Onwards - March 2012 - South Wilts Grammar School for Girls

ONWARDS
Congratulations to:
The many girls who have enjoyed taking part in the Young
Persons’ Festival of Music.
Anita Monserrat, who won the Advanced Recital Class at
the Young Persons’ Festival of Music. Anita also
performed in the finals of the Pro Corda National
Chamber Music Competition Under 16 Class last weekend
where the Violin Trio she plays in at the Guildhall
School of Music’s Junior Department was chosen as one
of the winners. Her trio will now be given the opportunity
to play at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London in July.
Charlotte Bateman, who recently took part in the
Basingstoke Festival of Music and Arts. Charlotte won
several classes, including the
Junior Recital 18 years and
under.
She was awarded the
Summerbrook Student Shield
for achieving the highest
number of honours awards at
the Festival for any solo
performer aged 14-18 in the
music, dance and drama
sections. These are
absolutely outstanding
achievements. (Mrs
Poppleton)
A Cappella Visit to Portsmouth
Cathedral
On 3rd March A Cappella had a
very enjoyable visit to
Portsmouth. We travelled in the
morning so that we could enjoy a
few hours in Portsmouth. We then
proceeded to the Cathedral where
we met the men from the choir
and were warmly welcomed by
the clergy before rehearsing with
Mr Fay, our organist.
The choir sang Dyson’s Evening
Service in D, Smith’s Responses
and Haydn’s exciting Insanae et
vanae curae beautifully and found
the experience of singing in such
a lovely setting and acoustic very
enjoyable and uplifting. We are
very grateful to Mr Fay and to the
men of the choir for giving us their
time and expertise so generously
in order for us to sing such
wonderful music and take part in
such memorable services.
(Mrs Poppleton and Mrs
Timperley)
Love Lane Day Centre
Love Lane Day Centre in Salisbury is a care home for the elderly, both residential and
communal. When we were first told that our PSD class had been chosen to visit the people
who attended the day centre, many emotions ran through our heads: happiness (we got to
walk past Bishops and miss part of school), laziness (we couldn’t really be bothered to walk
through Salisbury) and worry (what if they have a bad impression of us?). It’s well known that
elderly people don’t have a very good outlook on young people, and young people don’t have
a very good outlook on elderly people. By visiting them and talking to them, we hoped that
perhaps those views could change.
Camille, Anna, Julia, Freya, Fizzy and I were the first six to visit the day centre, visiting for two
weeks before another group of six visited. A game of cards (‘sevens’ was the popular choice)
or two filled up the awkward silences between conversations, however, some of the stories we
were told were really special.
One of the men, now 94 years old, told us how he had lived in Salisbury for his whole life with
his wife, and talked of how Salisbury was then compared to now. One of the women told us a
truly touching story of how she was in a car accident at the age of 8 which tragically killed her
parents and siblings, leaving her an orphan and brain damaged. This woman, however, has
come through all of that, and has lived a good life, despite difficulties she has to face because
of the accident. Another woman attempted to sell us poetry books which she had put together.
We left them to their 2 o’clock Bingo, and returned to school, having learned that elderly and
young people could really learn things from each other about life yesterday and life today.
(Rebekah Ingle 11B)
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