48 hours at Ashford School

As we have mentioned on many occasion before in this blog, we are a very strong community here at Ashford School. Almost every week there are occasions when boarders and day students come together with outstanding results to create something amazing or thought provoking.  These two adjective can certainly be applied to the events of the end of last week when, in just 48 hours we had ‘Dare to be Different Day’, the whole school Creative and Performing Arts competition and the Spring Concert.

Every year, the Amnesty group, headed by Miss Ball, runs Dare to be Different Day to focus people’s attention on the cause for human rights across the world. Every year students can raise money for great cause – this year, the Save the Children Syrian Refugee Appeal – by being silent (to highlight the right to freedom of expression), wearing a mask (the right to an identity or to highlight the plight of the many politically ‘disappeared’) or even blindfolded (the right to freedom of movement).

 

 

Last Thursday our students, and teachers, displayed just how much they care about these issues. There were many sporting Guantanamo-style orange prison jump suits (Yuki and Tini for example); Timur chose to be miserable all day (an amazing feat if you know this student!) but for many, the high point was Mr Newth sitting a lunchtime detention (‘Ode to a Water Droplet’ soon to be published!) There was a hearty bake sale too and Lukas’s Patriotic Pavlova was auctioned off for the princely sum of £18 to Mr Young.

We all look forward to seeing how much was finally raised, but you can be sure we’ll be trying to top it next year!

House competitions are always fiercely competitive and the CPA event didn’t disappoint. This year the theme was ‘Shakespearean’ as it is the 400 anniversary of the Bard’s death. Each house was given a play and asked to create a poster, a storyboard, a costume (mad out of wastepaper and bin liners) and an item of cookery based on it.

What’s great about these events is the buzz that runs through the house areas – we were lucky enough to be with Pilgrims this year and everyone was doing their bit. Chak was chopping, Kuso creating, Charlotte producing a marvellous manga representation of the climax of Romeo and Juliet and Bradley…well, his costume had to be seen to be believed! Each house then paraded their model and showed off their creations in front of a highly appreciative audience in Brake Hall.  After a weekend of much deliberation, Merchants ran out the winners  (by a single point) with their iPad-centred interpretation of Hamlet. Many thanks to Mr Barnett and the CPA faculty for all their efforts and to all the houses for bringing Shakespeare back to life.

The grand finale of the week was the much-anticipated Spring Concert. Throughout the last term the many music groups and soloists (under the tutelage of the school’s peripatetic teachers, along with Mr Hall, Mrs Powell and Mrs Brown) had been putting in the hours and wow, it showed on the night, as they produced a fantastic evening’s entertainment!

At 19:30 sharp Mr Hall, Mr Vafidis, James and Matt sung a cheeky four-part acapella to welcome everyone and to remind them to please turn their phones off. The theme of music bringing staff and student together was one that echoed throughout the performance. The school orchestra kicked off proceedings with a rousing suite from Handel’s water music.  Now, there are half a dozen boarders who play in this elite group – Kewen, Demi, Conan, Mook, Celini and Miso - it just goes to show the depth of talent we have. Many of these then went on to play in either the String Orchestra (with the appropriately titled ‘Plink, Plank, Plunk’) or the Wind Band (with a great set of marches from John Williams).

We are blessed here in Ashford to have incredibly talented pianists in James, Jervis and Govind. Where Jervis’s Prelude in G Minor by Rachmaninoff was stylish, skilled and nuanced, James’s ‘Cakewalk Smasher’ was gloriously bolshie and Govind’s three pieces imperious.

One of our favourite moments was the performance of the ‘Elastic Band’ made up of musicians who have only begun playing recently, playing music specially arranged for them by Mrs Powell. William and Rain joined in the joyful Pavan with Mrs Rylands, Mrs Odysseas and Mrs Cox. If these were beginners, the future of music here is very bright indeed!

The main event after the interval (no glass clinking please) was Haydn’s Nelson Mass sung by a 40-strong choir made up of the school Chamber Choir (including Shiyu, Maria, Mrs Hawker and Mr Vafidis) a group of guest singers and a number of brave souls from both the staff and student body who had just joined in at the beginning of the term to try something new. This group included Maths teachers Mrs Odysseas and Dr Britton, Development Director Mr Young and Head of EAL Mrs Sagastuy. These were privileged to be accompanied by four fabulous soloists and a superb orchestra (including Miss Leonard on the violin).

The mass was a masterpiece, with everyone giving their all in a performance that could have graced far grander stages with aplomb. To take on a piece like this requires courage and determination, particularly when it comes to singing in front of peers, friends and colleagues. Congratulations to all and a massive thank you to Mr Hall et al for your support.

When we look back at this amazing 48 hours in the life of Ashford School, it is incredible, but nonetheless true, to think that the preparation and practice for these events (lessons, meetings, activities) are a day-to-day part of our school and the boarders are in the thick of it and working with their day colleagues to make it happen. Now that’s what we call ‘Adventurous Learning’!

NB: We continue the creative buzz with the amazing ‘Schools Will Rock You’ rockin’ out Brake Hall on 17^th-19^th March. Be there!