The Music Department enjoyed a concert at Blakeney Church and a Piano Showcase

Blakeney Concert (21st April)

Schola Cantorum recently gave a concert in St. Nicholas Church, Blakeney. The concert was split into three parts, ‘Music for Holy Week and Easter’, ‘Music to take us to the interval’ and ‘The Coronation’. This allowed Schola to show off their versatility whilst navigating between traditional choral pieces including sacred works by Vierne, Sanders, Mozart, Langlais and Wesley, and the more contemporary favourites ‘Shenandoah’ and ‘Over the rainbow’. Two solos from Ruby S and Tamsin S were particular highlights, as were the musical offerings from Crickets, Gresham’s elite voice ensemble, who gave entertaining renditions of ‘On wings of Song’ and ‘Ain’t misbehavin”. The concert was brought to a close with a thrilling performance of Parry’s coronation anthem, ‘I Was Glad’. Schola Cantorum produced an impressive concert with some truly wonderful sounds emitting from the choir despite being reduced in numbers. Well done to all students involved. 

Piano Showcase (26th April)

The annual Piano Recital was a delight. Featuring students from both the Senior and Prep schools, it was a fantastic showcase of our pupils as they performed on a Steinway grand in the Fishmongers’ Recital Hall. Their extraordinary standard was shown across a range of genres, blending piano classics by Debussy, Fauré, Chopin and Ravel with more modern pieces by Norton, Rodgers & Hart and Tanaka. Well done to Boaz M, Emily M, Noah W, William J, Lyrico H, Jake O, Evie M, Hannah B, Milan H, Belle W and Alice S for their performances, and thank you to our lead keyboard tutor, Heidi Shinn, for coordinating the concert.

Music and Munch (28th April)

Gresham’s informal concert series had another triumph in April, as Music and Munch featured an eclectic mix of music for solo piano, violin, voice, trombone and piano duet. Well done to Milan H, Belle W, Beatrice G, Isadora A, Fergus R, Mia W, Jake O and Amelie H, who all performed to a wonderfully high standard to the appreciative audience. The next Music and Munch is on Friday 19th May. All are welcome to Tig’s café from 12:50pm for a light lunch and to enjoy the concert. 

Evensong (30th April)/Chapel music (1st May)

The termly Evensong service took place at the weekend, offering an opportunity to listen to some contemplative choral music in Chapel on a Sunday evening. Chapel Choir performed an impressive array of sacred choral works: ‘Peace I Leave With You’ by Amy Beach as an introit, Ayleward’s responses, Stanford’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C, and finally Stanford’s epic anthem ‘For Lo, I Raise Up’, with Ruby S and Johnny D as soloists. 

The following day, Schola Cantorum gave an enchanting performance of ‘How do you keep the music playing’ in Chapel, featuring Ruby S – a wonderful way to start the week!

Future events

Music for a Spring Evening – 12 May, 7:30pm

Join us in All Saints’ Church, Morston, on Friday 12th May at 7:30pm for a light programme of vocal and instrumental works. Tickets are £15 and can be purchased from 01263 740063 or 01263 741125. All proceeds to charity.

Music from the Movies – 25 May, 7:30pm

Featuring full orchestra, house band, vocal ensembles and star soloists in Gresham’s atmospheric Theatre-in-the-Woods, this is a not-to-be-missed movie music extravaganza! £10 tickets can be booked from www.trybooking.co.uk/CHWY.

Our Charity Committee presented a cheque to Nelson’s Journey after a moving Chapel service

The Senior School heard a moving talk in Chapel about the work of Nelson’s Journey, a local child bereavement charity who have helped numerous families in our community. After the service, our student Charity Committee members presented a cheque for £863 to the charity, following fund raising events earlier in the year.

The Careers Department took prospective medical pupils to UEA and an OG spoke about the use of LinkedIn

OG Nathan Lomax T (2006 – 12) returned to his former House, Tallis to give some current Year 13 pupils a presentation into using the professional networking platform LinkedIn.

In his presentation he talked about life after school, careers and how to make yourself and using the platform of LinkedIn to help with this journey.  It was an extremely charismatic and helpful presentation.

The careers department organised and accompanied 5 prospective sixth form medical pupils to attend the Norwich Undergraduate Surgical Society event at UEA organised by current medical students studying at Norwich Medical School.

It was an extremely beneficial learning afternoon for the pupils with informative, honest and realistic presentations from current medical students on the application process. They particularly enjoyed the medical workshop carousel of suturing, bls, x-rays and shoulder examination.

All in all it was an extremely helpful & proactive afternoon which gave our pupils the opportunity to hear presentations but also to talk to students studying medicine to find out more for their next stage of study and application.

Year 12 pupil Jonny reflects on the RAF section’s first Wing Field competition

On Friday 21st April, the RAF section sent a team of 8 cadets to the annual Norfolk and Suffolk Wing ATC Wing Field competition which took place over the weekend at Wretham Camp in Thetford. It was the first time Gresham’s had attended and also the first time a CCF team had ever competed. The team took part in nine different activities, which were; aircraft recognition, first aid, archery, shotgun shooting, fieldcraft, STEM, orienteering, river crossing and tug of war, competing against the 25 Air Training Corps Squadrons from Norfolk and Suffolk.

Overall, the team placed 16th which is a very respectable result considering it was the team’s first time at this event and that there was some very well experienced teams competing. The best individual activity score was tug of war where Gresham’s placed joint third. All of the cadets who attended had a great time, and have paved the way for future competitions. Many thanks to Flt Lt Williams and Capt Bates who helped to train, organise and transport the team.

Well done to our U15 girls cricket team who won the first round of the National Tournament

The U15 team completed a great win over Wymondham College in the first round of the U15 National Tournament. Grace H-K hit a superb 83 not out from 56 balls, facing the first ball and carrying her bat in an impressive captain’s innings. Amelie H hit 22 from 15 balls and took 3 wickets for 11 runs off 4 overs in a fine all-round performance. It was an outstanding team outing and should set the team up nicely for Thursday’s Regional Final of the National Indoor Competition in Cambridge.

The team then came third in the Eastern Region after beating Shenfield, Champions of Essex, Leicester Grammar School, Champions of Leicestershire, and Ipswich School, Champions of Suffolk. They had a great run, and they must now focus on winning the outdoor national tournament.

Well done to Nico for organising a charity rugby match

Year 13 pupil Nico organised a charity rugby match in memory of his uncle, Jake Van Poortvliet, who sadly passed away in 2021 after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2019.

The match was set up to raise money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which funds research and raises awareness of MND. Any donations to the Just Giving page are greatly appreciated, and can be made using this link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nico-allen-1682009883424

LAMDA pupils achieved great results in their recent exams

Two LAMDA Drama pupils achieved great results in their graded exams recently – Joseph G and Grace C took their Grade 6 (Bronze Medal) exams in Solo Acting and both gained Distinction (also earning than additional UCAS points). Both pupils had to postpone their exams at the end of last year – but it was clearly worth the wait!  The LAMDA tutor, Eliza Miller, said “I’m extremely proud of both pupils for doing so well – they have worked very hard and it is has paid off – well done!”

Marie-Claude spoke to pupils about her memories of Occupied France during World War II 

On Tuesday 18th April, the French Department were delighted to welcome back Marie-Claude Hawkes talking about life in Occupied France during the Second World War. Marie-Claude talks very lucidly about her family’s experiences and memories in rural Normandy during the war and particularly in the weeks following the D Day landings. The insight she gives is profoundly personal and rooted in historical fact. This period in history is now one of the set themes of the A level French course and a literary period at IB HL French, and so first-hand recollections are immensely useful and insightful. It was a thought-provoking talk with ample opportunities to ask questions at any point and pupils gained a great deal from the experience. Many thanks to Marie-Claude. We look forward to seeing her again next year.  

The pupils involved were Daisy W, Kitty R, Harrie W, Darcey L and Phoebe W.  

Year 11 are enjoying adventure acitivities this term

This term there is the option for Year 11 pupils to take part in adventure/outdoor activities which will include surfing, mountain biking, paddle boarding and sea kayaking. In the first week, the group put their fire lighting skills to the test. Nothing more satisfying than foraging for, building and lighting a fire and keeping it lit to toast a marshmallow or two in the sunshine! There will be an opportunity for pupils to try the high ropes course later in the week.

They then tried out the high ropes, zip line and climbing wall. They also practiced tying knots and prepared a new rope for the climbing wall.

In the following weeks, the group had a go at mountain biking through the woods.