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OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION The CCCS OBA was founded in 1933, and exists to keep former pupils and choristers in touch with the School, and with each other. All former pupils of the School, whether choristers or not, may join the Association. The Association arranges Reunions, usually at the School, on a regular basis (usually every two years).
FUTURE EVENTS
CRICKET MATCH on the School Playing Field Sunday 5th September 2010, 1.45 for 2.00pm start
Same format as previous years, i.e. two OB teams – ‘Under 30s’ and ‘Over 30s’ – who will play each other. (see Report below of last year’s match). Younger members, this is for you! Older members are also most welcome as players in the Over 30s team but also as spectators. Access to the Pavilion [for limited changing facilities]. Bats and pads provided, though bring your own if you wish. The match will be 20 overs [or 1 - 1½ hours] per innings. Refreshments will be provided – no charges! Please contact the joint Organisers to join the teams: Under 30s Reuben Mynheer/Mrs Lisa Mynheer ndm@mynheer-art.co.uk SINGING WORKSHOP & CONCERT Saturday 9th October 2010 in the Cathedral The Mozart Experience
We have established this as a regular biennial event (see report below of the last Workshop on Saturday 11 October 2008), and singers of all standards - not just Old Boys and their families - are invited to come and sing in the wonderful setting of Christ Church Cathedral. Under the direction of Dr Stephen Darlington, Organist & Choirmaster at Christ Church, accompanied by Clive Driskill-Smith, Assistant Organist, we will be studying two works by Mozart, his incomparable Requiem and his motet Ave verum corpus, during an afternoon rehearsal followed by an evening concert. Music copies will be provided, and Lunch, Tea etc. will be available. Outline programme: 12 noon Reception & Registration at Christ Church. Borrowing of music. Sherry, soft drinks etc. 12.30 Lunch 1.30 - 2.00 Registration. Borrowing of music (for those who do not require lunch) 2.0 - 4.00 Workshop in Cathedral 4.00 Tea & Biscuits 7.30 Concert in Cathedral At the last Singing Workshop & Concert, over 75 singers took part, so come and join us and have a good sing! School Governors, School staff, students and children will be admitted free at the next Choral Workshop and Concert, with a reduced rate for parents of Cathedral and Worcester College choristers. For further details contact Gordon Hughes gordonhughes@btconnect.com RECENT EVENTS CONCERT BY YOUNG OLD BOYS Saturday 27 March 2010 As the Hall of the Walton Centre was required for some lectures as part of the Oxford Literary Festival, this year’s concert took place in the Beecham Room (known to some generations of Old Boys as the Dining Room). It is now used as the Music Room, so it was an appropriate choice. Performers announcing themselves and their own items also stated the year they left the School, and we were glad to welcome several who left as recently as 2009. Fergus O’Neil started the programme by singing “I have often walked down this street before” from My Fair Lady. Next was a piano solo, Blues, performed by Henrico Manfredi. Olivia Knops was the next performer; as she pointed out, she is Mark’s sister, and was not at the School herself! She has taken part in all the concerts so far, and we were very glad to welcome her again. She sang ‘Daphne’ by an anonymous 16th Century composer. We then heard some improvisations by Nicholas Schneider, which he sang, accompanying himself on the electronic guitar, entitled “Mr. Bursar” (about no-one in particular) , and “So Low I’m High”, followed by Henry Chadwick’s Tenor solo “Whither must I wander?” by Vaughan Williams. Next was John Howarth, playing Ysaye’s unaccompanied Third Violin Sonata; this was a technically difficult work, and John treated us to an astonishing virtuoso display. After this Mark Knops sang a Baritone solo “Who is Sylvia?”, the version by Finzi, and Vijay Hare played an oboe solo: Imps by Christopher Norton. The concert ended with further improvisations on the electronic guitar by Julian Roberts. Among the audience we were very glad to welcome the Headmaster, who made a short speech praising the standard of the performances, and KT Bruce, who took photographs. Myles Hartley continued his great work as our accompanist, and this year Brenda and Martin Knops and family provided tremendous support in finding the performers and preparing the refreshments, making the whole evening a great success. CRICKET MATCH Sunday 6th September 2009
This year the day dawned bright and fair, and it was even warm and sunny by the time we took to the field - in stark contrast to last year, when it was rainy and cold and not enough players anyway! A sizeable crowd assembled for the occasion, made up of Old Boys (old and young), Old (in the sense of "former") Parents, even a grandson of an Old Boy and the present Sub Dean! Our Chairman, Gordon Hughes, took charge, chose the captains, Tom Bennett and Tom Pote, and formed all the players into a straight line graded according to size, the two captains choosing their players alternately from the tallest down to the smallest. This might not be the accepted way of choosing players, but in fact it produced two fairly well balanced teams. Tom Bennett’s team batted first, with Tom himself and Miles Hammond as openers, producing a relatively short opening partnership before the first wicket fell at 6. Ed Newell then went in, and helped take the score to a more respectable 19 before the next wicket. Reuben Mynheer was next, and showed us some very stylish strokes resulting in two boundaries in the highest batting score of 12. By this time the score had reached 40. However, the rest of the innings was really the tail end, though the total did reach 65, mainly from 20 extras (including 15 wides). Nicholas Schneider proved to be the most deadly bowler, with six wickets to his credit, and Chris Plews the wicketkeeper stumped two more. Tom Pote’s team started well in their replying innings, reaching 9 before the first wicket. However, several wickets fell in quick succession, and the result hardly seemed in doubt until the arrival of Chris Plews (5 runs), Andrew Pote (8) and Henry Bickers (13 including two fours) took the final score to 52. In the fielding side, Reuben Mynheer was a most effective wicketkeeper, and best bowlers were Christian Squire and Ed Newell, who produced very tricky left-hand round-the-wicket off-breaks. Players and spectators alike then enjoyed the refreshments provided by Lisa Mynheer. As always, we are indebted to the Mynheer family for their tremendous support in getting players along including themselves (Father Nick and son Reuben playing on the same side), and the Knops family (Father Martin and son Mark as players, Brenda and Olivia as spectators). Another cricketing family was Nigel Willis with his two sons Matthew and James. We are most grateful to Paul Wavell (Deputy Head) for his organisation of the event on behalf of the School, and for being one of the umpires, (who might be described as impartial, imperturbable, and perhaps on occasion too lenient!) The other umpire was Andy Martin, and the scorer was Michael Barry, both recruited by Gordon Hughes from the FCOCA, and we are most grateful to them for their assistance. The day was felt by all concerned to be a success, fully justifying the decision to hold it on a Sunday. So mark it in your diaries for Sunday 5 September 2010, and Gordon Hughes will be the contact: 01284 735933 ; gordonhughes@btconnect.com The Players: Tom Bennett’s Team: Miles Hammond, Ed Newell, Reuben Mynheer, Matthew Willis, Christian Squire, Nick Mynheer, Martin Knops, Richard Lane, Gordon Hughes. Tom Pote’s Team: James Willis, Alexander Ramos, Mark Knops, Adam Salvesen, Nicholas Schneider, Tom Pote, Nigel Willis, Chris Plews, Andrew Pote, Henry Bickers, Graham Trasler. SINGING WORKSHOP & CONCERT Saturday 11th. October 2008 in the Cathedral The Handel Experience The first Singing Workshop & Concert took place on 7 October 2006. It was the launch event for the CCCS Education Trust, formed jointly by the Old Boys and Parents Association, and registered as a Charity in June 2006, in order to benefit the School. It was such a success that we decided to establish it as a regular event. Parents, Old Boys, former choristers, and friends joined together to form a choir of over 70 singers to rehearse a Handel programme of 2 Coronation anthems: Zadok the Priest, and My Heart is inditing, and the Foundling Hospital Anthem, under the direction of Dr Stephen Darlington, with accompaniment by Clive Driskill-Smith, the assistant Organist. The present choristers of the Cathedral and Worcester College choirs joined us. The concert began with the Coronation anthems, which were followed by a Handel Organ Concerto, performed by Clive Driskill-Smith. After the interval, during which drinks were served in the cloisters by members of the PA, the programme ended with the Foundling Hospital Anthem. We felt this was a very successful occasion, and plan a repeat next year on Saturday 9 October 2010. It will be "The Mozart Experience", and will feature the Requiem and the motet Ave verum. REUNION Saturday 6th June 2009
For this, our traditional biennial Reunion, we decided this time to build our programme round Lunch rather than an evening dinner, and this proved to be a popular choice. Old Boys attended who had been at the School in the 1930s (including two who had seen Campion Hall being built, 1934-36!) up to the 1960s. We started with a Sherry Reception in the foyer of the Sir William Walton Centre, followed by Lunch in the Hall, at which the chief guests were The Very Revd Edmund Newell, Sub Dean, and the Headmaster and his wife, Martin and KT Bruce. The Chairman Richard Lane proposed the Toast to The School and the Headmaster replied, giving us in his speech an indication of the challenges facing independent preparatory schools today. Following this, we had a brief tour of Campion Hall, a building most of us had never previously visited except to retrieve tennis balls hit onto the balcony! The Master, Father Brendan Callaghan, welcomed us and introduced us to Father Gallagher, who acted as our guide. We then had tea and a General Meeting, after which we went to Evensong and joined the choir in singing Harwood in A flat and the anthem I was glad, by Parry. It is good to return to the School, to see the progress being made, and to sing in the Cathedral again! ARCHIVE
The Association has an archive containing back numbers of "The Cardinal’s Hat", starting in 1941 (with some issues missing); also some copies of a previous magazine (1918-20), Minutes of Committee and General Meetings, Reunion reports, etc. Any member wishing to inspect the archive or obtain further information should contact the present Keeper: Christopher Franks csdtc@hotmail.com
The Association also makes donations to the School from time to time, for the purchase of equipment, etc. Members requiring further information, and former pupils who are not already members, are invited to contact the Chairman:
Gordon Hughes gordonhughes@btconnect.com
Membership subscription is £12 a year, payable on 1st. January to the Hon. Treasurer Nigel Willis nigelcwillis@hotmail.com
News of members can be sent to the Hon. Editor of The Cardinal’s Newsletter:
Simon Freebairn-Smith: sjfreebairnsmith@hotmail.co.uk
JOIN THE ASSOCIATION! SEND IN YOUR NEWS! COME ALONG TO THE REUNIONS!
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