REVIEW
Issue 5 I Trinity 2015
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
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Contents 4. Final Centenary Celebrations 6. VPA Summer FĂŞte 8. 2015 Leadership Lecture Series 10. RE with Ten Ten Theatre 12. Simon Franglen: How to make it in the Music Industry 14. Classics Week 16. Sports Day: The Results 18. Extra-curricular Sporting Achievements 20. Summer Art Exhibition 22. D&T with the Design Museum 24. Clubs & Activities 26. Extended Curriculum: Enrichment Week 28. History Trip to the USA 30. Schola Tour to the USA 32. Old Vaughanians: Rowing for World Records 34. CVMS in the News 2
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THE VAUGHAN FOUNDATION
Centenary Ball
Saturday 20 June: Hundreds of guests gather at the Grand Connaught Rooms for the Vaughan Foundation Centenary Ball, marking the final event in the School’s Centenary calendar and the retirement of Associate Headmaster, Mr Charles Eynaud.
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MASS OF THANKSGIVING FOR
Mr Eynaud
Friday 12 June: Former Headmaster Fr Pellegrini celebrates Mass at Our Lady of Victories, with music from the Schola Cantorum followed by an open drinks reception in the Crypt.
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VPA
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Summer Fête The Vaughan Parents Association would firstly like to thank all of you who attended and supported this year’s Summer Fête at Twickenham. The Fête, together with the Grand Summer Draw, raised just over £10,000, with surplus monies from the day being donated to our much valued Pupil Hardship Fund. Twickenham was overcast in the morning as final preparations were being made in the Pavilion kitchen and with the setting up of over 30 stalls. However, Mr Eynaud brought with him glorious sunshine, and over 150 boys went through their final team talks ahead of their World Cup-themed 5-a-side Football Tournament. With sumptuous international foods from as far afield as the Philippines, Eritrea, Uzbekistan, Poland, Greece, France, the West Indies and Italy, and the finest Pimms in South West London, a wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by many parents, staff and friends. With the boys being entertained with Football, Archery and Rodeo Riding, it was left to their younger siblings to enjoy the more leisurely activities of Pony Rides and the Wipe Out challenge! Mr Stubbings was on hand to present the winners medals to the victorious boys teams and a wonderful afternoon was drawn to a close with the announcement of the winners of our Grand Summer Draw. There are many people who contributed to the success of the day but I would particularly like to thank Anja and Cuong Huyn, our Head Chef Esther, our Photographer Graham Lacdao and Roland Adap. Roland, whose son will leave the Vaughan for University next year, and his team have raised over £7,000 during the past seven years with their ever-popular Filipino BBQ. Roland’s hard work and sense of humour have been a consistent feature of our Summer Fête and we hope he will join us for a relaxing glass of Pimms front of house next year. If you would like to help with next year’s Fête, please do email us at cvmsparentsassoc@cvms.co.uk and let us know how you can help the team. Thank you as always for your support. Tony Mars, VPA Chairman
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CATHOLICITY
2015 Leadership Lecture Series
with Charles Clarke and Francis Campbell In strengthening the Vaughan community it is vitally important that we, as a school, champion perspectives on faith, foreign policy, human rights and other pertinent topics. The Vaughan is committed to promoting strong voices on key issues of importance to society and the 2015 Leadership Lecture series has provided a platform for prominent speakers to share their own experiences with pupils, parents and alumni. On Tuesday 19 May, former Secretary of State for Education and Home Secretary, Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke, opened the series with a talk on ‘Politics, Faith and Religious Leadership’.
and public figures to debate the latest research on religion and values.
‘As our societies have be less religious, have we be less forgiving?’
Mr Clarke inspired the audience with his discussion of the four core beliefs in today’s society: - - - -
Faith is a force of good Faith respects other faiths Faith reflects the values of the society they are part of All faiths contain forces of destruction
Since leaving Parliament, Mr Clarke has become a Visiting Professor in Politics at the University of East Anglia and a Visiting Professor in Politics and Faith at Lancaster University. In 2012, he co-founded the Westminster Faith Debates, an annual series, which brings together leading academics
‘It is important to challenge the elements that are undermining society’ Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke: Politics, Faith and Religious Leadership
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ecome ecome
Francis Campbell: Forming the Next Generation of Catholics in the Modern World
DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES Thursday 22 October 2015, 6.30 pm
Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe discusses Christianity Under Persecution All our Leadership Series events are free of charge and will be followed by a drinks reception. To register your attendance, please email lecture@cvms.co.uk
On Monday 29 June, the School welcomed former British Ambassador to the Holy See and the current Vice Chancellor of St Mary’s University, Francis Campbell. Titled ‘Forming the Next Generation of Catholics in the Modern World’, Mr Campbell’s lecture drew on his experiences and illustrious career in diplomacy and public policy. This includes: Policy Adviser in the No.10 Policy Unit, Private Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan and Head of the Policy Unit in the FCO and Director of Innovation
at UK Trade and Investment. He also accompanied Pope Benedict on his UK visit and is regarded as one of Britain’s most influential Catholics. Mr Campbell explored the relationship between Catholic education and the modern world, questioning what precisely is the nature of the modern world that we are preparing and equipping our children for. One recurring theme was the issue of terrorism:
us, in this room… We should remind ourselves that with a broader sweep of history, these challenges are not new.’ After both, incredibly thoughtprovoking, talks, the floor was opened for questions from the audience. From politics and faith schools to the rise in technology and social media, there was plenty of discussion to be had, many of which continued long into the post-event drinks receptions.
‘This is a challenge that is likely to outlive many of us, if not most of
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Ten Ten Theatre
‘We have to be prepared to say sorry’ On Friday 17 April, three members of Ten Ten Theatre visited the School for an afternoon of interactive theatre workshops with the Second and Third Forms. Ten Ten Theatre is an award-winning theatre company with an underlying Christian ethos, rooted in the Catholic tradition. The name ‘Ten Ten’ is derived from the scripture passage John 10:10, ‘I have come that you may have life, life to the full.’
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Through all of its work, Ten Ten aims to enable participants to ‘live life to the full’. Established since 2007, the charity has produced a successful programme in values-based Relationship Education for young people. The programme tackles some of the most pertinent issues facing young people today, offering a fresh, contemporary perspective based on the experience of the participants.
While the Second Form explored themes around identity and selfimage, the Third Form looked at love and relationships with a play about a young teenage couple and the difficult decisions they must make. Ten Ten encouraged the boys to understand the difference between what people say and what they mean, presenting thought-provoking issues and challenging questions about the nature of relationships, love and life.
‘You are special because you are unique’
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MUSIC
Simon Franglen has worked with Whitney Houston (right) and Michael Jackson (below left), and has produced awardwinning film scores for Avatar and Titanic (bottom left and right)
‘Our job is not t top but to tell
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How to make it in the
Music Industry On Wednesday 22 April, pupils from the Upper School were given a talk by Grammy winning composer, arranger and producer Simon Franglen who spoke about his life as a film composer and his tips and tricks for making it in the Music Industry. Best known for his work on Avatar, Skyfall, The Amazing Spiderman and Titanic, Simon has worked with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Celine Dion, and been involved in six of the best-selling albums of all time. Talking the pupils through his film scores for Avatar and Skyfall, Simon explained how tempo is used to create a sense of drama and how different metres are used continuously to adjust to picture changes.
to play what’s on you what to feel underneath.’
He then compared a film score to an oil painting, advising pupils to think about their music in layers and depth. ‘The two things a film composer hates more than anything are helicopters and machine guns’, revealed Simon. ‘You have to be careful with sound levels as people want to hear the story more than they want to hear your music. One of the golden rules is that when a man or woman speaks, stay out of the way. Go to long, simple notes and leave the dialogue alone. The dialogue is the most important thing.’ Simon started his career working at a record shop in Portobello Road and while he revealed just how expensive making film music can be (‘We’ll spend $100,000 a day on orchestras for big films’), he was quick to reassure pupils that they needn’t spend thousands of pounds on software, instead emphasising that, ‘you know everything your software can do inside and out. You need to know it so well that you don’t need to think about it.’ Simon also advised that pupils learn how to sight-read as it, ‘really does help. The other most important thing is to learn how to listen. Try and say half as much as everyone else in the room, and listen to old people. They’re usually old and still in the job because they’re good at
what they do.’ At the end of his talk, Simon opened the floor for questions and pupils were keen to ask him his thoughts about how to make it in the Music Industry and the benefits of further education. ‘I would highly recommend University to everybody,’ replied Simon. ‘Do a degree that you love and take your music seriously. Learn to have taste. You need to be able to walk outside on the music you are making and look back in, objectively. You need to be able to create a style of your own but you must be flexible and able to adapt. That comes from learning new and different things. Don’t be precious about your music. Finished is better than perfect.’ So, all in all, is being a film composer really all it’s cracked up to be? ‘You have to really, obsessively want to do this job,’ said Simon. ‘You’ve got to be willing to make a lot of mistakes and risk everything you have. You have to have skin the thickness of a buffalo. The first three years will be difficult and to get further on in the Music Business you will need to be able to tough it out. Say yes to everything -you never know where a contact is going to come from. It is very, very difficult, but it does give back. It’s a great job.’
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CLASSICS
Making Mosaics in the Library
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onday 15 – Friday 19 June 2015 saw the first ever Classics Week in the School. The Department organised a range of activities and guest speakers for the pupils in every year to encourage the study of Classical Civilisation, Latin and Greek.
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On the Monday, renowned scholar and author Ingo Gildenhard from Cambridge University visited the School to give a talk to Lower Sixth Form students on ancient mythology, while the Library played host to a Percy Jackson lunchtime activity for the pupils of the Lower School. On the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, the first
Classics Film Club took place, an activity which the Department hopes will be a mainstay in the next academic year. Pupils were treated to Jason & the Argonauts (1963), Clash of the Titans (1981) and Wrath of the Titans (2012), as well as popcorn and soft drinks, generously provided by the School Librarian, Miss Bugg.
Author and Historian Tom Holland
Classics Film Club
Author Caroline Lawrence
Competition Winners Design a new Olympian God James Flynn Write an original myth Finian Cox Design an original monster Oliver Gobie
On Wednesday 17 June, the best-selling author of the Roman Mysteries, Caroline Lawrence, visited pupils in the First and Second Form to give a lively and engaging talk on Myth, Movies & Storytelling. Many pupils who have read and loved Caroline’s books over the years were also lucky enough to meet and have copies
of their books signed by the author herself. Pupils in the First Form were also invited to attend a Mosaic Making Workshop at lunchtime, an activity which proved most popular.
Second, Third and Fourth Forms about Herodotus’ Histories. His inspirational talk and all of the activities that took place throughout this most successful of weeks has, we hope, encouraged The week was rounded off with the the next generation of CVMS visit of author and historian Tom Classicists and opened a few more Holland talking to Classics, Latin & eyes to the wonders of the ancient Greek students from the world.
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SPORT
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n Friday 10 July, the whole of the Lower School travelled by coach to the Linford Christie Stadium for Sports Day. Every pupil was required to participate in four events, with each distance or time earning the boys points for their House. Glorious weather and tremendous levels of participation resulted in a brilliant day for all, with special congratulations to Mayne House for winning the overall competition. The rest of the results are as follows: First Form: 1. Fisher: 1639 2. Campion: 1325 3. Mayne: 1278 4. More: 752 Top three individuals: 1. Justin Henry: 269 2. Matthew Howley: 236 3. Joey Kielty: 225
Second Form: 1. Campion: 1860 2. More: 1672 3. Mayne: 1582 4 Fisher: 1368 Top three individuals: 1. Dominic Ogbechie: 321 2. Oluwole Orimoloye: 290 3. David Laleye-Thomas: 248 Third Form: 1. Mayne: 2088 2. More: 1844 3. Fisher: 1806 4. Campion: 1732 Top three individuals: 1. Alfie Hill: 335 2. Julian Lewis Jnr: 314 3. Richard Lee-Monteiro : 294
Sports Day at the Linford Christie Stadium, Friday 10 July
Final Scores! 1. Mayne: 4948 2. Campion: 4927 3. Fisher: 4813 4. More: 4268
Mayne House: Winners of Sports Day 2015
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SPORT Mr Terblanche tackles boys head-on in the South Africa Rugby Tour
Pupils compete in the annual Fifth Form Iron Man contest, with Louis Oliva named the champion for 2015
Pupils form a combined team with boys from Queensgate to rep
OVFC 6-a-side tournament
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The Under-12 Cricket team play as a team for the first time against London Oratory on Friday 3 July
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Lower School footballers are named the Under-13 and Under-12
present Kensington & Chelsea in the London Schools Combined Events
2 winners at the Stoke City FC Football Festival
ATHLETICS Catholic Schools Championships (27/4) Long Jump Y8: Dominic Ogbechie (4m56cm) High Jump Y8: Dominic Ogbechie (1m55cm) 300m Y8: Dominic Ogbechie (42:83) 100m Y9: Herbert Mensuoh (12:28) 100m Y9: Julian Lewis Jnr (11:68) 400m Y9: Uroliss Mendes (61:38) 400m Y9: Dylan Turner (61:14) 80m Hurdles Y9: Alfie Hill (13:58) 200m Y10: Samuel Dodoo (24:15) 100m Y10: Samuel Dodoo (11:56)
Catholic Schools Cup (10/6) 1st place awarded to: Julian Lewis Jnr (100m and 200m) Sam Davies (Discus) Dominic Ogbechie (High Jump and 300m) Clayton Vincent (100m) Justin Henry (200m and 300m) Samuel Dodoo (100m) 2nd place awarded to: CVMS Third Form
London Schools Championships (13/6) Arnold Mensuoh: 2nd in the Intermediate Boys Triple Jump (12.88m) Alfie Hill: 3rd in the Junior Boys Javelin (32m)
South of England Combined Events Championships (27 & 28/6) Alfie Hill and Arnold Mensuoh represented London to be placed 17th out of 32 boys. Alfie came 17th in the Junior Boys Pentathlon, while setting personal bests in the Hurdles and Long Jump. Arnold was 17th in the Intermediate Boys Octathlon scoring 3511 points.
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ART
2015 Summer Exhibition
A selection of GCSE and A-Level work, displayed in the Art Department from Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July
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DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
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This year the world’s leading museum of design and architecture will be moving to the former Commonwealth Institute building on High Street Kensington, as part of an £80m project to promote and support the next generation of creative talent. To have the Design Museum so close on our doorstep is truly exciting and will offer our pupils the opportunity to utilise the Museum’s state of the art learning facilities and world-class resources. Cardinal Vaughan is one of five schools that is setting up links with the Museum. Every Friday boys from the Second Form have swapped their usual Design & Technology lessons to take part in a ten-week programme of teacher led sessions with the Design Museum. From creating product analysis sheets and toy prototypes to design presentations and even performing a toy autopsy, the hands-on sessions have given pupils an enjoyable insight into what makes a good toy and the various processes involved in bringing one to market.
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CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
Film Club
Cooking Club 24
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Orwell Youth Prize 2015 Celebration Day Inspired by its own ‘Big Brother’, Britain’s most prestigious Prize for political writing, the Orwell Youth Prize, aims to support and inspire a new generation of politically engaged young writers. On Monday 22 June, five pupils were invited to attend the Orwell Youth Prize Celebration Day at Pembroke College, Oxford. The event was presented by writer and TV Presenter Rick Edwards, and included a number of Writers’ Seminars, a tour of Pembroke College, lunch in the Pembroke College Dining Hall and networking opportunities with writers and journalists.
This year’s guests included the writers Brian Cathcart, Alison Holt, Delia Jarrett-Macauley and Martin Chulov. Congratulations to the following boys for taking part: Jean Franco, Jack Franco, Phoenix Guwa, Sam Leahy and Tom McGrath.
Western world – and resonate with the young who can relate his focus on justice and deprivation to their own experience. Crucially, Orwell appeals to people of all backgrounds, all political experiences and all abilities.
Why George Orwell? Orwell’s values of integrity, truthfulness and fairness are an ideal introduction to the power of language, the importance of writing and reporting and the vitality of politics. His writings took on the biggest issues of his day – poverty on the streets, politics and war, the future of the
Diabetes UK: Raising money and awareness There are around 3.9 million people in the UK who have diabetes - more than one in every 16 people. Many of them are not yet diagnosed and so far, there is no cure. If nothing changes, by 2025 five million people in the UK will have diabetes.
On Thursday 2 July, Baroness Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, visited the School to talk to pupils from Fourth Form Personalised Learning about diabetes. Having raised £300 for the charity, the pupils particularly enjoyed her talk about how ongoing research will help
Diabetes UK better understand the causes of diabetes and bring about life-changing breakthroughs in care, treatment and prevention. Many were also keen to take up Baroness Young’s offer of a visit the House of Lords in November.
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EXTENDED CURRICULUM
This year’s Extended Curriculum programme ran from 6-17 July, with a wide range of activities and sessions taking place both inside and outside of the classroom, all of which were designed to enrich and develop the pupils’ skills beyond the normal curriculum. Visitors included RBKC NHS Nursing Staff, The Philosophy Foundation, Drama Workshops and St John Ambulance. Other activities included Numeracy workshops, Languages workshops, Geography trips, Catholic Ethos trips, Science trips, catering with the School Chef, Golf, Kayaking, Rock climbing, Sailing & Windsurfing, DIY, Bee Keeping, Photography, Student Finance Skills, Driving Skills, meeting the Mayor of RBKC, Duke of Edinburgh, and of course working as part of the Crew for this year’s School Production. The School would like to thank all agencies and staff who helped plan and run the activities. Photos of the sessions are available to view on the School’s Flickr account (https://www.flickr.com/photos/cardinalvaughan/sets).
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First aid training
Student Finance Day
Languages Day
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Question Time with the Mayor
Philosophy Day
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Rock climbing at Westway
Art D
atering in the School Kitchen with Head Chef Esther
Second Form Geography field trip to Rushall Farm
Windsurfing at Queen Mary Sailing Club, Ashford
Day
Young Engineers launch rockets in the playground
Grand Prix at Silverstone
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TRIPS & TOURS
History Trip to the USA
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n June, Lower Sixth History and Politics students headed off to America for an unforgettable week of cultural, social and historical learning to help prepare us for the upcoming A2 course. We had the chance to get a firsthand experience of the US Civil Rights Movement through visits to Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York City. Our trip commenced in Washington DC, where we had a photo
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opportunity in front of the iconic White House, followed by a guided tour of the National Mall to visit the Roosevelt Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. The next day we continued to explore the area’s famous landmarks such as the Capitol Building and Exhibition Hall. We also had the chance to delve deeper into the judicial branch of government with a visit to the US Supreme Court. After an intense day of learning, a leisurely evening was in store as
we headed to a baseball game to watch the Washington Nationals play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Next stop was Philadelphia, where we explored the National Constitution Centre and Independence National Historical Park, home to the Liberty Bell: an iconic symbol of American independence. We then headed to New York where we had a multimedia walking tour of Harlem, followed by an unmissable visit to Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. That evening we headed to the
top of the Empire State Building to and strolling through the famous take in the spectacular view of New Central Park. York’s skyline. It was the perfect way to end an incredible day. The trip was both an educational and enjoyable experience; those Our final morning began with a who attended were truly grateful guided tour of the United Nations for the amazing opportunity. Headquarters, where we were able to see international democracy Laura Gallagher, L6HA in action and visit some of the key organs of the UN, such as the Security Council Chamber. After lunch, the moment many of us had been waiting for finally arrived: free time to channel our inner tourist on Fifth Avenue, Times Square
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TRIPS & TOURS
Schola Tour to the USA
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o continue to the celebration of the Vaughan’s Centenary, we had prepared an unusually ambitious tour for the Schola this year, travelling across the USA for 10 days at the end of June. We flew out of Heathrow on Friday morning of 26 June over to Chicago and on landing we travelled up to Milwaukee. There we got our first views of the wonderful St Josaphat Basilica where the choir was to be based for the first three days of the tour. Then came the arrival of the host families (as the boys were staying with local families) and a few at a time the boys left with their new found friends. The following morning the boys arrived back looking refreshed and full of stories of their adventures which ranged from camp fires, play station marathons to sitting in private jets, with lots of smores (an American ‘delicacy’) thrown in.
boys went to Summer Fest, ‘the world’s largest musical festival’ whilst the younger ones had great fun at Discovery World and then at the amazing Harley Davidson Museum. That evening we sang our first concert for a large and very appreciative audience. The Schola sang a first half of English music ranging from Byrd to Jonathan Dove before singing the Fauré Requiem in the second half. The following morning we gathered again at the Basilica to sing for the 10 am Solemn Mass. This was a special occasion with the Schola joined by the men of the Basilica’s own choir to perform Widor’s Mass for Two Choirs and also singing music by Parry and Mawby.
peaceful occasion which made for a very appropriate end to our time Milwaukee. A long bus journey followed but eventually we arrived in Cincinnati where we headed to one of the highlights of the trip, a Major League Baseball game at the Cincinnati Reds Stadium. On the Tuesday morning of our trip the boys were brought by their new homestay families to Xavier University where the Cincinnati Boychoir holds its Summer Camp. We spent a happy couple of hours with their choir before travelling into into Cincinnati to the wonderful St Peter in Chains Cathedral, the venue for the evening’s concert. After rehearsing we to the National Underground Railroad Museum, a museum that looks at the history of slavery and the events surrounding the US Civil War. Then we returned to St Peter in Chains for our concert, given jointly with the Cincinnati Boychoir. They sang beautifully to open the concert and we then sang our programme, before coming together to sing Panis Angelicus to finish.
We then headed into Chicago, having fun at the Willis Tower Sky Deck and looking around the city a little before returning to Milwaukee for dinner together and then off to the homestays. On the Monday morning we gathered early at the Basilica for Mass for the Feast We rehearsed in the church, of St Peter and St Paul, which enjoying the Basilica’s glorious also falls on the anniversary of acoustic, before setting off for Father Dominic’s ordination to the The following morning, Wednesday, our various activities. The older priesthood. This was a beautiful and we were on the move once again,
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heading to Akron before flying to New York and to St Thomas Choir School which was to be our home for the next five nights. It was good for the Schola to be back together again. Dinner in Times Square was followed by the first of many games of table tennis before we all retired. Thursday morning was special as we had been invited to a private tour of Carnegie Hall. Our guide showed us the three performance halls that they have, plus the museum which includes things such as Benny Goodman’s clarinet and Ella Fitzgerald’s glasses. In the smaller of the halls the Schola stood together and sang - so we can say that we have sung at Carnegie Hall, if not for an audience! Lunch was eaten in the Food Hall at Grand Central Station before we travelled out to Stamford for our evening concert. The Basilica of St John the Evangelist was our venue, a church that we had no links with as such, and so I was concerned that the audience might have been small. In fact we drew what was our largest audience of the trip and the boys sang a very lovely concert that drew a standing ovation from the
many people in attendance. Friday was a rest day (other than a morning rehearsal) and was spent exploring New York. We went to the top of the Empire State Building and then to the Statten Island Ferry to see the Stature of Liberty. We visited Ground Zero and the new Freedom Tour before going bowling on Times Square. Saturday morning was spent exploring the amazing National History Museum and walking through Central Park before we had lunch at the Rockefeller Centre. Then we headed to St Thomas for our rehearsal for the following day’s service. This was our first chance to sing in one of the most important and famous churches in the US and it was good to have plenty of time to get used to its particular challenges. Following our rehearsal we went to Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral and then for a final dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Returning to the Choir School, the boys gave gifts to the staff and awards to each other!
through the decidedly complex processions and other bows etc required by the service. The boys did their best to take this all in! The service itself went very well overall and there was some lovely singing, especially from our soloists in the Mozart Mass. Following the service all that was left was to finish our packing - a quick pizza lunch of real New York pizza and a drive to JFK. We flew out that evening and landed first thing on Monday morning, arriving back at the Vaughan just fifteen minutes late!
Huge thanks are owed to the staff who accompanied the boys on the trip, Miss Lawley, Mr Brennan, Fr Dominic Allain, Mr Jackson and Mr Evans (who played beautifully for the choir as always). Many thanks to the boys as well who worked very hard and were wonderfully resilient throughout the trip, singing to a very high standard at all times. They were also great company and a pleasure to lead. The tour brought to a close a wonderful year for the The following morning we were Schola. up early as we had to be at St Thomas Church by 9 am. There, we rehearsed and were then taken
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OLD VAUGHANIAN
Rowing for World Records
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Blisters, salt sores, sleep deprivation and the fear of shark attacks - not something most women dream of experiencing. However, this December the dream will become a reality as I set off in a seven-metre-long boat with three other women to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.
to diving with sharks, ice-climbing in Kyrgyzstan, trekking the Inca Trail, wild camping in the Borneo jungle and mountaineering in Iraq. Through my job in International Development I have also been fortunate to work all over Asia and Africa, often in remote and under-developed areas.
I am fascinated by the psychology of demanding environments and am always trying to find ways to blend my thirst for adventure with an extreme physical challenge. This has led me to undertake expeditions to some of the world’s wildest and toughest places since leaving the Vaughan - from summiting Mont Blanc and Kilimanjaro
Last summer I first raised the idea of an ocean row with some friends and from that moment Team Atlantic Endeavour was born. We did some research and found that more people have climbed Everest or been into space than rowed the Atlantic, with Sir Chay Blyth and John Ridgeway the first men to row across the Ocean in 1966. During their
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92 day passage they faced hurricanes, 50ft waves and near starvation. This laid the foundation for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - a 3,000 mile race from La Gomera to Antigua and one of the toughest challenges on the planet. Our aim? To beat the women’s four record of 67 days and the women’s team record (5 women) of 45 days. But it’s not only for the personal challenge that we are doing this. We want to inspire other women to push their boundaries. From that first 5k run to a long distance bike ride or trek up a mountain, we want to show other women that with some hard work and
Kate Hallam was a pupil at Cardinal Vaughan from 1999 to 2001 before attending Hertford College Oxford where she read Physics
‘We want to inspire other women to push their boundaries ...that with some hard work and determination anything is achievable.’ determination anything is achievable. Having worked with disadvantaged women across the world and seeing what they overcome on a daily basis has been both humbling and inspiring. We are therefore encouraging supporters to ‘sponsor a sister’ through the charity Women for Women International, which, through a year-long programme, helps women facing violence, marginalisation and poverty as a result of war and conflict in some of the poorest countries in the world. We also recognise what a tough mental challenge this will be and so we aim to raise awareness of mental
illness as well as £10,000 in donations for the mental health charity Mind. I first learnt to row with my college at Oxford but hadn’t rowed again since until a few months ago. Two of the team had no rowing experience at all and so our coach, Olympic athlete Al Heathcote, has been instrumental in getting our team up to speed with our rowing skills. Our training also includes erging on machines (building up to two hour sessions) and strength and conditioning with weights, deadlifts and squats. We have a nutritionist to help us fuel effectively and pile on the pounds in anticipation of burning over
8,000 calories a day during the row. With five months to go the pressure is on and the ocean is in sight. We look forward to our friends at Cardinal Vaughan following us on our journey! Kate Hallam Old Vaughanian 1999 - 2001 To find out more about how to support the team and further information about the challenge please visit www. atlanticendeavour.com or email atlanticendeavour15@gmail.com
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IN THE NEWS
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NEWS Issue 25 Summer 2015
He’s off again! We are very excited to announce that once again local resident Keith Stirling is kindly fundraising for Age UK Kensington & Chelsea. Keith has cycled from John OʼGroats to Landʼs End six times in order to raise funds for Age UK Kensington & Chelsea, and an astonishing 17 times in total to raise money for good causes. This year Keith is doing something slightly different in that he is going to use his scooter instead of his bike, and will be starting and finishing in London. This will push the total distance up to roughly 1,700 miles. He is planning to set off
on Monday 24th August and estimates that the journey will take him around 16 days. We really appreciate Keithʼs effort and commitment to Age UK Kensington & Chelsea and we are sure that, as always, it will be an amazing adventure and experience. The money he raises will help us to continue to maintain and develop our much needed services for older people in this borough. If you would like to support to Keith and Age UK Kensington & Chelsea you can:
a cheque made out to • Send Age UK Kensington &
Chelsea to 1 Thorpe Close, London, W10 5XL
online via JustGiving • Donate https://www.justgiving.com/ Keith-Stirling18/
We wish Keith all the best in this yearʼs journey and thank you all very much in advance for your generous donations. Tasio Cabello Volunteer and Community Service Manager, Age UK K&C
Age UK members quiz candidates On 17th April Age UK K&C held a hustings event as part of our OGM at the Lighthouse, West London. Ahead of the General Election it gave members an opportunity to put their questions to the Kensington candidates, with a particular focus on social care and housing. We had a great turnout, with the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, UKIP and Green Parties all represented, as well as over 80 Age UK K&C
the candidates who took part, and congratulations to Victoria Borwick who was elected MP for Kensington – we look forward to working with you in the future.
members, staff and volunteers. Many pertinent questions were asked, and some have led to further investigations into the issues raised. I would like to say thank you to
Finally I would like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers and members of staff who gave their time to set up and serve the delicious cream tea afterwards. Brooke Kerr Business Support Officer Age UK K&C
Age UK Kensington & Chelsea, 1 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL Tel: 020 8969 9105 email: administration@aukc.org.uk website: www.aukc.org.uk
@CVMSFootball: ‘CVMS vs OVFC #KeeptheLinks’
POPULAR TWEETS A great team effort from @CardinalVaughan picking up two trophies! #winners #tour@Absportstravel Thanks to YOUR hard work and support, we’ve been awarded two Educational Outcomes Awards for progress and attainment. Bishop Sherrington congratulates the Vaughan community for winning a 2015 Pupil Premium Award @educationgovuk Today is #WorldEnvironmentDay and thanks to the boys from Eco Club, we’re doing our bit to reduce, reuse and recycle @EcoSchools Final rehearsals for Into the Woods - and is that a cow on the stage? Come and see for yourself from 7.30 pm TONIGHT! Thanks to all who helped make our Centenary Ball @GrandConnaught such a success - what a way to end the year! #cvms100
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