5 minute read
Letter from the Warden
Dear ORs,
I am writing this on a special day for the College. This evening, the new Chapel organ will receive its first formal ‘outing’ and it will also be the first occasion on which the whole school has been able to be in the building together since July 2019. Unlike most restrictions of late, this has not been entirely due to Covid; while the pandemic has delayed the project a little, we always knew that the Chapel extension build would mean a temporary hiatus in the great tradition of College evensong for all. As that comes to an end, it will be a joy to have the community together again and, of course, the most obvious manifestation of that will be in voice. Jerusalem and Non Nobis will, I am sure, be tremendous.
It is an appropriate moment to be writing an introduction to this particular OR magazine, which celebrates the impact of Music on Radleians both at the College and beyond it. As I do so, I reflect on the power and importance of music at Radley. When I interview prospective music scholars, I always ask them the question as to why music matters in a school: after all, I point out, it does not come cheap, a particular point of relevance as we begin to draw up plans to extend the Music School over the coming years. The obvious answers come back about opportunities for those that are musical, about career paths for the particularly gifted and enthusiastic; themes that return time and again in the pages that follow. They then might draw out some thoughts about enjoyment of music and exposure to different styles and genres music. Gradually, we work together towards a more subtle response that talks about the collective rather than the individual and the symbolic, spiritual and social impact rather than the functional. For me, if music is not the only measure of the soul of the place, it is as good as any and better than most.
The annual Inter Social Part-Song takes place on the final Wednesday before the October Leave Away. It says something about the College that it is almost certainly the trophy most coveted amongst the boys. Preparation for the event is intense and driven entirely by them. The standard is remarkable, when one considers the complexity of the musical arrangements and the challenge of singing ‘a capella’ in front. But it is the sheer joy of the evening that is its shining light. The Silk Hall is packed; each Social performs in turn, respected and supported by all. Shells new to the school will be on stage naturally interacting with the 6.2s desperate to win it in their final year. My wife, Diana, said to me walking back after this year’s event, ‘It is a happy school’. That is what the evening demonstrates.
Earlier in term, as part of our Music Partnership programme, a centre piece of our strategy in broadening horizons of current Radleians through engagement with organisations beyond the College, we ran a week of events called Music Flood. Over 2000 primary school children were involved in the week, exposed to music in assemblies, concerts, busking and other events, often for the first time in over two years. It was a triumph. I went with five boys to a local primary school and watched them take an assembly. One was a natural and had them in the palm of his hand after simply blowing a raspberry with his trombone mouthpiece. Another, much shyer, boy evidently found it more difficult as he introduced the clarinet, but he did it very well and gained a huge amount from doing it. What struck me most, though, was the rapt attention of the pupils. They loved it. Music, simply, for half an hour or so, brought them all together.
It is a great thing to watch a talented sportsman show his skill: that great shot, fine goal or stunning try. It is wonderful to watch the talented actor play that role on stage, to see the talented academic dominate a Spens trophy quiz round or to view the latest installation or painting by the leading art scholar. But I think the inspirational musician trumps it all; you are there with them in the moment of performance in a special way. I am lucky enough to have so many occasions in which my breath is taken away by the quality of individual performances; I mention one. An orchestral concert back in June, we were treated to two boys each playing a movement of a piano concerto (Rachmaninov 2 and Shostakovich 2) accompanied by the College orchestra. The virtuoso performance, the wonderful synergy with the conductor (the Precentor) and the orchestra, the tangible amazement of the audience: a privilege to be there. Inspirational.
Back to Chapel. As the final week of the summer term of 2021 approached, we were faced with the same dilemma as many schools: in a Covid context, what could we legitimately do to celebrate the end of the year. One thing was nonnegotiable; the leaving 6.2 had to be able to sing in Chapel. We separated them from their parents – boys one end and parents the other – and we allowed the boys to sing. I was among them and will never forget it. As a demonstration of the strength of a community and the symbolism of an important occasion, it was magnificent. Music, again, bringing us together.
I am delighted that so many have gone on to interesting and varied professional success in Music on the back of a Radley education. It is a tribute to those who taught and inspired them and to an environment that allowed that to flourish. Enjoy their stories in this magazine, as I hope you will enjoy every other aspect of it. But as you read, remember the real reason we promote music at the College. It teaches us teamwork, unites us together, creates lasting memories and speaks to the heart. And as it does so, it reveals our soul. A soul, dare I say it, that is in a healthy state.
