CE Chapel of Rugby School Wed, 27th June 2018 [L]

[ArpSchnitger]

What a brilliant CE that was! Sheer delight! I hope that the Director of the choir is made aware of our praise if he doesn't read this Forum.

I have indeed told Richard about some of the wonderful compliments here and sent him a link.

[terratogen]

Echoing everything that's already been said. Simply stunning all around. I've now listened twice and have found something new to delight in each time, from the varied and beautifully-articulated psalms—I said 'wow!' aloud at the start of Ps. 129—and the control and commitment to singing them a cappella, to the magnificent Mendelssohn solo from the Young Chorister of the Year.

What a balm for a difficult political week.

I don't mean to be soapbox-y or emotional about this, but with all the public commentary lately on access to arts in [state] schools, I dearly hope that someone with the power to effect change will have tuned into this broadcast and been moved to campaign, advocate, implement— something. I'm not sure what. But something. I know that there are circumstances at Rugby—a talented former cathedral DoM, a long history of chapel music, very possibly former cathedral/collegiate choristers, and certainly the financial resources and curricular latitude of an independent school—that make it exceptional and its music department rather beyond the realistic hopes of many state schools; I also know, though, that dedicated teachers can do so much even with so little and that they must be supported.

I came up in an under-served public [state] school where there were 1,200 pupils in my year and massive, complex matters of social, academic, economic, and language-related need. This was an American school, mind, so we surely didn't have the history of childhood music-making that can set an early foundation for the likes of a Rugby School choir, but we did have—at the time—a robust, community-engaged, and much-celebrated choral program that was in some cases the only thing keeping teenagers in school and motivating them to commit to their coursework while there. It could be, and was, the difference between a seventeen-year-old's pursuing a college education and not, or between a teenager’s returning to school after giving birth and dropping out to parent a newborn baby. My youngest brother is still there, and I know that singing with the chamber choir has been his lifeline. That can't be something available only to the sliver of the population educated at 'top-tier' schools.

Anyway. Beautifully done, Rugby School, and many thanks and congratulations. I hope the good folks at Radio 3 will give us the privilege of listening in on school choirs’ Evensongs—both from Rugby and elsewhere—in the future.

</soapbox>

[MrGongGong]

I don't mean to be soapbox-y or emotional about this, but with all the public commentary lately on access to arts in [state] schools, I dearly hope that someone with the power to effect change will have tuned into this broadcast and been moved to campaign, advocate, implement— something.

Today I was on a panel at a seminar about composition in secondary schools
As much as one might want to think that the excellent work that goes on in all kinds of schools will influence those in charge of education
the reality is that it really won't have any effect at all
Those in power will carry on sending their children to private schools which often (but not always!) have fantastic music resources
and everyone else can put up with broken tambourines and the like

The systematic destruction of music education in England is a f*cking disgrace but no-one in power really gives a sh*t i'm afraid

[ardcarp]

Those in power will carry on sending their children to private schools which often (but not always!) have fantastic music resources
and everyone else can put up with broken tambourines and the like

OTOH, Gongers, Le Tambourin sans Peau is a contemporary piece just waiting to be composed.

To be fair to public schools (and I'm neutral about the state v. private thing) many do offer full scholarships to musically talented kids whose parents couldn't even begin to contemplate the fees.

[jonfan]

OTOH, Gongers, Le Tambourin sans Peau is a contemporary piece just waiting to be composed.

To be fair to public schools (and I'm neutral about the state v. private thing) many do offer full scholarships to musically talented kids whose parents couldn't even begin to contemplate the fees.

Nothing remotely funny here ardcarp. It’s not private v state. Private can exist quite happily for me, as long as it’s not taxed as a charity. The state shouldn’t have to wait for the private schools to drop some crumbs they deign to release. Plenty of money goes into schools for sport. The same should be for the arts, which promotes well-being as well as social cohesion.

[MrGongGong]

Nothing remotely funny here ardcarp. It’s not private v state. Private can exist quite happily for me, as long as it’s not taxed as a charity. The state shouldn’t have to wait for the private schools to drop some crumbs they deign to release. Plenty of money goes into school for sport. The same should be for the arts, which promotes well-being as well as social cohesion.

Exactly
I'm not 100% convinced by the "scholarships" argument anyway which seems (even though some folks DO benefit) a cynical move to maintain charitable status for organisations that are really businesses.

Eton College is a very successful business. It has 1,300 pupils who pay fees amounting to circa £38.69 million p.a. ( 20% of their pupils pay less than the £33,270 annual fees.) VAT (UK transaction tax) exemption is worth circa £7.74 million to Eton. Additionally, Eton has property valued at £62 million and an investment portfolio of £213 million, both of which produce an income*. Each one of the the 1,010 pupils paying full fees are subsidised by £6,554 from VAT exemption. Full fees would be £39,924 if VAT exemption didn’t apply. An interesting comparison is with Harvard University (USA), which charges $67,844 (£39, 908) for its students. This is virtually identical to Eton- £33,270 + £6,654 (VAT exemption) = £39,924. The key difference is that Harvard is a private university. Harvard is also a world- renowned research university and Eton came 37th in the GCSE** league tables (2013) beneath many state schools.

I don't know if this is really true ?
but from here https://oedeboyz.com/2014/08/29/a-ve...-eton-college/

[ArpSchnitger]

It is definitely prerecorded, but ‘as live’ with no edits after,

I wasn’t quite accurate here, and for the sake of accuracy and completeness, having just discovered the booklet (“produced and printed with love by Happy Chaplain Productions Ltd”) from the “live recording”, I now am reminded that we had a ‘shorter penitential opening’ and also a hymn (From thee all skill and science flow) before the Magnificat ( I hesitate to describe it as an ‘office hymn’). Both were cut before the June broadcast, presumably for timing reasons.