Head’s Blog 04.12.2020

And so we stand on the cusp of the final week, which for many pupils is an exciting week as they look forward to the holidays and the different events that take place.  This time of the year is also when those boys who have applied to Oxford and Cambridge attend interviews.  As with everything else this year, it is all taking place online.  This year two boys have been “invited” to Oxford or Cambridge for Geography and Psychological & Behavioural Science.  I am also pleased that two boys who have applied for some of the most competitive and challenging courses, Veterinary Science and Medicine, have received invitations to interview at the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Glasgow respectively.  I wish them all luck over the next week and hope that others who have applied for Oxbridge and medicine will get good news shortly.
 
But for the rest of the boys, there is much for them to enjoy this week.  On Monday evening at 6.30pm, David Hare’s response to the pandemic, Beat the Devil, will premiere on the School’s YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/g2ja_E_0nTw).  The play, a monologue, has been divided between a number of Year 12 and 13 boys who rehearsed and filmed their sections apart from the others.  I have no doubt that the need to physically distance (I am trying not to use the phrase socially distanced any more, we are still a community) has removed some of the camaraderie that goes with putting on a play but I am grateful to the boys, Miss Twomey and Mr Tibbles, for all their hard work in pulling it together.  It is not the approach the Drama department would have liked to take, but the end result will be another example of the versatility of the School’s actors and directors.

On Tuesday evening, the Christmas concert will also be shown via our YouTube channel (link to follow).  Mr Martin and Mr Repa have spliced together performances by ensembles and individuals as well as a number of readings by Year 11 pupils.  It will be sad not to have the atmosphere of the Hinde Street Chapel but I hope that, nevertheless, it will start to get us all feeling a little bit more Christmassy.

On Thursday, we will have our Christmas lunch followed by the boys taking part in different charitable activities and the Staff panto, Rich Whittingdon, will also be recorded to share with the boys on Friday morning (no matter how much anyone might ask, it will not be on the YouTube channel!).

With best wishes for the weekend,

Seth