No. 139 The Trusty Servant half ended with a brilliant performance of the Cello Concerto No. 1: Hong Kong-born Austin Lam’ s account of the solo part was nothing short of sensational, as the prolonged ovation at the end clearly demonstrated.’
Our wind quintet enjoyed a workshop afternoon and concert with wind players from the Guildhall School of Music which provided for Wykehamists a view of their musical progress a few years ahead and a public performance for the undergraduate musicians. VI Book academic musicians saw Jenufa at the Royal Opera House, and will soon be at the Barbican to hear Berlioz.
The Quiristers gave two concerts including Britten’ s Ceremony of Carols and the JP music award holders’ concert, including some incipient chamber music groups, indicates that the future is bright.
Drama
Kevin Fondain-Foglietti( CoRo, 20-; Head of Drama, 23-) writes:
The Drama Department has enjoyed a vibrant five months. In November, VI Book dazzled audiences under the supervision of Adeline Lombardo( CoRo, 03-) and Kevin Fondain with Clue, a fast-paced whodunnit bursting with physical comedy and slick transitions, complete with an original score composed by Asher Li( E, 21-). December brought festive cheer with Trant’ s House Play, A Christmas Carol, charmingly directed by Ludo Chilton and Rajesh Pakrashi, followed by the ever-popular Staff and Pupil Revue, a riotous mix of Monty Python classics, and parody songs courtesy of Clare Talks( CoRo, 03-) Andy French( CoRo, 09-) and Rupert Mercer( Coll, 04-09; CoRo, 18-).
In January, Life According to Saki, directed by Nikhil Krishnan( CoRo, 22-) offered a blend of outrageous humour and poignant reflection on the Great War, with a standout performance by Rishi Bhardwaj( E, 20-) as Saki himself. February saw Kenny’ s stage Up‘ n’ Under, John Godber’ s heartwarming underdog tale, brought to life with vibrant chorus work and dynamic staging under the direction of Hayley Cole.
March marked the culmination of our work with the whole-school production of Treasure Island, featuring over 40 pupils. Ken Ludwig’ s swashbuckling adaptation thrilled packed audiences, with full-blooded performances by Alfie Downey( K, 24-) as Jim and Yasser Adhair( F, 20-) as Long John Silver. Rishi Bhardwaj’ s skill introduced genuine pathos into his characterisation of Ben Gunn. The final rousing sea shanty, led by William Newport( E, 21-) brought a memorable end to an exhilarating term of drama.
The Editor writes: In April Nikhil Krishnan once again assembled a devoted crew of Bardophiles to celebrate Shakespeare’ s birthday with a selection of recitations from the plays by pupils and dons, including a brilliantly-judged pair of Richards( II and III) from Alistair Henfrey( CoRo, 23-; Head of English, 24-) and Anthony Dakin( CoRo, 00-; HoDo F, 21-). The Editor, accompanied by a wildly bewigged Rupert Mercer( see above) lowered the tone as Pyramus and Thisbe. There are, perhaps fortunately, no photographs.
Natural History Society
Edmund Donovan( CoRo, 11-) brings us up to date with the Natural History Society:
The Society continues to be active and well-attended. At the end of Short Half, we welcomed Izzy Powell as the new Duncan Louis Stewart Fellow of Natural History, and she has already added tremendous value to our activities.
One recent highlight was an early morning bird-ringing session with an expert from the British Trust for Ornithology. Those pupils who braved the 7 a. m. start were rewarded with the rare opportunity to handle birds such as blue tits and blackbirds. Another highlight was an overnight trip to Cameron’ s Cottage in the New Forest,( part of the legacy which commemorates Cameron Bespolka( C, 11-13) passionate naturalist, who died in a skiing accident at 16) including another early start to listen to the dawn chorus and collect moths from the overnight traps.
Over the past two terms, we have visited numerous nature reserves within driving distance of Winchester, including coastal areas such as Farlington Marshes and the Lymington and Keyhaven Salt Marshes. These reserves are excellent for coastal and wetland birds and are firm NHS favourites. In the past, we have found some notable species, including Long-tailed Duck, Pomarine Skua, Spoonbill, Bearded Reedling, and Slavonian Grebe.
In November, we searched for fungi and deer in the New Forest and enjoyed the autumnal colours from a viewpoint in Roydon Woods. In March, we visited the Great Bustard Project on Salisbury Plain and learned about the conservation efforts that have led to the revival of a species that was, until recently, extinct in the UK. We were lucky enough to observe the huge males— some of the heaviest flying birds in the world, weighing up to 20 kg— as they displayed to the smaller females.
We are looking forward to the warmer weather and the wildlife opportunities of Cloister Time.
Community Service
August Deeming( Coll, 20-; Aulae Prae) pays tribute to the current depth and breadth of Community Service under the management of Clare Talks( CoRo, 03-):
This year, Community Service at Win Coll has continued to leave tangible and wide-ranging impacts throughout the city, county and – excitingly – the world. In a new development, pupils have used their electronic devices to provide support for refugees, for
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