Co-Curricular

from The Cheltonian and Floreat: 2019-20 Academic Year

Academic

CO-CURRICULAR

The year will certainly be remembered as a unique time within College’s cocurriculum. Whilst the Autumn Term and, mostly, the Spring Term were unaffected by the global pandemic, staff and pupils demonstrated great flexibility, resilience and resourcefulness in the Summer Term to ensure that there was challenge outside the classroom. From virtual choir performances, lunchtime concerts and drama clubs to athletic development videos, skill challenges and competitions against other schools, Cheltonians engaged in a hugely positive and encouraging way with all that was offered.

It was a great shame that those pupils, particularly in the Upper Sixth, had their co‐curricular involvement in the final term cut short, but I hope they will all look back at their time in College with great fondness. Our co-curricular provision aims to complement life in the classroom. It is about challenge, determination, the ability to bounce back when one fails and to realise the reward of hard work and effort; lessons in life which I hope will serve our 2020 leavers well.

Mr Stephen McQuitty, Deputy Head (Co-curricular)

CCF

So much happened in two short terms which flew by. The Combined Cadet Force continues to flourish with a wide variety of field days and Wednesday afternoon training.

The year started apace with our Biennial inspection conducted by current parent Major General Duncan Capps CBE who visited us during our October Field Day. The overnight Field Day was conducted at Swynnerton Training Camp and was delivered by Sixth Form cadets introducing the new Fourth Form to a variety of challenges ranging from fieldcraft to first aid and survival.

Leadership development continues to be the mainstay of the Contingent with instructional training delivered to all Fifth Form cadets to prepare them for delivering lessons through into the Sixth Form. The combined Fifth Form had the opportunity to take a break from exam preparation by throwing themselves as a team at the Llangorse Climbing Centre, helping each other as the tightly knit unit that they are.

Meanwhile the Fourth Form were let loose in the Forest of Dean, learning to navigate in some very wet conditions. All cadets returned, thanks to some excellent management and support by our Senior cadets. Cadet Warrant Officer Class One Will Buttress has been outstanding as Head of Corps, winning the Army Leadership Award, ably supported by Cadet Warrant Officers Class Two (WO2) Max Morris and James Barltop, Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Annabel Watkin and Flight Sergeant Max Sutton. We are very grateful to all of our wonderful leavers for their continuous positive influence on Junior cadets.

Cadet WO2 James Barltrop has been outstanding this year in the level of ownership he has taken of the RAF section and pushing them on with their mandated training. He is awarded the Millennium Trophy for his outstanding contribution throughout his time.

The Royal Navy section was led by CPO Annabel Watkin and Petty Officer Paddy Merheim- Kealy with activities centred around practical seamanship and outdoor skills and teamwork. The seamanship skills were put to use early on during a fantastic day of sailing and kayaking

at Aztec Aqua Park. The cadets benefitted from excellent wind conditions and beautiful sunshine and were able to put their knowledge to use on the water. In February, the cadets were released into the English countryside along with the Army and RAF sections, and proved that they are just as capable at navigating on land as they are on the water. The Royal Navy Fifth Form stand out as a group for their dedication, cheerful enthusiasm and maturity.

Cadets and staff would particularly like to thank our leaving staff Sub-Lieutenant Beren- Dain Delbrooke-Jones, Dr Vicki Hawkins, and civilian instructor AUO Alex Rooke for their energetic and positive contributions.

As ever, we thank Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Ayres and Warrant Officer Second Class Jason Gwynne for all they have done for us this year.

A number of Senior cadets have been supported in their applications to join the Forces. We wish them all the very best for their future endeavours and hope they can return to inspire the next generation. It is so positive that such a regular stream of cadets embark on careers in the Forces. Warrant Officer Class One Simon Oates has been appointed as Head of Corps for the coming year and we look forward to his leadership for this year’s Fourth Form recruits.

Captain Will Kemp

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The year promised great things with the launch of the Silver Award (a first for College) and the re-configuration of the Bronze Award within the CCF. Seven students from All Saints’ Academy joined us too for the classroom sessions of outdoor training for their Gold Awards.

The Silver Award was begun with an enthusiastic group of 23 Fourth Formers when they embarked on the 12-week National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS); another College first. The week by week training both in class and outdoors followed the guidelines set out by Mr Nigel Williams of the NNAS in our teacher INSET and proved to be hugely successful. This was augmented by yet another stunning field day in the Black Mountains of the Brecon Beacons, on Sugar Loaf. Most of the boys and girls began their volunteering activities in January either with the pupils in The Prep or on our Energy Envoys initiative in College.

The Award has allowed for sufficient flexibility for pupils on Bronze, Silver and Gold to continue some activities from home so their community volunteering record could continue on their own initiative during the enforced break from College. In addition, the comprehensive sports programme offered by College enabled their physical recreation record to continue unabated. We waited anxiously to see if our expeditions (the highlight of each Award level) and the adventure camp in Ullswater could be saved but sadly these were lost. But plans are well underway to ensure every pupil has their wilderness experience in the coming year. So, whereas the past year was a quietly productive year for the Award at College, the coming year promises greater vigour than ever.

Mr John Jones

Co-curricular Drama

Our busy year began with a cast of 15 Fourth and Fifth Formers staging an abridged version of As You Like It. This was part of a new initiative, The Shakespeare Experience, which brought together pupils aged 9-16, from three different schools to celebrate the work of our greatest playwright. In tandem with these rehearsals, we also worked on the Newick House and Ashmead House Play; an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. As always, the House play offered a wonderful opportunity for those who lacked confidence before to take to the stage and it was particularly pleasing to see the whole of Newick’s Upper Sixth appearing, many of whom had never before graced the Big C stage.

The Autumn Term ended with two sell out performances of the much-loved Variety Show, which saw its usual mix of comedy sketches, music, singing and dancing. This wonderful event acts as a reminder of how supportive our community is of nurturing young talent and raising money for charity. All of the £5,000 made in ticket sales went to supporting our supported schools: the Residential School for Children with Special Needs, Bradet, Romania; the Shamrock School, Nepal; and Gogar Primary School, Kenya.

Our Scholar’s play Love in Idleness was performed at the Cheltenham Playhouse in January, directed by our Director in Residence Miss Emily Taylor. This year was even more dramatic than usual, with our leading man being struck down with mumps and missing the first night. However, the rest of the very talented cast understood that the show must go on and it was a credit to their resilience and commitment that they pulled together and continued to put on a wonderful performance with a last minute understudy from the wonderful Miss Emily Taylor.

February saw the return of The Vagina Monologues, in Jack Ralphs studio; a powerful series of monologues given by pupils and staff to campaign against injustice levelled at girls and women. The cast were especially pleased to have contributions from and for men and boys: Mr William Kemp spoke on the importance of gender diversity in leadership and India Kay penned and performed a piece exploring root causes of male violence. We were delighted to include a historical voice from the pages of Constance Maud’s No Surrender delivered by Ruby Coull and Kimberly gave us a powerful celebration of female strength in an improvised dance set to the words of Ensler’s ‘I Dance’.

Our final major production was a rather special one: the staging of an original musical written for us by RADA student and former Director in Residence, Alex Gatherer. Margaret’s Mind was written specifically to ensure that as many of our talented pupils at College had an opportunity to showcase their skills and more than 50 of them sang solo lines or had speaking roles. This reflects our commitment to be as inclusive as possible. We were also really proud that we used this production to raise issues surrounding mental health and social anxiety and so helping the College community to further explore and understand how drama can be used to effectively educate as well as entertain.

Mrs Sian McBride

Music

The Music Department has celebrated a number of successful performances, featuring pupils from all areas of College and at all levels of experience.

Weekly Choral Evensong continued with a regular congregation attending from College and the local area. These were all audio broadcast over the internet, and hopefully in the future, by video as well.

Regular lunchtime concerts featured new members of the Third Form alongside

experienced Sixth Formers. Since these moved online during the Summer Term, audience numbers increased by more than tenfold, which provides useful food for thought in how we can continue to develop these concerts in the coming year.

House Singing took place before the October half term, and as ever was hotly contested. This year featured the popular addition of a staff band for the accompaniment instead of piano accompaniment. All Houses provided superb entries, but this year’s victor was College Lawn with their lively rendition of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.

The Choral Society’s annual concert took place in Big Classical; a stunning performance of Verdi’s Requiem. With internationally renowned operatic soloists – including one of College’s own singing teachers Mr Quentin Hayes – this stirring and large scale performance played and sang to a packed audience. With more than 150 members,

the choir included the Chapel Choirs, staff, parents and friends of College. Together with the combined 80 piece orchestra of professionals and College’s advanced instrumentalists, this was easily the largest scale performance ever seen at College.

The Autumn Concert featured College’s instrumental ensembles, the highlight of which this year was the Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of The Snowman, played alongside a screening of the much-loved animated film. The famous solo Walking in the Air was sung beautifully by Jasper Penny from The Prep.

Plans for the Carol Service were amended at the last minute due to issues with the Chapel roof, however the combined choirs and over half of the College community came together in a very special service held in St Luke’s Church.

The Spring Term saw brilliant performances from JIG and Jazz Band in the Jazz Concert,

and the ever popular singing competition had entries of a phenomenally high standard, superbly adjudicated by professional tenor Mr James Gilchrist.

We hope very much that there will be an opportunity this coming year to perform the music that was being prepared for the Orchestral Concert that would ordinarily have taken place in the final week of the Spring Term. Special mention must be made of Murphy Lee, who was to have been playing the violin solo in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. As a member of Upper Sixth he has now left College.

This year has seen us enter a new era of virtual concerts, services and performances, and while we look forward to returning to more normal routines, we have learned a great deal and developed new skills that we will want to keep for the future.

Mr David McKee

Remembering Fraser Graham

Musician 1980-2020

To describe Fraser as a pianist is missing the point. Fraser was a consummate musician and superb professional pianist. His work was versatile, varied and creative. He was also a gifted trumpet player, guitar player and composer. He was at home giving solo classical recitals, accompanying other soloists, playing in bands and orchestras or helping other musicians perform and progress. His breadth of style as well as his variety of musical roles was truly exceptional. His recording of ‘China Gates’ was used for the 2017 film Call Me By Your Name, nominated for best picture at the Oscars.

Fraser began learning the piano at the age of five and continued this alongside trumpet as a student at Oakham School.

Former Oakham Director of Music David Woodcock describes their first meeting: ‘On hearing some very loud Beethoven, he was ready with a rebuke for such treatment of an expensive piano. He had the wind taken out of his sails on discovering a tiny 10-year-old, not yet able to reach the pedals, completely lost in another world of music.’

A highlight of Fraser’s school career was playing the solo part in Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. His trumpet teacher remembers helping Fraser’s brother move house. As they wheeled the piano down the street they had to stop while Fraser played some of Rach 2 in the street, unable to help himself.

Fraser was a gifted academic musician: a composer, songwriter and guitarist, as interested in the writing of poetry as the music, even writing drum and bass music.

Throughout school Fraser battled with Music vs Science. Inevitably, Music won in the end, and after a disastrous term at the University of Bristol studying Chemistry Fraser moved to study piano at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Fraser taught piano at Oakham, College, the University of Loughborough and Uppingham Community College. He threw himself into these roles (while still finding time to play online chess between lessons). He remained an active recitalist and accompanist, and for a long time was accompanist for Leicester Philharmonic Choir. He gave numerous recitals around the UK including venues in Cheltenham, Oakham and Steinway Hall, London as well as performing in the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival.

More recently at College he developed a partnership with Bill Ko, an incredibly talented viola student. With Fraser’s support, Bill won Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year competition, gained places in The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, City of Birmingham Youth Orchestra and gave prestigious recitals around the country including at the Cheltenham Music Festival. This was much more than a pianist accompanying a soloist. This was a partnership formed between two great musical minds, working and progressing together.

Fraser’s professional work was defined by his musical versatility and was in no way limited to classical music.

He played extensively with his brother Dave and other friends for Funk Soul Brother, local group Funked Up, Leicester based The Moderators and soul bands including The Temptations. Most recently he had been working with a crossover band Symphonica run by Miles Hancock. Another important ensemble for Fraser was the Witchell Trio, formed after Peter Witchell’s funeral, just over two years ago. This was the first collaboration between Fraser, Peter Coates and Jenny Kelsey and they have since performed all over the country.

Fraser will be remembered as a great pianist and a superb and versatile musical talent. His true success was in the relationships that he developed with students, staff, friends and family. Fraser’s musical generosity and humble approach formed true musical partnerships. His insatiable, infectious musicianship bubbled through everything that he did. The effect he has had on young and old musicians will stay with them, and his musicianship lives on through them.

Mr David McKee

CO-CURRICULAR DRAMA

Love In Idleness