Proctor has accomplished much over the past decade. As the applicant pool grew to exceed 500 annually, the female population rose to 43 percent. We raised and invested 27 million dollars in physical improvements. At the same time, we invested in both arts facilities and human resources. The decision to construct the Meeting House was a statement of our values regarding both community and the arts.

The trend continues. On November 19 we were informed that a foundation was offering the school $750,000 toward renovation of the stone chapel for music. It is a match grant, meaning that we must raise an additional $750,000 towards the project to qualify for the money. To date, friends have pledged $579,000 toward the match, and trustees have voted to proceed with two projects simultaneously. The chapel is going to be renovated, insulated, re-roofed and dedicated to Proctor's prospering voice programs.

Built in 1910, the chapel is an aesthetic landmark. The architectural integrity of the building will be retained, both inside and out. A new slate roof will be close to identical to the existing one, and the Tudor-style roof windows will be rebuilt in identical fashion. The sanctuary--still used by the local Unitarian Universalist congregation on Sundays--will be preserved as performance space for the Alice Fowler Singers, Proctor a capella and various student ensembles.

Meanwhile, construction will start soon on a new music facility dedicated to jazz and rock bands, practice rooms and state-of-the-art recording and control studios. Located just east of (behind) the Meeting House across North Street from Leonard Field, the new music building will offer 3488 square feet of internal space on two floors.

The architects comment: "The site required a building that would interact appropriately with the Meeting House while also reinforcing the pedestrian life of North Street. Accordingly, the structure is set close to North Street to establish an outdoor space that will be shared by the students using both facilities. In form, the Music Building is deliberately simple. Its central gabled volume with lower shed wrapped around expresses its program. At the same time, these familiar forms reflect the farmhouse architecture of very practical origin that predominates at Proctor and within its surroundings."