The Cranleigh School Newsletter Issue No 40
Cranleigh School, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8QQ Tel: 01483 273666
Summer 2011
Head s Up MASTERING THE MANDER Dear Parents,
As we look back on this term, there is much to celebrate. There have been the challenges of key examinations, to which almost all pupils rose commendably, some extraordinary team successes in hockey and riding, a highly entertaining Junior Play, The Odyssey, the treat of some wonderful music, including the Summer Concert and the Encore concert, our recent Good Schools Guide awards for Design and History of Art, the outstanding individual achievements of so many pupils in the wider arena and, of course, the sunshine, encouraging pupils to enjoy the grounds and keeping spirits high to the end. The breadth and quality of the activity this term have closely reflected our belief in the Cranleigh Ethos our conviction that academic success cannot be seen as standalone, it is part of a much bigger picture in which self-discovery and the growth of an individual s personal commitment in the many spheres of Cranleigh life lead to an inherent self-belief. This in turn enables pupils to believe that they can do it... they can get to the top of the mountain, or play a part in a school play, or sing a solo in front of a packed house, or take the vital wicket and, yes, achieve their full potential in the classroom. It s an ethos that has stood the test of time and we believe will continue to do so, as we look towards our 150th anniversary in 2015 and beyond. And so, as we break up for the holidays, we wish all those heading off in search of yet more challenges and discoveries on the various School trips be they to the Alps or to Australia safe, rewarding journeys. We wish all those who are leaving us including, sadly, some particularly longserving members of Common Room this year a happy and prosperous future, and we wish all our Cranleigh families a wonderful, relaxing summer break. I look forward to catching up with all your news in September!
Guy Waller Head
As Cranleigh launches its first ever Organ Awards, we speak to its new Organist in Residence, Phil Scriven, about his past, his first year at Cranleigh and his hopes for the future development of organ playing at Cranleigh... Phil, tell us a bit about your past... I ve been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents are brass players, so some of my earliest memories are of hearing them play in the local bands, and I gained my love of the organ through listening to my dad play at the local church. My own musical life really began as a chorister at Westminster Abbey when I was nine, and I started to learn the piano and flute at that stage. I gained a music scholarship to Charterhouse, followed by two gap years spent as Organ Scholar at St George s Chapel, Windsor and at the Royal Academy of Music. At university I was Organ Scholar at St John s College, Cambridge, where I developed my interest in opera and orchestral conducting. I continued to study this for the next five years at the Vienna Musikhochschule and the Juilliard School in New York, and was able to experience a much broader musical scene in those wonderful cities. Upon my return to the UK, I worked for opera companies in London and Cardiff, and became Sub-Organist at Westminster Abbey and later Assistant Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral. Following eight years as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Lichfield Cathedral, I moved to Cranleigh in 2010 to take up the new post of Organist in Residence, and have very much enjoyed my first year settling into this bustling community and taking up the new challenges the position presents. What attracted you to Cranleigh? Obviously the arrival of the new Mander organ was a big draw! The first time I played it, it felt a bit like Christmas day, unwrapping a much-desired new present. I was also attracted by the strong sense of community that was clearly apparent when I first visited; by the challenge of creating a new role, and helping to shape a new organ department from scratch; and by the implementation of Cranleigh Music 7-18, an innovative and exciting new venture between the Prep and Senior Schools, which offers the opportunity to get younger Prep School pupils involved with the organ. The organ tends to be something that people progress to later on, so it s fantastic to get them enthused and fired up at an early age. Also, having spent some of my childhood in the area, it was lovely to come back to a campus and village that epitomise leafy Surrey....
Chapel Choir. Taking the Chapel Choir to sing Evensong in my old stomping ground, Windsor Castle was a real treat. And restarting the Chamber Choir, a handselected group of singers now known as Cranleigh Voices , together with their beautiful singing for the Advent Carol Service, has definitely provided some wonderful memories this year. What is so special about the John Mander organ? First and foremost, it is the wonderfully crisp, clean and colourful sound that the organ produces. It has a very fine tracker action, and is a superb teaching instrument on which to discover the organ s many subtleties. This is an instrument with three manuals, thirty-one speaking stops and over two thousand pipes! It is also an amazingly versatile instrument, which plays baroque and classical music fantastically well, but can also perform more romantic and modern repertoire equally well (including the likes of Gershwin, Sousa and excerpts from The Jungle Book , which I had to play for someone s christening recently!). September 2011 sees the launch of the new Organ Awards. What sort of pupil is likely to be given one of these unusual Awards? There will be Awards offered at two different entry points. At 13+ we will be looking for pupils who demonstrate particular talent as organists or as pianists who would like to diversify and take on the different challenges that the organ offers. Candidates should be of at least Grade 5 Organ or Piano standard when applying. At 16+ we are looking for pupils who are already fairly proficient as organists, and who show potential and enthusiasm to take it further after Cranleigh, possibly even as Oxbridge Organ Scholars. Candidates should be of at least Grade 7 Organ standard when applying.
What has been the highlight of your first year?
And what can they aspire to in receiving an Organ Award?
Am I allowed a few?... The opening recitals of the new instrument were very memorable, involving Thomas Trotter (one of the finest organists in the world) and the
The fundamental aim would be to develop their technique at playing the organ and its diverse repertoire through specialist tuition. The Award will also provide the
For full details of all School and House news, please visit the website at www.cranleigh.org/community
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