Cranleigh Matters The Cranleigh School Newsletter Issue No 30 Spring 2008 www.cranleigh.org
Cranleigh Foundation Given Early Boost
Cranleigh School, Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8QQ Telephone 01483 273666
The Dance Show Ben Hughes, Cranleigh parent and Global Commercial Director and Deputy CEO of the Financial Times, gave the Cranleigh Foundation a significant early boost on 5th February when he presented a cheque for £70,000 pounds to Head, Guy Waller.
Foundation Director David Johnston is delighted with this generous gesture and display of confidence in the School’s future. ‘The faith that the Hughes family have shown by way of this truly momentous contribution will make such a Ben Hughes, David Johnston and Head Guy Waller difference to the way we with the cheque in front of the new building go forward in achieving our charitable ambitions. The community and the School will see significant changes and benefits over the coming years and on behalf of the Foundation and all its future beneficiaries I wish to say a huge thank you.’ Ben himself explains the motivation for his action. ‘There are many things that are important in life to a parent, but all stem from a desire to give our children every possible opportunity to develop as people and to develop their talents. I had the benefit of a private school education myself, and my own parents made a lot of sacrifices to enable me to do so. As with Cranleigh, the ethos of my own school was to develop as much as possible the special gifts of each pupil, whether academic, sporting or musical. As with every pupil at Cranleigh, I was given every opportunity to do the very best that I could with my abilities.
One of the highlights of the Michaelmas term was the Dance Show which forms part of the last two nights of term with their Christmas festivities. Alex Reynolds, Charlotte Chesney, Dylan Salamon and Joe O’Neill put together a vibrant, exciting and varied programme of dances. Their organisation and dedication to the show was evident in the professional, well-rehearsed routines, which included an energetic female-dominated ‘Chicago’ dance and a beautifully choreographed ballet dance. Thanks must also go to Vanessa Mitchell, who helped put together some physically demanding routines. The boys’ energy and spirit was demonstrated in some technically complicated routines culminating in a rather humorous light-hearted performance from the 1st XV rugby boys. I really enjoyed supervising this year’s group. Olivia Mullins
‘Already I can see the amazing amount of good that both Cranleigh Prep School and Cranleigh School have done for our twins. Watching them grow up and develop into young adults, with all the self-confidence that entails, is a joy. Every penny invested in their education at this age will pay rich dividends in their future lives. Along, I’m sure, with all the other parents at the Schools, I am very proud of what my children are achieving at Cranleigh and firmly believe that the School is doing what is ultimately best for all our children. And, where that is concerned, I don’t mind putting my money where my beliefs are and donating to the Foundation. ‘The Cranleigh Foundation has a valuable role to play in the development of children who can be given a chance they would not otherwise have to be educated at Cranleigh. Funding bursaries can widen the net and bring children to Cranleigh from all walks of life. If donations like mine can help to encourage this, and also help to build even more and better facilities at Cranleigh School for all pupils present and future, then that has to be a good thing. Doesn’t it?’ WEB-SITE Some articles in this newsletter appear in a fuller version on the web-site. For the latest news go to www.cranleigh.org
Jocelyn Waller Shines in Grieg Concerto Cranleigh’s ‘own’ professional orchestra entertained a packed house in the Speech Hall on Friday 25th January: the 60-strong Merriman Concert Orchestra (named after a former Headmaster) is comprised of many of the School’s visiting music staff and other musician-friends of the School. Friday’s orchestra included such internationally known artists as Sophie Langdon (Head of Strings) and renowned ’cellist Andrew Fuller as well as ex-pupils Dan Sheppard and Lottie Waller, whose sister, Jocelyn Waller, was the soloist in the Grieg Piano Concerto. Jocelyn is in the UVIth and was recently offered a place to read French and German at Brasenose College, Oxford. This was the third consecutive year in which a Cranleigh School pupil was given the opportunity to play a concerto with a full professional symphony orchestra. Head (and proud father) Guy Waller commented: “Although Jocelyn has been playing in public for 11 years, she could never have reached this level without her inspiring piano teachers here at Cranleigh, Anthony Hill and Richard Saxel.” Director of Music Marcus Pashley, who conducted the concert, commented: “Grieg was only 25 when he wrote the concerto in 1868 and it helps to have the freshness of a young pianist to remind us what a great and youthful piece this is.” The concert began with another of the School’s distinguished music coaches, mezzo-soprano Emily Bauer-Jones singing ‘Sea Pictures’ by Elgar and ended with the evergreen Ninth Symphony by Dvorák, ‘From the New World’. In this second half of the concert the orchestra’s woodwind section, which includes Cranleigh School’s Head of Woodwind, international clarinettist Angus Meryon, were all in the lime-light, not least the cor anglais in the famous solo in the slow movement.
Top Brass Katherine Chevis won the School’s annual Brass Competition on Friday February 8th. Katherine is a very talented musician who just the week before had won a prize in the Strings Competition on the ’cello. This time her chosen instrument was the tuba and the adjudicator, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Watts, OBE, felt her playing of the Concerto by Gregson put her top of the 13 entrants. Director of Music Marcus Pashley comments: “Katherine is a fine musician who plays this instrument with remarkable virtuosity but also finds a dignity in her sound that belies the usual comic image people have of it.” Second Prize in the Advanced section went to Annabel Roberts, who chose her trumpet piece (‘The Debutante’) after hearing Wynton Marsalis play it in concert and modestly announced that she would be playing it at a slower tempo! In the Intermediate section a trumpeter, Alastair White, took the top award with a hairraising aria from ‘Samson and Delilah’ and second prize went to flugel-hornist Eddie Hamilton in the poignant ‘Lament’ by Norton. Stuart Watts praised all the entrants for their high standards of musicianship and offered some technical advice on the problems of water in the instrument. He also added high praise for Cranleigh’s Head of Piano, Richard Saxel, who “accompanied all the players so sensitively and helped give them the confidence to shine in public.” The audience prize went to the youngest competitor, Millie Crane, whose righthand dexterity was tested to the full in an arrangement for trombone of part of Warlock’s ‘Capriol Suite’. Other performances which found especial favour from audience members included Alexander Griffiths’s impeccably sensitive euphonium playing and IVth Former Peter Westcott’s arresting rendition of Strauss’s most famous Horn Concerto movement. A fuller review will appear in the 2008 ‘Cranleighan’.
Tory Soars To Top String Prize Tory Sawyer soared away with the Advanced Prize in Cranleigh’s annual Strings Competition, despite adjudicator Martin Smith (one of London’s leading violinists) claiming he tended to be harsh when judging fellow fiddle players. Martin described Tory’s performance of the slow movement of Mendelssohn’s famous E minor violin concerto as “simply outstanding” and which “had no serious rival for first prize.” Nevertheless, he made it clear how moved he had been by runner-up Anni Gibson’s ’cello playing in ‘Elegy’ by Davis. Tory’s violin teacher and Head of Strings Sophie Langdon, who organised the competition, added, “Tory is hugely talented and also works hard at her technique; I’m sure she will soon be ready to master the whole concerto.” It was a ’cellist who took first prize in the Intermediate section: Louisa Golden played the Prelude from the first of Bach’s solo ’cello suites. Martin Smith admired the “easy flow of the bow and the impassioned ending.” The second prize in this section went to guitarist Oliver Metcalfe who, along with Marlon Date Chong, competed on two instruments; Martin Smith highlighted the “sheer personality” of Oliver’s playing. The audience prize was shared between violinist Sam McCagherty (playing Shostakovitch) and another ’cellist Katherine Chevis (in the Bach/Gounod ‘Ave Maria’), who both met Martin Smith’s requirement that they “play the music, not just the notes.” He added that he was utterly delighted by the high standard of playing by all 16 competitors.” To round off the evening Tory switched from fiddle to voice and sang the ‘Skye Boat Song’ in her rich contralto with the Cranleigh Ceilidh Band. She then took up the violin again in a lively reel to the authentic accompaniment of bodhrans played by Nathan Piggott and drum teacher Phil Lockhart.
Another Case wrapped up by Loveday Actors ‘Inspector Drake’s Last Case’ is full of predictable yet superbly timed gags such as the Inspector holding up a gift-wrapped suitcase and declaring, “That’s another case wrapped up!” As his side-kick Sergeant Plod puts it as he introduces the audience to this spoof murder mystery, “Murder’s a funny business” and, thanks to a cast that combined stage experience and fresh talent, Loveday’s production showed that murder can be a truly hilarious business. The show ran from 12th-14th February in the VCT and had been rehearsed in just five weeks. It was remarkable therefore that the cast had their lines not just word-perfect but had absorbed them so confidently that they avoided the potential death-traps of the comic names: Guest the butler, Butler the guest, Gardner the cook, Cook the Gardner and another butler called Shofer. The mixture of experience and new talent was seen in the lead double-act, for this was not a production in which Nick Barnes’s Inspector stole the show but rather the dead-pan foil of Matthew Boal’s Sergeant Plod (“Next to him I’m like an imbecile”) balanced Nick’s winning charisma superbly. Some of Matthew’s facial expressions were as classic as the comedy greats of TV fame; as was his accent when he revealed himself to be Mr Truck van Rental. The rest of the cast were led by the strong stage presence of Piers English as Mr Gagarin (whom the Inspector called every comic name one could imagine beginning with g, including ‘Gonad’): he relished the comedy of his regular support for Policemen’s balls simply by playing it as straight as possible; the only corpsing on stage was done by Kate Heinrich as the supposed murder victim. Dan Rozwadowski played the open-mouthed simpleton gardner and Seren Waters added the splendidly named Chief Inspector Bastard to his hunch-backed butler (“I had a hunch he’d show up”). The joke was that after the butler had done it in every one of Drake’s ninety-odd previous murder investigations, this time everyone except the butler had done it (or thought they had). Visual humour was supplied by Jack Barrett’s animated mime and gags such as the lie detector on a repeatedly collapsing table: “You’ll never make it stand up in court.” All the action was directed with great imagination by VIth Formers Ian Sekalala and Jack Church, who had been given, it seemed, just the right mixture of supervision, inspiration and freedom by Loveday tutor Alex Forsdike. He, along with Ian, Jack and Nick were awarded their House ties on stage after the last night by proud Housemaster Chris Staley, who paid tribute to the huge efforts back-stage of Paul Leggitt (props) and the several staff and pupils in the technical
RAF Band Concert
On Wednesday 13th February in Chapel, a group of Music Scholars, brass and woodwind instrumentalists and a small group of pupils from the Prep School were entertained by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. The band comprised 24 musicians, this being about half of the full strength of their Concert Band. The opening piece was the theme from ‘Star Wars’, which reverberated powerfully around the Chapel, and, following an introduction from the conductor that the following piece was a ballad by Schumann, they proceeded to play the rousing ‘Simpsons’ theme. The music was specifically chosen to suit the audience and during the course of the following 45 minutes they performed a selection from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and a very entertaining ‘Post Horn Gallop’ where the solo trumpeter steadily moved around the Chapel whilst playing. A group of pupils was also invited to use percussion instruments and play along with the band. Four of the School’s many talented musicians were invited to play within the band: Alexander Griffiths on euphonium, Annabel Roberts on trumpet, Chloe Allison on clarinet and Frederick Hickman on saxophone. I’m sure that they thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing with such a professional ensemble. John Sandford
Gurkha Extreme: Tom Avery Society Lecture I first got in touch with David Burt, in order to raise money for the 2008 Cranleigh Ecuador Expedition, a year and a half ago, but it was only recently that I found out that he was more than your average businessman. Having no great experience as a camera man, he joined a team of Gurkhas attempting three challenges: fire, water and ice. David was greeted by a capacity crowd in the MMS for the Lent term Tom Avery Society Lecture and the talk began with an explanation of the ice: a gruelling trek across Greenland enduring, at times, 180km per hour winds. The aim was to be the first unsupported Gurkha team to complete the 535km trans-Greenland crossing and to do it in just 30 days. With the audience in a state of disbelief we were then told what the fire and water parts of the expedition entailed. The aim of the fire section was to do what could be described as the 'Marathon des Sables on steroids' in the tropical yet arid conditions of Ascension Island. To give you some idea of the task, the 'Marathon des Sables' involves crossing 240km of desert and dunes in seven days; the Gurkhas completed 252km in six days in temperatures approaching 40oC, climbing an average of 1046m per day, carrying all their equipment apart from water and tents and moving at an average of almost 5km per hour. Again this alone would be a marathon task (or more accurately six marathons) but only 44 hours later they were in England canoeing 257km in five days. This involved extra distance from Avonmouth to Devizes before entering the renowned international Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. The talk closed at the same point that David's involvement with the School began: his active-wear clothing company; if you want to find out more then go to www.bambooclothing.co.uk. David is helping to raise money for the School's expedition to Ecuador by donating money from the sales of the clothing. However, it will register only if you enter the code 'Cranleigh' in the group buying code box at the checkout of David's site. The result will be that 50% goes to the Ecuador expedition group fund. James McEntee (LVI)
Sam Smith makes England U18 Rugby
Sam Smith (UVIth) played in the three monthly England U18 Conference team matches, the preliminary England side, these matches being warm-ups for the Six Nations tournament. The games were against Leinster, which England won 26-3; against a London Academies XV, which England won 34-12; and against the French U18 Conference team in which Sam scored the opening try in a 42-26 victory in Paris. Following his great showing in the France game, Sam was selected, along with just 16 other players, as a member of the initial Six Nations squad. Cranleigh had a double representation for Harlequins A in their Guinness A League 35-22 defeat to London Irish on Monday 21st January as Seb Stegmann (OC) joined fellow wing Sam, who scored a first half try. In more recent Quins games, Sam came off the bench against Bristol and Seb started (scoring a try); against London Irish both started and Sam scored a try. On 11th February against Bath Sam was also in the starting line-up and scored another try, while Seb was on the bench. As we go to press Sam has been selected for the U18 England team against Wales in the first Six Nations match on March 2nd.
Kelly and Louisa Star for Hockey Trojans
Kelly Hughes and Louisa Robbins played for Trojans U16s in the National Indoor Finals at the end of January. They were drawn in a tough group, but won their first game comfortably 5-1 against Hymers College from the North. This was followed by a great win over Millfield to leave them with maximum points after the first day. A close game against Chelmsford the following morning resulted in a 2-3 loss, though 12 short corners in the first half could have yielded a victory. Needing a victory to qualify for the semifinals, they beat Dame Alice Harpur from the Midlands and then played Belper HC in the semis. However, they didn’t have enough firepower against a side containing several of the England U16 team, who then went on to win the final quite comfortably. Overall: a very good performance and great experience for next year, when they are both still eligible for this age group. Richard Organ
Riders Jump into 2008 in Fine Style!
Cranleigh School riding teams once again excelled in the first National Schools Equestrian Association South East Jumping League Competition of the 2008 season. Turnout for this event was good with over 22 schools from around the region being represented. The 2’3 jumping saw some new young riders from the Prep School competing for the first time along with some old hands who guided the Cranleigh Gold Team (Hattie Allison, Imogen Thomas, Leah Peatroy and Georgina Ambrose) into fifth place. Hattie also secured herself an excellent 4th place individually. This year has seen the introduction of a new height for schools’ show-jumping and this 2’6 to 2’9 class was one of the most hotly contested of the day. Both our teams finished on zero jumping scores but placings were decided on a combination of jumping and time faults and so riders had to judge their speed through the timed cross country phase of the course with great care! This left the Cranleigh Blue Team of Hattie Allison, Imogen Thomas, Tom Lane and Genevieve Clarke in 4th and the Gold Team of Madeleine Iafrate, Chloe Allison, Bella Roberts and Leah Peatroy in 8th. Another excellent round by Hattie gave her 4th place once more in the individual competition. The jumps in both phases became more technical in the 2’9 to 3’ class but this did not phase the Cranleigh Riders who took three out of the six top places in the team event and produced the individual winner in Izzy Curran, riding her relatively inexperienced youngster, Hot Mercury. She only narrowly beat Harri Snelling, who finished 2nd with Katie MacDonald 4th and Emily Stovold 8th. This meant our Blue Team of Emily, Katie, Alice Wait and Imogen Way won this event, with the Red Team of Harri Snelling, Izzy Curran, Bella Roberts and Cammie Millar in 4th and the Gold Team of Madeleine Iafrate, Imogen Way, Tom Lane and Genevieve Clark in 6th. The Open Class produced some very determined riding, although we were unlucky to accumulate some jumping faults, mainly at the penultimate fence which had clearly been designed as the ‘bogey’ fence! However, our timings were good and this meant that once again we found ourselves in the final line-up, with the Gold Team of Imogen Way, Anna Rickenberg, Emily Stovold and Alice Wait finishing in 4th and the Red Team of Imogen, Izzy Curran and Katie MacDonald in 6th. Imogen sneaked into 8th place individually on the first of her two ponies, High Flyer IV. ‘This was an excellent start to the new season and it will have earned us a number of league points. Our riders are to be commended for the way they represented us and I was delighted to have some new young Prep School pupils joining the teams for the first time. The experience and enjoyment this gives these young riders is every bit as important as the results. Chris Allison
Cadets Brave the Wilds of Wales On January 31st seven senior cadets from the CCF ventured up to Snowdonia for a three-day trek through the Rhinnog Mountains. Conditions were particularly ‘Welsh’ and, as calculations indicated that 100 mile an hour winds and blizzards were possible above 900m, a decision was made to use a lower route, sticking to lesser peaks and valleys.
Nonetheless, a good time was had by all and the navigational challenges were still significant. Given the conditions, the night out was spent in a mountain bothy rather than tents, resulting in the unusual situation of a group of Cranleighans being tucked up in bed and snoring by nine in the evening. A stormy night, full tummies and a long day in the hills no doubt had something to do with it. After a couple of days spent wandering the remoter regions of southern Snowdonia a change of pace was indicated, so we donned wet-suits and spent the final morning descending white water rapids in inflatable rafts. Bizarre as it may sound, a good time was had by all. Maj Simon Young
Cranleigh Canoeists Prepare for ‘Everest’ Cranleigh School is returning to the ‘Everest of canoeing’ this year, the 125-mile, 77-portage Devizes to Westminster marathon which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Training is well under way for this race of four day-long stages along the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, set to end on Easter Monday at Westminster Bridge.
Cranleigh’s team of eight pairs began race preparation at the end of January on a 12-mile stretch of the River Wey, covered by their fastest pair, Jamie O’Neill and Ed Thomas, in just over two hours. Cranleigh’s Chaplain, Phil Parker, who trains the team, comments, “These boys did a very respectable time but they only beat me and my colleague Sally Peers by a few seconds. We hope that the seven pairs who finished behind us will improve their times after this first competitive experience.” Recently the 16 Cranleigh rowers formed one of the biggest entries for the 17.5 mile training race, ‘Waterside B’, which starts and finishes at Aldermaston. Jamie O’Neill and Ed Thomas again did a good time of just over three hours, coming 11th of 37 pairs in the K2 Juniors category, and in the K2 Ladies Ella Singleton and Amy Kelly came 9th from 17. Completing in almost the same time as the previous pair (just over 3 hours 34 minutes), Alys Morgan and Dom Marcar came 3rd in the Junior Mixed K2. Phil Parker adds, “This time Jamie and Ed came in 11 minutes ahead of Sally and me and are currently our best hope for a fast time at Easter.”
Editor: PETER LONGSHAW - Photography: STEPHEN OWEN - Design and Typesetting: JOHN SANDFORD