Issue 53 Summer 2015
ST
ALBANS
Highlights
SCHOOL
ROUSING MUSIC FROM JOINT SCHOOLS The audience in the Abbey was stirred by the varied programme of music in the Joint Schools’ Concert, marshalled under the baton of Director of Music Mick Stout. Pupils from St Albans School and St Albans High School, together with former pupils and parents, began with two majestic anthems by William H Harris. The orchestra joined the choir for Ralph Vaughan Williams’ inspiring Serenade to Music, where Georgia Davis’ violin solo and Joanna Nolan’s soprano solo were finely judged. The rendition of William Walton’s Spitfire Prelude & Fugue was tremendously stirring, with the forces of brass and percussion to the fore, but leaving space for a violin solo by Thomas Hillman. The performance of Karl Jenkins’ thirteen part The Armed Man followed the interval, with a dynamic opening drumbeat heralding impending martial conflict. The ‘Adhaan’, a rendition of the Muslim call to prayer The moving ‘Kyrie’ preceded a dramatic male voice ‘a cappella’ and then an ominous ‘Sanctus’. Strong, vigorous music formed the backdrop to Kipling’s ‘Hymn Before Action’, with trumpets and drums then dominating ‘Charge!’ A gong signalled a mournful commemoration of Hiroshima. The dramatic Torches featured the words of the Hindu epic, The Mahabharata, before the mood changed for the final four parts, which expresses hope for a more peaceful era. The ‘Benedictus’ featured a beautiful cello s o l o f r o m OA Joe Davies. An unaccompanied hymn closed an evening of immensely impressive and very moving music.
Genetic Research A Sixth former won third place in the Young Scientist of the Year awards in a presentation at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham. She had been selected as one of the top 5 entries from 200 finalists at the event at the National Exhibition Centre. Ellen’s project studied the genetics of wheat in order to reduce toxins. Ellen spent five weeks at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, cloning a gene in wheat in order to study the toxic effects of a protein called asparagine. Ellen gave a presentation to industry experts at the NEC. ‘It wasn’t as intimidating as it might seem,’ she said, ‘as they were all really interested in what we had been doing and were very helpful and friendly.’In further recognition, Ellen’s project has been selected to enter the 27th European Union Contest forYoung Scientists, which takes place in Milan next September.
Exceptional University Offers Twelve pupils from St Albans School have been awarded conditional offers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The degree subjects chosen by pupils range from English and History to Chemistry and Engineering. Six further students have secured offers to study medicine and another student has a place to study dentistry.
The Joint Schools’ Concert filled the nave of the Abbey with sound
‘The number of offers received by our pupils, and the range of subjects they wish to study, demonstrate the quality and breadth of their talents and the teaching which has inspired them,’ said Headmaster Jonathan Gillespie. ‘Many other pupils have received offers, both conditional and unconditional, at top universities throughout the country,’ he added. ‘This echoes the recent ISI Report findings that the achievements of our pupils are ‘exceptional’.’