Choirs in churches should not be taken for granted in the context of a modern day society, and their presence at occasions such as this are essential in providing the necessary gravitas and celebration at a service of this nature. The musical offerings were of a fantastic standard, ranging from the combined Junior/Prep School instrumentalists (performing a movement from Handel's Water Music) to the highly specialised Foundation Chamber Choir, led by Mr Hancock, performing a sensationally well communicated account of Parry's There is an old belief. On the way, we had an invigorating rearrangement of the universally loved Shine Jesus Shine, arranged by our Head of Foundation Music, Mr Thompson, featuring brass stabs from our Fanfare Team that would not be out of place in the West End! There were also hymns including Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer and Love Divine, as well as the National Anthem. The central piece of repertoire for the occasion, with our combined choirs joining together under the leadership of Mr Albrighton, was Vaughan Williams' Te Deum, which is a split-choir piece and our pupils have done admirably well to put such a musical performance together in just four weeks. Their dedication keeps us humble, and their musical commitment is second to none. 

Our sincere thanks go to the choirs, Fanfare Team and the various conductors of each ensemble, not least Mrs Baskerville who leads the Chapel Choir and Mr Tibbitts who leads the Fanfare Team. This event was a great success and I hope everybody who participated in it enjoyed a day of music making and recognised how valuable they are to our school community.