Category: Woodbridge News
Last Saturday, Pelham Etherington OW played Mozart’s piano concerto in D minor, K466, in the Great Hall of Durham Castle, with the Durham University Chamber Orchestra. His performance was “in fond memory of John Stafford”. He gave an exciting and accomplished performance; dramatic in all the right places, reflective in others, but with an overall sense of the grandeur and architecture of this amazing piece. Well done to Pelham!
This week the children at Queen’s House have taken part in a maths investigation morning. Children in Reception read the story ‘The Doorbell Rang’ and then worked together to find out how to share biscuits out fairly. In Year 1 the children worked in groups to help Pirate Pete organise his four piles of gold bars so that each pile was the same height – but in only two moves! In Year 2 one group read ‘One hundred hungry ants’ and used the story as a stimulus to find the quickest way for 100 ants to reach food by dividing them into lines of equal length. The other Year 2 group used trundle wheels to work out how far we walk to lunch every day. They found out that it was 240m, and worked out that from starting in Reception to leaving at the end of Year 2 the children will have walked 246km. That is the same distance as walking from Queen’s House to Buckingham Palace and back again! The children showed great determination and fun was had by all.
Year 6 Drama at The Abbey – ‘The Nativity Story’ in a series of freeze-frames
Petronella Powell reports
Woodbridge worked hard in their recent match against RHS. In the first half there were a few chances on goal but none were actually scored by either side. Then, in the second half, Elsa Trevor-Pallares scored, only for RHS to equalise. However, Woodbridge kept up the pressure and Petronella Powell scored our second to make the final score 2-1 to Woodbridge!
ON Tuesday 24 November, we had our second Lunchtime Recital of the term. A warm and appreciative audience were treated to twenty- three performances. Everyone performed well, and it was a lovely interlude in a busy day at the Abbey!
Congratulations to Chapel Choir who rehearsed so thoroughly to give the first Evensong of the academic year. They sang settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Geoffrey Burgon, and it was a lovely, reflective way to end a busy day.
What a breath-taking descent into the realms of the conscious and sub-conscious, of alienation within love, and of the collapse of reason.
In a staging as stark and uncompromising as the plot, and with a visceral nod to an unreal reality, the Sixth Form worked its magical spell (more Voldemort than Weasley) upon an absolutely enthralled audience.
Flora Douglas’s Gregor Samsa was extraordinary: not just for the physicality of her performance, but for its forlorn sense of the inevitability of Gregor’s condition. No walls on stage – but the imaginary walls between Gregor and his family ever more firmly built as they scuttled away from him so much more than he ever scuttled from them. His distress and our anguish on his behalf… but would we have done otherwise, if we had been father, mother, sister? Even Greta. Even Greta, so long the bastion of love, defeated. And even a mother’s love unable to compete with the physical repulsion; not forgetting a father simply unable to cope at all – with the clerk, with lodgers, with his own family (thank goodness for a moment of light relief).
Terrible; mesmerising; punishing. The message for me? Do all you can to avoid alienation: metaphorical, metamorphic or otherwise. It’s not a bad message for the world today.
Many congratulations once again to the drama department, to Sixth Formers, who must have been exhausted by both the physical and mental demands of such a show, and to the directors and stage crew for the vision and the ambition to bring off so spectacularly well this most demanding of plays.
Woodbridge School pupil William Emery is celebrating a string of successes after achieving multiple awards for his young musical talent, including securing a place in the National Youth Orchestra.
William, who is currently in year 11 aged 15, plays the viola at Grade 8. After achieving a series of local awards, including the Suffolk Festival Senior String Champion Music Committee Cup and Woodbridge School’s prestigious Louise Livett Trophy, William’s talent was recognised nationally and he has been offered the significant honour of playing with the National Youth Orchestra.
William was presented with his awards at the school’s Gala Concert, held at the Seckford Theatre earlier this month.
Woodbridge School headmaster, Neil Tetley, said: “William is an excellent musician and the school is supporting him as much as we can in furthering his potential. We are all very proud of his achievement in being selected for the National Youth Orchestra, which is a huge accolade.”
Congratulations to Henry Dinwiddy, Oliver Laxton and Isla Richardson who, along with Georgia Dawson from the Senior School performed magnificently in the St Mary’s Church Prom concert on Sunday afternoon. It was lovely to perform for such an appreciative audience and the performers all gave confident and convincing performances.
On Wednesday the 11 The Junior 1st Hockey Team played an enthralling match against Culford. With three key players, including the goalie, missing Woodbridge embarked on the game with resolute determination to remain undefeated. The game started well right from the beginning, all the Junior First’s adapted quickly to how the new teammates played.
Using the wings Woodbridge made perfect transitions to keep clear out of trouble. Positional play and decision making were exemplary. Because of this a quick ball was received by Ianthe Hill at the top of the ‘D’. Ianthe out skilled all the defenders until face to face with the goalie; she took a powerful flick at the far right corner resulting in an early lead to Woodbridge. Another goal for Woodbridge was scored shortly after by Olivia Buchanan. Taking the ball down the right wing with speed, eliminating their defenders. She reached the top of the ‘D’ and with no one in the vicinity to help the stranded goal keeper she unleashed an unstoppable slap, boosting the team even further. Clara Simpson scored a brace as a result of excellent positioning and Ianthe Hill matched her with a brace of her own using great individual skill. By half time the score was 6-0.
Culford by no means we’re about to suffer an ignominious defeat. The Woodbridge defence were playing equally as well as the attack, reducing pressure on the new goalie for the day, Hope Jerstice. Annabel Yates and Minnie Wayman communicated well in defence changing channels to create space. A slight misunderstanding in defence, however gifted Culford in a goal. Woodbridge then scored the last and a phenomenal goal from Ianthe Hill. She was later awarded player of the match for her amazing skill and decision making.
A captivating game Woodbridge, One of the best this season, well done!