Headmaster’s Roundup 5 May 2016
The strength of music at RSM was displayed once again this week when on Tuesday morning the Junior Choir made their way to Reigate Park Church as the first of our choirs to perform in the Reigate and Redhill Music Festival. The sun was shining brightly and there was excitement in the air, as the children in Years 1 and 2 made their way onto the stage to perform ‘I Am The Earth’ and ‘Kumbayah’.
The children performed brilliantly and it was a pleasure to watch them sing. All of the staff who attended were extremely proud of them and thought that they represented RSM really well. Congratulations to the Junior Choir and Mrs Whitehead for being awarded a certificate of ‘Honours’. Thank you also to parents for their support on the day. The children thoroughly enjoyed seeing lots of familiar faces in the audience.
Later in the day, the Year 5/6 Choir and then the Choristers also took part in the Reigate and Redhill Music Festival and won their classes, both with a class leading ‘outstanding’ from the adjudicator, Sarah Jeffries, taking home cups for the second consecutive year.
The Year 5/6 Choir sang a beautiful piece, ‘My Heart is like a Singing Bird’ (by Bob Chilcott) and a South African chant ‘Shosholza’, complete with stamps and claps! They clearly enjoyed themselves and the audience loved their lively performance. Mrs Glynne-Jones was really proud of them all for giving such a generous and confident performance.
The RGS Godfrey Searle Choristers sang ‘For the beauty of the earth’ (John Rutter) and ‘This little babe’ from ‘A ceremony of carols’, a complex piece in three parts by Benjamin Britten. A departure from the weekly routine of singing Anglican choral music at evensong, the Choristers pulled out the stops and performed with exciting, theatrical stage presence and gained the praise of all who were there to enjoy their singing — it really was outstanding.
Last Thursday after school Mr Hare ran another of our Informal Concerts where we had the pleasure of listening to pupils from Year 2 up to Year 6 playing and singing to us. All the children performed so well and with such confidence and everyone present had a most enjoyable hour of musical entertainment. Well done to all of those who took part and my thanks to Mr Hare and his colleagues in the Music Department for preparing the children so well.
We are grateful to Mr Cornelius Snelling who came and spoke to Year 5 about his experiences as a naval officer during World War II.
Mr Snelling was decorated many times for his part in the war including the D-Day landings. The children were amazed to see the medals he had been awarded for service to the country and the white cap that only sailors who were on the Arctic Convoy were given.
Mr Snelling also showed the children a knitted sailor that his mother had made for him when he first became a sailor and was with him on all his excursions. We were grateful to Mr Snelling for donating an official D-Day 70th anniversary brochure which he received at that special event in 2014.
Marcus Culverwell
