Issue 5 - April 2011 - Ampleforth College

36
AMPLEFORTH SCHOLARS
Ava Podgorski (A)
Sine musica nulla vita … without music there is no life. This is
certainly true to my life at Ampleforth in my first term and a
half.
Weekly activities, classes and practices keep us on our toes. I
am a ‘singing’ scholar, but I also play trombone and piano, and
having sung from an early age, the choral opportunities at
Ampleforth are a wonderful chance for me to push myself,
singing new repertoire every week in Mass.
Since the age of 10 I have been a member of the Yorkshire
Youth Choir, attending residential courses during Easter and the
summer, and we toured Tuscany in 2008. I have also sung with
the National Youth Choir and done several vocal workshops
with composers and conductors such as John Rutter and Mike
Brewer. These courses build upon singing technique,
incorporating musicianship and Alexander Technique sessions.
My involvement with these organisations has furthered my love
for singing, and has broadened my repertoire, having sung
everything from Pergolesi to Coldplay.
I am a member of the Ampleforth Singers, who are currently
preparing for several concerts this term, of Big Band, the Brass
Ensemble and the Orchestra. This means that my ensemble
playing now has a chance to improve, as well as providing me
with new chances to perform in a range of musical groups, a
rich experience of a life of music.
Dan Thurman (O)
One of the many privileges of attending Ampleforth College is
the enormous range of activities available for everyone to take
part in; from cricket to art and from the orchestra to the CCF.
Being a Basil Hume Scholar entails involving yourself and others
in as many of these activities as possible and since arriving at
the school five years ago I have endeavoured to do just that.
This has resulted in me representing the school in the 1st XI for
both cricket and hockey and being a member of the school
orchestra for five years. The activities on offer can be taken up
by anyone of any skill level with experienced members of the
upper years lending a helping hand to the younger students.
The consequences of the help given by the older students is
that time is spent with other years in a way which rarely
happens in other aspects of school life. The Basil Hume
programme is a hugely rewarding one with students being
encouraged and challenged to achieve their full potential and in
my case has been very helpful in developing my skills in sport
and music.