Trusty Servant May 2024 | Page 14

No . 137 The Trusty Servant
Radio 3 broadcast of Choral Evensong on 27 th February , which aired on 20 th March .
The main project of the term was , however , the school Musical which , this year , was Lerner and Loewe ’ s My Fair Lady , directed by Oliver Tarney ( Co Ro , 11- ) and Alistair Henfrey ( Co Ro , 23- ). The entire cast was provided by the school , as was the vast majority of the pit orchestra . It was a huge success and was the talk of the school for weeks .
Drama Kevin Fondain ( Co Ro , 20- ) writes :
After a twelve-year hiatus , Hopper ’ s returned to QEII in November with the pantomime A Fairy Tale Adventure , a combination of vibrant sets , beloved characters , and a flurry of fairies — prompting spirited audience interactions . Congratulations to Harry Xu , who directed no fewer than 36 Hopperites .
In a spirited conclusion to Short Half , the Staff and Pupil Revue captivated audiences . Organised by Adam Rattray ( Co Ro , 19- ), the evening featured an eclectic mix of classic skits and comic musical numbers and culminated in a full-throated rendition of ‘ The Hippopotamus Song ’.
Dr Nikhil Krishnan opened the drama programme in Common Time with the revue show Tales of Dread , blending terror with literary finesse through pieces ranging from Dickinson ’ s poems to Poe ’ s eerie tales . The performances left the audience both haunted and impressed . The atmospheric lighting and sound , and especially the use of projections , brought all the performances together for an unsettling evening .
The term reached its peak with the school musical , My Fair Lady ( see above ). In addition to the inspiring singing and playing , this blockbuster featured stunning sets , exquisite costumes and some great dancing . Fran Wyse ( H , 22- ) and Michael Nevin ( G , 19- ) led a talented ensemble that earned a much-deserved standing ovation on the last night .
On 23 rd April Nikhil Krishnan also masterminded a SROGUS excursion to QEII for a birthday ( deathday ) recitation of Shakespeare ’ s sonnets by dons and pupils .
Sport
Mark Burley ( Co Ro , 20 - ) reviews the last six months :
The Soccer Club has had another strong season of performances . The Yearlings A team had an excellent season , only losing one regular season match to Eton with notable victories against Bradfield and Charterhouse . Soccer XI had another successful season , making it to the 4 th round of the ISFA Cup , losing to eventual semi-finalists , Whitgift , and the team reached the quarter finals of the ISFA Trophy before losing to Epsom College .
The girls won their first ever netball and football games during Short Half , which included wins in netball against teams from Gordons and St Swithun ’ s and a win against KES Witley to avenge a defeat earlier in the term .
At the West of England School ’ s Fives Championships Arthur James-Duff ( D , 21- ) beat James Kennedy ( A , 21- ) in an all-Winchester final to take the U16 singles and then both boys teamed up to take the U16 Doubles title . At the National Schools Fives Championships the partnership with James proved its pedigree once again with a 2-0 win in the final against the pair from St Paul ’ s . Win Coll couldn ’ t quite make it a double-double , however , as JP Cheng ( E , 19- ) and Jeffrey Chan ( C , 20- ) went down to St Paul ’ s in the U18 final . There were plenty of competitive encounters for the badminton , fencing , swimming , judo and cross country
teams and the golf team progressed through to the HMC Regional Finals in April .
Breaking news : The cricket season has started in style : progress to Round 2 of the National Cups for the Jun Colts and Lords , and a second successive victory over Eton for Lords , where in the same fixture the 2 nd XI sustained last year ’ s unbeaten season with a thrilling one-wicket victory in the last over . The tennis 1 st VI continue their unbeaten run by besting Charterhouse , and there have been some spectacular results for the golf 1 st team in the HMC Foursomes Regional Finals , who have beaten Millfield 2-1 to advance to the 8-team National Finals at Royal Ashdown Forest , the furthest Winchester has ever got in the competition .
( Re ) founding of Caledonian Society Angus Hay ( I , 20- ) and Rupert Balmain ( K , 20- ) have made a bold move to take the Terpsichorean education of the school in hand . Every Friday , around 50 members of VI book bring late-night energy to the new-found world of Scottish reels . As the society is entirely organised by these two pupils , the Editor ( don-in-charge ) is left with nothing more onerous to do than join in . A first social was a resounding success ; does anyone have memories of any earlier iterations of Cal Soc ?
A well-planned evening , complete with dance cards
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