," said Dr. Canan Koru, wife of the Turkish Consul General, who has become active in IWA since her arrival less than a year ago.