Lent 2017 ISSUE 24
Sherborne News Comment It is vital, too, that boys enjoy their childhood and feel able to do so in a safe, supportive environment
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It is without doubt a great privilege to take on the role of Wallace Housemaster. What makes this a privilege is the unique nature of boarding at Sherborne. We are one of the few remaining 24/7 boarding schools and this means that, other than at exeats, the vast majority of boys are here throughout the term, learning to live with each other in a boarding environment and constantly developing key character traits such as tolerance, resilience and kindness as they make their way up the School. These attributes undoubtedly serve Shirburnians well as they venture out into the wider world of relationships and careers, something I myself have been lucky enough to use to my advantage both at university and whilst working in a business environment in London. It is my belief that the Sherborne boarding experience allows boys to become good decisionmakers who learn to understand the consequences, good and bad, of the decisions that they make during their time at School. They are of course given guidance along the way, especially lower down the School, and we encourage boys to take part in as many different experiences as possible so that they can make informed decisions about what they would like to pursue either later on in their School careers or after they leave. Boys’ successes whilst at School are important, of course, but I have always been keen to measure the School’s success as much as anything else by how many boys continue participating in and enjoying the activities they have chosen in later life, especially when one’s involvement begins to require a little more effort and dedication. It is vital, too, that boys enjoy their childhood and feel able to do so in a safe, supportive environment where every individual feels valued for who they are. It is a real strength of the boarding Houses at Sherborne that they contain boys from a variety of backgrounds and with a whole host of different interests, as these are often things that can inspire and motivate those around them. After all, it is a similar situation to that which most boys will encounter when they leave School. continued
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The House system at Sherborne provides boys with a real sense of community and belonging which might otherwise be lost by purely being part of a School. On a practical level it allows boys to express themselves, be it during a House concert, in a House play or on the sports field, with a greater sense of support and confidence than they might otherwise feel on a schoolwide level. Many will then go on to represent the School in these fields too but the boarding House is often the springboard. There is no doubt that to some extent boys take on the identity of the House of which they are part, and it provides them with a more intimate platform on which they can perform and find enjoyment. Ultimately Sherborne is here to work in partnership with parents in preparing boys for the challenges and opportunities to come, and whilst recognising that it is important to achieve good examination results and excel in the fields of music, drama and sport during one’s time at School, there are many other aspects of education that play a fundamental role in a teenager’s development. Sherborne recognises this and strives to make its boarding experience the ideal backdrop for whatever life throws at them, whether that is being the inspirational frontman and lead singer of Coldplay or coming back to teach Spanish and coach cricket at one’s alma mater. Andy (m 95) will be taking over as Housemaster of Wallace in September 2017.
Lower Sixth Careers Convention “Hugely interesting”, “the range of delegates was impressive”, “it gave me a real insight” and “I have found great inspiration from these sessions”, are just some of the comments made by the boys following the Lower Sixth Careers Convention. Forty-five career areas were represented as OS and current parents gathered to give the boys an opportunity to test their interests and gain a unique
awareness of a variety of careers in the world of work. As well as the Careers Fair, where delegates took a stand in the Sports Hall, each boy had the opportunity of meeting four delegates of his choice in small group sessions. One delegate remarked: “the boys were a credit to the School”. We are very grateful to the delegates who provided such invaluable support and advice.
Congratulations to the recently appointed School Prefects:
Alex Copinger-Symes (f), Oliver Dudgeon (d), Ed Lillingston-Price (c), Alex McNair Scott (m), Hiroki Ogawa (e), Max Purchase (b), Reuben Salisbury (g)
New Sherborne App launched ANDY NURTON HEAD OF SPANISH MASTER IN CHARGE OF CRICKET
Providing an additional way of accessing some key information the Sherborne App has proved popular with parents, boys and staff. For details about how to download the App, please visit http://apps.sherborne.org/ If you have any comments or questions relating to the App, please contact apps@sherborne.org
Congratulations to Head of School Augustus Johnson (d)
The role of children in the Great War Professor Alexander Watson from Goldsmith’s College London gave a superb lecture to the Third-form historians on the topic of ‘the role of Children in the Great War’. It emphasised the fundamental importance of children in Germany to the German war effort, from their role in gathering ersatz materials to replace imports halted by the allied blockade to persuading adults to part with gold coinage for the war effort. He also emphasised the impact the war had on children, from frightening levels of malnutrition to the intriguing theory that absence of parental supervision led to a Lord of the Flies atmosphere which meant it was no surprise that many of these Germans joined the Nazi party in the period after the war. The speaker commented on the boys’ response to his talk: ‘I was really impressed with the questions that the boys asked and I also thought there was some real independence of thought on display and impressive engagement with the issues I raised in my talk.’ This was not only testament to the responses, but also to the material, which was out of the ordinary.
Best ever performance in UK Intermediate Maths Challenge 16 boys achieve highly acclaimed gold Sherborne’s mathematicians have distinguished themselves in recent competitions. Our boys made us proud again in the 2017 Intermediate Mathematics Challenge, recognised as one of the country’s largest national Maths competitions. This year, we saw an increase in total awards with 16 boys achieving the highly acclaimed Gold Certificates along with 20 boys who can be delighted with their Silver Certificates and another 22 boys with their Bronze. Many congratulations to James Atwell (5f), Nathanael Fagerson (4c), Harry Harvey (4b), Claude Hopkins (5m), Aaron Kim (4b), Oliver Lampert (4g), Henry Le Cornu (4f), Karl Li (5e), Kai Miles (3d), Nicholas Morris (3a), Richard Pun (4e), Freddie Robinson (5f), Haruhito Sawata (4e), Dylan Sun (4e), Jack Tucker (4c) and
Jonty Walliker (5g), who were all awarded Gold. Meanwhile a group of Fourth-formers came top in “Maths Feast”. This is an exciting competition for students in Year 10 testing mathematical, communication and teamwork skills. Each event lasts two to three hours. Four of our Fourth Form boys participated in the regional tournament in a morning packed with fun and interesting mathematics. We were delighted that our boys won two of the five rounds they contested and came away from the tournament as the joint highest scoring team in all rounds. Many congratulations to Nathanael Fagerson (4c), Aaron Kim (4b), Henry Le Cornu (4f) and Harry Harvey (4b) who represented us brilliantly.
Linguistic Champions Gold award winners Malhaar Shah (5a), Daniel Berry (5a), Freddie Robinson (5f) and Lleyton Sweeney (5f) have not only come in the top 5% of the national cohort but have also successfully defended their UK Linguistics Olympiad title three years in a row.
School House won the Junior Debate, opposing the motion, “This House believes that nobody has the right not to be offended.”
The Digby staged two vibrant Fashion Shows in support of Turi Children’s Project (TCP). The event raised around £3,000, which will provide funds to build a new Home Science block, complete with running water.
Lower Sixth Chemistry day at Bristol University The Lower Sixth Chemistry students went to Bristol University’s Chemistry Department. We started by undergoing an experiment in which we had to extract the caffeine from a very strong pre-prepared sample of tea. We used techniques that we have learned in Chemistry lessons this term. Afterwards, we had a brief tour of the University, including some of its expensive, high tech equipment like the NMR machine.
Half term visit to Cordoba, Spain Boys from the Fourth and Fifth Forms spent most of the February half term in Córdoba, in the south of Spain. They enjoyed the opportunity to live for the week in Spanish homes, to encounter a different culture and cuisine, and to speak Spanish. They spent 20 hours in classes at the local Academia Británica with the rest of the time being spent visiting historic monuments, such as the fabulous Mezquita, intriguing Moorish palace ruins outside the city. The sunshine and blue skies were also much appreciated! We will, no doubt, repeat this most enjoyable and productive visit next year.
This was followed by lunch and two lectures given by two professors at the University. The first one was on nanotechnology and the second a variety of things, focussing on Zinc Oxide and its structural similarity to diamond. This was a very useful trip, giving a good insight into what it is like to study Chemistry at university and how it is involved in every part of our lives.
JAMES DIXON (L6g)
Well done to our A level geographers who came third at the Geo Science regional competition at Plymouth University.
Qatar Exchange Boys were given a tour of the Fanar Mosque at the Markaz Abdulla Bin Zaid Al Mahmood Cultural Center. This was a very enjoyable experience for the visiting group as they appreciated the empathy and perceptiveness of their guide. They left the centre with a positive insight and a deeper understanding of Qatari culture and Islam.
Geologists explore the Jurassic Coast
Ten Tors Ten Tors training this term has involved an extremely wet day on Dartmoor’s North Moor, and also a weekend of camping. The former was an extremely wet day, but this at least tested the waterproof nature of our kit, and we learnt to keep dry in the stinging rain. The poor visibility was a good preparation for later overnight expeditions! Over the camping weekend, the boys experienced wind, rain, hail and sun. The four groups carried all they needed for an overnight wild camp. The boys were taught how to pitch tents, cook safely, purify water and manage their kit and equipment for camping in the middle of nowhere. During each day they had to work together to cross streams, make choices about navigation and route finding, whilst encouraging one another in the challenging conditions. All excellent training for the event.
CCF For the Lent term Field Trip the Royal Navy section toured Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport and also went powerboating. The Army and Royal Marines were superbly hosted by the Army Training Regiment at Winchester. The boys experienced the low and high wires course which was a great adrenalin rush for many. They also completed military swimming tasks and got to fire a shotgun. Major General Patrick Cordingley, a former Governor, decorated military commander and Old Shirburnian was the Guest of Honour at the CCF Dinner Night and all those in attendance were privileged to hear an inspirational speech. Recently the CCF held its Iron Cadet competition to establish the fittest and most robust cadet. There are a variety of physical tests designed to test an individual’s fitness and after a keenly contested contest, Louis Down (L6m) was crowned the winner. The first day back next term sees the CCF host the Waterloo Band and Bugles of the Rifles, and it will be great to have a professional military band play at the School.
Music An exceptionally busy term for the Music department reached its conclusion with an outstanding orchestral concert in Oxford Town Hall, following a weekend spent in Oxford, rehearsing, and attending Evensong at Christ Church. An arresting performance of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man opened the concert which went on to feature Ally Collins (U6f) as the talented solo pianist in the concertolike Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin with the joint schools’ Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony provided a suitably distinct contrast in demanding playing which was well controlled and showed the orchestra’s strings to be on finest form before they played the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade. The woodwind performed Strauss’ Serenade in Eb, the warm acoustic of the town hall particularly suiting the dry timbres, and then the Finale of Sibelius’ Symphony 2, which unfolds continuously with increasing power and majesty as it rises and soars in rich romantic writing, made a fitting conclusion for this most enjoyable of concerts. The Choral Society Concert in Poole Lighthouse was another major concert of the term. Over 80 boys enjoyed the experience of singing Berlioz Te Deum and Elgar’s Coronation Ode (ending with the rousing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’) in the largest concert venue in the south-west, with the 230 strong choir involving both Sherborne Girls and many singers from the local community. The national Pro Corda Chamber Music Competition saw particular success for Charlie Smith (L6g), Sam MacDonald (L6c) and James Pyman (L6e) in Bohuslav Martinů’s Flute Trio which reached the Final in Brighton where they were commended for their outstanding playing. Previously the U6 Piano Trio with Shostakovich Trio in no 2 in E minor – Ally Collins (U6f), Matthew Cann (U6e) and Finnbar Blakey (U6a) – reached the semi-finals, as too did the Fourth Form Wind Quintet and the Lower Sixth Brass Quintet. A major musical feature this term is the Halliday Music Competition for pianists, organists and singers. The distinguished pianist and singer Susie Allan acted as adjudicator and the standard of entries was very high. The cup was won by Finnbar Blakey for his singing of Schumann’s Dichterliebe IV-VI, with the junior piano being won by Isaac Bingley (3e), the junior singing by Fergus Burtt (3c), the senior piano by Sam MacDonald, and the organ prize by Josh Cook (4f).
There were some excellent Cheap Street recitals in Lent 2017. Peter Folkes (L6a) played in five of them, as did Freddie Graham (5c), and aptly both are waiting for the results of their ATCL diploma examinations on the saxophone. Pianists Douglas Mak (U6c), with Liszt’s stunning Un Sospiro, and George Jefferson, with the second movement of Beethoven’s Pathètique, impressed the audience with virtuosic playing while clarinetists Archie Cripwell (U6c), with Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 No. 2, and George Lewis (4d), with the third movement of Brahms’ Sonata in F minor, thrilled with their musical interpretations. The junior string players shone in their recital with Alex Hobbs (3c) in Elgar’s Chanson de matin and Jacky Zheng (5e) in Dvořák’s Romantic Piece No. 1 being particular highlights. In addition to many Distinctions and Merits this term, Distinctions in Grade 8 were achieved by Tom McCaig (5b), Peter Folkes, Matthew Cann and Jamie Hewitt (U6a).
The Choir’s broad repertoire continued to enhance the Abbey services, with 96 red gowned boys processing in and out each service, and the 22 strong Chamber Choir visited Bath Abbey to sing Choral Evensong with music by Tomkins (the Fifth Service) and Palestrina (Tenebrae factae sunt). Jordan Berry (L6a) sang solos in both the Plainsong psalms and the canticles with magnificent tenor prowess. The Chamber Choir also participated in a masterclass, joint with Sherborne Girls Madrigal Society, led by Voces 8. Having performed repertoire by Byrd and Stanford, the joint choir then enjoyed an hour long recital by the world-famous vocal ensemble in the BSR. An outstanding Scholars’ Concert in the Tindall Recital Hall showcased the high end of Sherborne’s musicmaking, with scholars’ chamber music being particularly notable. Jazz has played a key part in the Music School’s programme with the Jazz Band giving a recital in Cheap
Street Church and the Swing Band playing at Sandroyd, at Lists, and then to a packed house in the annual Dinner and Jazz. Charlie Barker (L6b) and Harry Vincent (L6g) are the new Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé soloists respectively, and Kit Delamain (U6c) leads the particularly strong trombone section with William Banks (5b) doing a good stand-in for Dizzie Gillespie in the trumpets. Two house concerts by The Green and Wallace showed house music to be as energetic as that of the wider school and the Joint Schools’ Sinfonia performed music by Smetana and Mussorgsky in Leweston Chapel, paving the way for future orchestral highlights in the years to come. Two Visiting Artists’ Tindall Recitals further enriched the musical experience at Sherborne with the ever-popular jazz pianist Dave Newton returning for an Oscar Peterson Tribute Evening and then the Villiers Quartet performing Schuber, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich string quartets. Highlights for next term will include the Sherborne Abbey Festival performances in late April, the Patrick Shelley Music Competition for Advanced Instrumentalists in late June, and the Commem Gala Concert.
JAMES HENDERSON DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
The Odyssey The 15 Lower School boys who made up the cast of the Junior Show this year had the daunting task of creating a production of one hour in length in a little under five weeks. Could it be done, and the show achieve the giddy heights of the quality of previous years, with shows such as Lord of the Flies, Oedipus Rex and The Birds? The audience response was a resounding “Yes!” The Powell Theatre was completely packed on the Friday, with boys returning to see the show for the second time and bringing lots of their friends with them. The Odyssey combined high grade acting talent, a quirky sense of humour (well done Chris Haworth (4e)), masses of energy, a stunning sense of ensemble and some breath-taking physical theatre. Add to this mix, Billy Mutoti’s (3e) dance moves with a fantastic soundtrack, and you can perhaps start to understand why this dynamic cocktail could not fail to entertain. Keep your eye out for future devised performances and for this group, because if this is the level of work they are coming out with now, they are going to be incredible by the time they reach the Senior School.
Yes Prime Minister
‘A skilful actor will make you think, but a skilful politician will make you never have to think’. The School House production this year was Yes, Prime Minister which told the story of Prime Minister Jim Hacker, Fred Downham (L6a) and his often disastrous attempts to get Britain out of a crisis situation through dodgy deals with the fictional state of Kumranistan and its Foreign Secretary, Alan Hughes – Hallett (U6a). Hacker’s team, including his Private Secretary Bernard, Jake Jackson (L6a), Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby, Bently Creswell (5a), and Special Advisor Clive Sutton, Seb Key (U6a), have to deal with unseemly requests and media manipulation as they try to save the country. The play was expertly directed by Fred Downham and beautifully acted by the School House boys who created parts worthy of any politician today. The combination of sophisticated and politically incorrect humour delighted the audience with claims that it was the best School House production ever seen.
FINNBAR BLAKEY (U6a)
Abbey House perform popular pantomime classic The boys of Abbey House ditched their blues for wigs, dresses and high-heeled shoes. They took to the stage to perform the greatest panto of them all: Cinderella. The cast, ably supported by the newly initiated tech crew, were masterful at keeping the laughs coming. Audience participation was an important part of this production, with all the key elements of a panto being ticked off as the evening went on. Among the magic, mayhem and comedy
escapades, the boys never wasted an opportunity to start a chorus of “Oh no it isn’t” or make the most of a pun. The inclusion of an extra ugly sister was one of the many bonus features on display. The glitter, glamour, the outrageous costumes, the huge number of Abbey House boys involved all came together for this larger-than-life show. A ball was had by all.
Sport This term is always an extraordinarily busy and diverse period in the sporting life of Sherborne, and this one has been no exception. Competitive fixtures have been played in twelve different sports (Basketball, Cross-Country, Fives,
Football, Hockey, Judo, Rugby, Sailing, Ski Racing, Squash, Swimming and Water Polo), and this vast range of opportunity has again been matched by the boys’ commitment, enthusiasm and achievement in every field.
Alongside the usual multitude of block fixtures, our Hockey teams have enjoyed some notable success in Cup competitions. The Mini Colts A team made it all the way through to the SemiFinals of the West of England tournament, where they lost to the eventual winners, Dean Close. Nonetheless, to reach the last four in the region is a tremendous achievement. The Colts A team couldn’t quite emulate this feat, finishing third in the West Preliminary tournament, having qualified as runners-up at the County tournament. The 1st XI has enjoyed a tremendous season and has progressed to the Regional Final of the England Hockey National Plate competition where they are likely to face Millfield. They also recorded a 5-4 victory over the England Masters XI in an absolutely superb encounter of top-notch Hockey. The Football Club has fielded a total of fourteen teams this season, often playing fixtures against as many as three or four different opponents in a week. Two matches were particularly memorable: the 1st XI’s 3-2 defeat of Downside on the Upper was a thrilling game in which the lead changed hands several times before Tom De Wesselow (L6c) popped up to head the winning goal with just two minutes left on the clock. At the other end of the age range, the Mini Colts C XI beat QEH Bristol for the first time ever, with four goals from Jake Paveley (3f) and a second half hat-trick for Edmond Farhat (3e) in an awesome 7-2 win.
The senior Hockey and Cricket squads enjoyed a fabulous two-week tour to Barbados where, alongside nine fixtures (five wins, one draw and three losses), they also enjoyed a safari, swimming with sea turtles and a visit to the iconic Kensington Oval.
Although Sevens is the main focus for our Rugby players this term, the Junior Colts A XV still had some unfinished business in the RFU Under 15 NatWest Cup. They made it through to the last sixteen of this national tournament, before losing 21-29 to Ivybridge Community College in a tremendous match. Their prop forward Nathanael Fagerson (4c) has been selected for the Scotland Under-16 squad for the forthcoming Easter International series, following in the footsteps of his elder brother Zander who has been starring as Scotland’s tight-head prop in the recent Six Nations Championship. The Under-18 Sevens squad, captained by Archie Bourne (U6g), warmed up for Rosslyn Park by defeating the Bryanston Sevens for the second year in a row. They will be joined in London by the Under-16 and Under-14 squads, all of whom will be looking to repeat last year’s achievement of being the only school in the competition to have three different teams qualify from the group stages.
However, it is in some of the less highprofile sports that some of the most impressive achievements have come this term. At the HMC Judo Championships, our team of three each produced medalwinning performances, with Gold Medals for Conrad Cowan (U6m) and Freddie Williams (4f), and a Silver Medal for Max Fraser (3c). The boys scored so successfully that overall Sherborne School came second out of the fourteen schools in the tournament. Meanwhile, at The British Schoolboys’ International Skiing Races in Wengen, Will Perkins (5a) retained his Under 16 unregistered title, whilst the unregistered team of Ben Nokes (U6m), Ben Pugsley (U6d), Tom Perkins (L6a) and Will Perkins were only narrowly beaten by Dulwich College and came second overall. Warming up for the Trinity Term, Benjamin Liebenberg (L6a) won his fourth grade 5 Tennis tournament of the year; since joining Sherborne, his singles record is an outstanding fifteen wins in nineteen matches.
HUGH TATHAM - ASSISTANT HEAD (CO-CURRICULAR)
The Digby won the Cross-Country (intermediate and senior) competitions, and the Harding Trophy for the individual winner went to Jordan Berry (L6a).
LOOKING FORWARD... Term Dates • Travelling Day: Tuesday 18th April return by 7:30pm • First Exeat: Saturday 29th – Monday 1st May • Half Term: Friday 26th May – Sunday 4th June • Commemoration: Saturday 1st July Parent/ Teacher meetings • Third Form: Saturday 29th April • Fourth Form: Friday 26th May For more information please go to www.sherborne.org/news-calendar/school-calendar SHERBORNE SCHOOL ABBEY ROAD SHERBORNE DORSET DT9 3AP T: 01935 812249 E: enquiries@sherborne.org www.sherborne.org Registered Charity No. 1081228
Thank you to all contributors. Photographs: David Ridgway, Josie Richards, Martin Crabtree, Michael McGinty and others