Woodbridge School and Sixth Form
+44 (0)1394 615000
Woodbridge School Prep
+44 (0)1394 382673

Marvellous – for all sorts of reasons, not the least being the resilience of the musicians to perform, many under the weather, and at the same time cover for those that were too ill to attend. The Chamber Orchestra set the standard with some delightfully crisp Rumanian Dances: Bartok challenges musicians and audience alike at times, but the subtle dissonances and harmonies were all beautifully combined. Next, the Symphony Orchestra took to the stage, meaning the Chamber musicians changed seats and many more were added! MacCunn’s stirring The Land of the Mountain and the Flood (with 1970s BBC theme tune embedded) very much did as advertised – we were there, up high, looking down on mist, waterfalls, lake and turbulence. Inspiring and uplifting in equal measure. And then the energy rose again: Music from Jurassic Park has its dark and sombre elements, but it also has a racing crescendo which the Orchestra revelled in, to produce the kind of rousing finale that brings joy to the heart and a bounce to the step. Wonderful work by the instrumentalists from start to finish.

The second half: the turn of the Choral Society as it performed Mozart’s Missa Solemnis, alongside soloists Mrs Williams, Ms Weston, Mr Chaundy and Mr Taliotis. Mr Penny asked for the audience’s sympathy with some 30% of the Society laid low… but sympathy was barely needed as the few rose to the challenge to create a dramatic and mesmerising performance supported by the fine professional orchestra. Teamwork, camaraderie, enthusiasm and resolve in adversity – the mark of our musicians, brilliantly brought together under Mr Penny’s unflappable leadership in trying circumstances. Many, many congratulations one and all. And thanks to the audience for the retiring collection of £159.2.

Dr Gilbert reports:
There was to be no stopping the pupils and staff on the classics trip which took place over the course of four very busy days this Easter vacation. Arriving in Naples early on Wednesday 6 April we travelled straight to Cumae, the site of an oracle in ancient times: a priestess called a Sibyl who would become possessed by the god Apollo and utter riddling prophecies of the future. The famous encounter between the Sibyl and the Trojan hero Aeneas has been published very recently in Seamus Heaney’s translation of Book 6 of Virgil’s Aeneid. Next we went to Pozzuoli for lunch al fresco, and visited the large Roman amphitheatre, once the site of gladiatorial fights and wild beast hunts. The day closed with a trip to the volcanic Solfatara where we saw boiling mud and hot gasses emerging from the ground. Delightful.

Day two took us to the luxurious Villa Oplontis (buried in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79) and the ancient town of Pompeii. It is an extraordinary place, caught in its time like no other. However, in many ways the visit to Paestum on the third day was even more remarkable fuor being such a surprise: three very well preserved Greek temples quite took the breath away.

On the final day we visited the National Archaeological Museum in Naples which helped to put so much of what we had seen in its wider context. All in all it was the perfect end to a brilliant trip: twenty-five pupils studying Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation, from years 10 to 12, who gained enormously from the experience and could not have behaved better; a delightful hotel by the sea in Meta, near Sorrento; and sunny weather far better than we could have hoped for given the gloomy forecasts before we left.

Mr Capjon reports:

Our team won Exercise Combat Cadet for the first time since 1999. Not only that but we won four out of the five trophies possible over the two days, coming second in the other.

Exercise Combat Cadet is the annual competition held by 7 Infantry Brigade (aka The Desert Rats) allowing 22 teams (of 9 cadets) from all over their area of responsibility, which includes roughly 7,500 cadets from both CCFs in schools and ACFs from each of the nine counties, to compete over two days. The aim is to pit the best cadets from each school or detachment against one another in a number of areas. The first day is a tactical patrol covering 11 different stands testing the Army Proficiency Syllabus and the ability of our senior cadets in leadership roles. The second day is a 5km run followed by the obstacle course and ending with a shoot – all completed back to back and timed.

We won the following awards:

1) the Tactical Patrol shield – for the scoring the most points on day 1

2) the Phase Two shield – for scoring the best combined time on day 2 (by 1 second)

3) the Highest Scoring CCF Cup- for scoring the most total points among CCF teams

4) the Exercise Combat Cadet shield – for winning the overall competition

Matthew Sutton came second in the individual Section Commander competition

To top all of this we managed to be successful despite losing our original Section Commander, 2I/C and a number of other team members to the virus that beset the school at the end of term.  As a result Matthew Sutton stepped up to lead the team at the last minute which makes his achievement all the more remarkable. We were also unable to take a reserve, which was problematic when one of the team was injured early on Day 1, meaning seven cadets had to do the job of eight for most of the competition; this also meant we incurred time penalties on the second day but still beat everyone else.

All in all this a truly rare achievement by the cadets involved especially given the appalling list of completely unpredictable problems we faced in the final build-up after two terms of excellent and well-ordered training. It confirms our place as one of the best Army Sections in the Brigade, and that in turn puts us in high company nationally.

Team:

I/C Matthew Sutton

2I/C Ben Kilburn

Connor Grant

Rick Tong

Tom Lomas

Alfie Agar

James Barrell

Harry Hobday

Woodbridge School organised the 20th NSEA Inter Schools Annual ODE at Poplar Park on Sunday 20th March over the Poplar Park BE XC courses for 80cm, 90cm & 1m classes. As ever, the day was a great success, and our sincere thanks go to Ms Theobald and her brilliant team of helpers.

The 80cms class was run as a Hunter Trial for children 13yrs and under. This was won by the Woodbridge School Junior Team of Ada Marson (4th individually) riding Rolly Rascal, Neve Walker (9th individually) riding Heritage Zena and Fleur Ludgrove (10th individually) riding Aston My Time of Warleigh. This was a very fine performance as all three riders were making their Cross Country debuts on new mounts.

The 90cms was very well supported with eleven school teams competing with 41 individuals. Woodbridge’s team of Tabitha Wilson-Smith riding Ruby Queen of Diamonds, Lydia Sida-Page riding Corrin Hill Clover (6th individually)) & Georgie Warren riding Autumn Gold (7th individually) took seventh place overall.

The 1m class saw a brilliant double for Woodbridge’s Lye sisters; Zara Lye won her section riding Jana de Cavaignac & Tessa Lye won her section riding Dawns Glen. Bella Regis riding Forever Unique secured a fine second place in her section, to round things off in excellent style, helping the team to a convincing win overall.

The innocence of children and the horror of war: it’s an uncomfortable juxtaposition and one brilliantly emphasised in this year’s exceptional A2 performance.  In the round, intimate and engagingly direct, the opening scenes beguiled, encouraging us to think that all would be well despite the topic.  No such luck: the infantilism of the generals matched that of the children portraying them and soon we were swept into battle, squalor, ugliness and experience (as Blake might have us believe the opposite of innocence).  And yet, and importantly, we kept being brought back to the classroom: the wonder of it all in contrast to the reality; the excitement and the interest rather than the anguish and the loss; the hope and the good news rather than the terror.  So there was hope, after all the children were learning their history – they were alive, the offspring of survival – even if they were completing one project only to speculate on the next – WW2.  What we do to ourselves – what we do, and despite it all, how our children see beyond it.

To think that this play was devised from scratch so successfully from an idea, and an understanding of theatre, shared by just seven of our students and in so relatively short a time is well-nigh miraculous.  The offer of many, many congratulations barely does justice to their achievement: so to Grant, Sibyl, Ethel, Edith, Evelyn, Doris and Earl (not forgetting Mrs Parkinson, and her colleague Mr Parkinson no doubt, and Miss Rachel too) I raise my metaphorical glass (was it rum, or brandy they sought at the end?).  Outstanding.