The Hall Newspaper Summer 2022 No 22

phenomenon in the 1990s and early 2000s; quite What does it do? Without these two animals, Ghost would not exist
possibly some current Hall parents (and some
teachers too) may have owned one as a child, - If you press Button A, you
judging by the levels of nostalgia amongst the will feed Ghost.
adults who came to view the exhibition! - If you press B, Ghost will be
Wider ‘business’ skills were also in evidence hungry.
during the exhibition; the basic concepts of - If you press A+B, Ghost
‘marketing’ had clearly been taken to heart, wants you to play with him.
evidenced by the fantastic ‘pitches’ set up in the - If the micro bit inside Ghost
Cooper Hall and the DT room. is shaken, he will be happy.
Visitors to the exhibition were ‘lured’ to - On start up, Ghost will
some stalls by cakes, sweets and other such introduce himself.
enticements, where the students explained
the process of concept to manufacture of their 1 product 5 products 10 products 25 products 50 products
specific pet and demonstrated their DT and
Computing skills with gusto! £17.99 £84.99 £159.99 £374.99 £699.99

Koaly What the buttons do THE GENUINE
ATTACHMENT
• B=He eats EXPERIENCED BY
• A=Drinks OWNERS FOR THEIR DIGITAL
• A+B=He has a nap FRIENDS BECAME QUITE A
• Shake=Plays PHENOMENON IN THE 1990S AND
EARLY 2000s.

Mood States

HUNGRY SICK THIRSTY BORED

Example of how the code works

Wait x seconds Koaly is thirsty

Koaly says 'slurp, ahh' Click A

COMPUTING 51

Living Library
PROJECT
Lise Galuga

In the Summer Term, Year 5 and 6 students celebrated their
love of reading by sharing their favourite books with ​future
generations of Hall students.​
In this ICT project, the students learned how to collaborate
using online documents, record and edit audio files, change file
permissions, and create QR codes to share book recommendations
for some of their favourite books in the school library's collection.​
A space has been specially set up in the Gilbey McKenzie library
with a book review ipad, for students to scan the QR codes and
listen to the Year 5 and 6 students describe some of their favourite
books in situ. Come along and give it a try, or simply scan the QR
codes on the posters below to access these recommendations.

WHEN WE ANSWER THE QUESTION ‘ WHAT
IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?’, WE OPEN A
SMALL WINDOW INTO OUR SOUL AND LET
OURSELVES BE KNOWN TO OTHERS

52

Design Tech

YEAR 4

Shiv Agnihotri

This year in Design and Technology we did lots of fun
things from making a cereal box to the bridge challenge.

We began with making our own cereal boxes with our own brand
name and a character we created ourselves. You had to put a maze
or wordsearch on the back so it would attract our target market of
kids. Then we stuck QR codes, bar codes and our ingredients on, to
make them look realistic. This was a very enjoyable and fun project
because you had loads of freedom and we used lots of typography

and graphics skills.

The next project was making our own, stuffed
character by sewing. This was a much more difficult

project than it seemed, it had a vast variety of
possible mistakes. I had to remake parts to ensure

they would fit together and were precise. This
taught me a lot of resilience. Our characters were
stuffed and sewn together with a sewing machine,
attaching the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and teeth on
with a needle and thread. This was a very creative
project and remarkably challenging and interesting.

Finally, we finished with the bridge challenge.
Although all projects were fun, this was my

particular favourite. We got 30 straws, 5 lollipop sticks, unlimited card
and hot glue. We had to make a bridge to hold the most weight out of
the materials above and put it on a wooden stand so each end of the
bridge was on wood, and the middle was hanging over some space.
Then Mrs Austin dropped some weights on it to test it to destruction

and see whose was the strongest. All these projects were fun,
interesting, and enjoyable which is why I love DT, because it is such an

interesting subject. We have all had a fantastic year.

DESIGN TECH 53

HomesYEAR 4 PROJECT 

Arel Kesimigel

In year 5 Design and Technology this year we had lots and lots of fun
using all the tools, especially the new disc sander!
The first topic was making handheld torches using electronic circuits.
We used LED’s and acrylic casing we cut it by hand with a saw. It was
tricky but after that, we used a pillar drill to create a hole for the keyring.
Next, we made Elastic band powered cars by cutting out the shape of
the car with a saw, then cut wood sticks and wheels to fit onto the car.
We broke a lot of rubber bands, but it was really enjoyable, and we raced
against all of our classmates!
Thirdly, for Harry Potter week, we made wands! We cut out a shape for
our wands using saws, then, we sanded it down to a nice shape and
lastly, we painted it and stuck an LED light on. They were cool, and I still
have mine at home.
Lastly, we designed and made model houses like architects. First, we
looked at some examples about some houses from famous designers
who made abstract houses. Then we drew examples of our houses then
went to Sketchup to make our 3D houses, then Mrs Austin will put all
our work in the same virtual space, and then we can look at them in
virtual reality.

54

YEAR 6

Aryan Kohli

In Design Technology, the best thing is the freedom you get as
you progress through the school. This year in Year 6 we have been

able to use a lot more machines than last year and have got to
experiment with all the wonderful technology and advancements.

I discovered the joy of being given so much independence while
working on our latest project. We were inspired as a class by the
wonderful designs of a modern design company called Alessi. In
Alessi, they follow philosophy that “function follows form” making
boring objects look like something else with the same use. Such

as a duck with soap coming out of its nostrils making a soap
dispenser look interesting.

Personally, I was designing a clock in the shape of a milkshake
with the straws being the two hands. Everyone enjoyed this project

immensely and I can’t wait for Design Technology next year.

DESIGN TECH 55

YEAR 7 PROJECTS

Year 7 students were challenged to make a fully functioning electronic
speaker. They started off creating a printed circuit board by soldering
a range of electronic components, then designed and manufactured
a casing, using computer aided design and the laser cutter. Their products
play sounds via a plug-in audio cable.
A second project was also very popular, that of making a USB. Using computer
aided design and computer aided manufacture, students developed the
skills needed to use a laser cutter, since the project involved designing with
precision around a USB component to create a layered device for holding and
storing digital files.

YEAR 8
PROJECTS

Joseph Matterson

Design Technology in Year 8 for my class and I has been a very enjoyable
experience, and though we had DT for half of the school year, I think I
speak for my entire class when I say that it has been one of our favourites
(if not favourite) lessons of the year.
We have attempted to complete three projects this year, including pewter casting,
creating a drone, and making a wind-up model car.
The first project was the pewter casting, which involves melting metal, and

56

forming it in a cast that we created using 2D design. The second
project was to create a drone, but that did not exactly take off, as we
designed it on Tinker CAD, printed it on a 3D printer and found the
coding exercise very challenging. Realising that it was difficult we only
flew in virtual reality through a beta flight simulator. Our third project
was to build a wind-up model car, which we all managed to do within
the one-hour lesson and was a fun way to end off DT in year 8.
Much like every year, DT was a fun lesson, with multiple opportunities
to be creative, as in the case of making some props for the Senior
School play Rats’ Tales. It has taught us a lot and it was great of
Mrs Austen to let us use the DT room equipment at break times to
complete our metal work projects.

DESIGN TECH 57

Creative Writing

ἔκφρασις The word ekphrasis, or ecphrasis, comes from the Greek for the written description of a
work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, perhaps best defined as “descriptive speech
Ekphrasis / Ecphrasis
which brings the subject shown before the eyes with visual vividness.”

Based on VAN GOGH’S STARRY NIGHT, and poetry by DYLAN THOMAS, Year 8 English
students produced their own vivid, often dramatic creations, real and imagined.

The Hunchback in the Park I sit, silent and pensive, staring out at the lake, my I told myself I’d get my own back someday, when I was rich and
aching limbs lying limply on the hard wood. But my handsome. That was when I still had pride in myself. When I still
By Albert Sparks eyes seem only to be a mirror back into my own had hope.
head. The thoughts buffeting around my brain leak
into the front of my mind like the rainwater seeping But no one likes a hunchback. Not my parents, not my teachers,
into my kennel at night, keeping me awake. Not that I not the other boys. I was destined for failure and failure I got.
could sleep soundly without this. Here I am, my home has gone, my family has gone, any ambition
to achieve something better has gone. I’m still an outcast. A
As I force the scratchy, stale bread down my gullet, freak. Those schoolmate jibes were a long time ago, but their
I watch people go by, not giving me a glance. Like shouts echo in the sharp cries of these truant children, who
I deserve their attention – they know I’ll be here sprint away, knowing I won’t follow. That I’ll just sit here like a
because I always am. As sure as the lake and the shrivelled bag in the sun, ready to be crushed by a careless foot.
trees, a permanent piece of the park. Yet that’s all
they know; not my past, not my age, not my name. However, from my new resting place I see a swan, majestic and
imperious, gliding over the silben surface of the lake, passing
“Hey, mister! Why aren’t you at work?” yell the village by green lily pads while chirping birds sing. They ignore me but
children, running past the other vacant benches, they ignore everyone, too caught up in their chorus. I smile,
when they should be in class. I can taste the dry, stretching muscles I rarely use, marvelling at their perfection
dirty gravel they put in my cup. Fleeing to a more and beauty. Sometimes I imagine that I’m soaring over the park,
secretive spot, I can’t stop myself from remembering swooping between the whistling trees. In fact, as the closing
when I was a child. bell chimes, I see a tall woman in my mind’s eye, straight and
unblemished, dancing with the birds alone in the park, chuckling
I can still see the cruel faces of the other boys, my as the sun sets and I lie in my kennel. I soon fall into a deep sleep
schoolmates, pushing and shoving me around, jeering filled with these visions of happiness.
at my deformed appearance. Swallowing their insults,

58

Fisherman By Ned Van Steenis By Cassius Yechiel
Starry Night
The sea. The dark sky radiates blue.
Where fish gaily glide by Spirals of moonlight twist and turn with
Unaware of the Hook of Life
And the Worm of Death. Magnificent hue.
He sits there, on a barrel in the port Like gems in the blue dark,
Which once was decked with spies the stars glow in the sea of black.
From unknown seas beyond horizons,
From ships laden with silk and gold, By William Ma
He sits there and dreams.
In Saint-Rémy-de-Provence,
No one sees him turn in, he watches the night come, sparkling stars
Maybe he watches and learns from the starts.
and wave-like gushes of wind.
Anyway, he is gone before the sun comes, The church spire
Silently stealing away into deep green currents.
reaches the height of the mountains in
And when he comes back the distance, at the foot of which
All the fish giddy from his wondrous tales
the village sleeps below the starry night
Staring straight at him in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
When he dolefully lays down the catch
On their cold funeral bed to be taken to their pyres. By Finlay Schelin

He never speaks, The starts shone; the moon glittered
Just stares out, aged, wise. Town lights twinkled; the wind curled
Sometimes hands clasped in prayer,
Tears of brine flowing from his grey, haggard, weary eyes. In thin wisps, passing overhead.
I approached him but once Outside, the night sky
And the wealth of treasures and worlds The cold air.
I learned at his telling peeled back the petals of ignorance.
I pitied for all others who glumly trudged by Whispering in the starry night.
Where he sits there and dreams. The black spire stood out against the sky.
Where he dreams wisdom for humanity.
No wonder his catch goggle at him, But no one paid attention.

For he breathes wisdom. By Joseph Adler

By William Ma In Gogh’s Starry Night: Everything and nothing
happens at once.
The Fisherman in his boat
his line far into the ocean Everything happens at once in the cosmos, things are
above the schools of fish. born while more things die.
He feels a tug – what’s there?
Nothing happens in the sleepy town of Saint-Rémy,
He reels in the line the blue hills stretch over the horizons as the starry,
on a struggling, twisting,
starry night shines bright.
bending, turning fish.
It stares into the fisherman’s

eyes – and twists its final
attempt at freedom.

The line is crimped from
the tension as the fisherman

sighs. He lays down the
rod and the sun,

the great sun shimmering
Across the waves
Lays down also.
OR

The fisherman throws
a small splash; the hook sinks in

the sound of water.

CREATIVE WRITING 59

Year 2 Creative Writing Max Rahmen
Natty Oates 2B

Baboon on the Moon

60

. .eFluteFestival Me andMy...
Daniel Valeev
virtual room listening to improvisation tips and technique directly
Daniel Valeev recently had an article published in Pan, the from Ian Clarke himself, will no doubt remain seared in Daniel’s
Journal of the British Flute Society, in which he describes mind forever, as much as being bowled over after a conversation
how he had the opportunity in the summer to virtually with multi-instrumentalist and rockstar Ian Anderson as he spoke
meet many famous and influential professional woodwind about life, his musical path, his instruments and Jethro Tull!
musicians from across the globe. Daniel’s decisions, to take positive deliberate steps towards
improving his flute playing during the often-terrifying times of
This September Daniel has gone on to meet one of his heroes, world pandemic, seem to have genuinely transformed his outlook
Emmanuel Pahud, Principal Flautist with the Berlin Philharmonic, on life.
at the Royal Academy of Music. Congratulations on having your article printed, Daniel and we’re
sure you’ll continue to make the most of all the opportunities that
Daniel describes in his article, the way in which he taught himself come your way!
to play the flute during the pandemic; “My flute learning journey
started in a rather extraordinary lockdown environment when
absolutely everything was pushed into a virtual reality. How could one
learn to play a flute from scratch online, I wondered?”

Daniel specifically mentions the virtual masterclasses, foundation
courses and brilliant interviews that Emmanuel Pahud, James
Galway and William Bennett offered during the difficult times
of the pandemic, as well as watching old recordings too in this
unusual period of learning. But it was the opportunity to join in

an eFlute Festival that
apparently particularly
changed the world for
Daniel.

Speaking live with
his idol Emmanual
Pahud, partaking in
masterclasses, such as
that with Anna Pope on
Massenet’s Méditation
from Thaïs for example
and being in the same

MY FLUTE LEARNING JOURNEY STARTED
IN A RATHER EXTRAORDINARY LOCKDOWN
ENVIRONMENT WHEN ABSOLUTELY
EVERYTHING WAS PUSHED INTO A VIRTUAL REALITY.
HOW COULD ONE LEARN TO PLAY A FLUTE FROM
SCRATCH ONLINE, I WONDERED?

ME AND MY... 61

Art

Abbie Luck & Leonie Lachlan

SS & MS

ART EXHIBITION

It was delightful to be able to open the SS&MS Art
Exhibition in the SS buildings again this July, to celebrate

the students’ artistic achievements! Over the course of
five days parents and students had the opportunity to
wander through the school, taking their time to browse
the extensive displays of MS and SS boys’ schemes of
work, in addition to pieces produced in workshops,
outings and masterclasses produced during the year.

62

Nihal Gill Sebastian Hodges Jack Bunn

Alexander Bailey Finlay Hutchings Frederick Stothers

YEAR 3

WORK INSPIRED BY CHRIS OFILI

Year 3 boys created self-portraits inspired by the Turner winning artist Chris Ofili, well known for his references
to his Nigerian heritage, his highly decorative style and his playful exploration of black cultural identity. As well

as using paint in a more traditional way, the pupils also built it up in layer upon layer. They also used collage,
including cut-outs from family photographs and added glitter, to decorate the surface.

ART 63

Felix Baldock-How Jacob Jan Sebastian Hansjee

Bartie Constance Benedict Swift
Primo Page
YEAR 4

Lucian Hernandez SILK PAINTINGS
Inspired by

Georgia O’Keeffe

Year 4 students started by looking at natural forms and
doing drawings from observation, taking into account
form, tone, line, colour, shape, pattern and composition.
Then they studied how Georgia O’Keeffe uses different

shades of colour to show depth and painted their
own watercolours. They learned how to apply gutta in
batik-making and experimented with ways of applying
ink blending colours and letting them bleed, using a

paintbrush in a controlled manner.

James Fishman

George Henton Tristian Lauckhardt

64

Atticus Stowe William Valentin Rafe Murray

Raphael Silverberg Casper Gill ANIMALS
Inspired by the work

of Peter Clark

Misha Prosyankin

James Florian Oskar Axelson-Baltrusaitis

LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP

The workshop held in March required the Year 4s to use their observational skills in regarding a real life model and in
concentrating upon reproducing a high degree of detail using a range of drawing materials.

ART 65

Silas Fraiser Theodore Reiner

Louis Dimson James Fishman Timothy Crothers
Shiv Agnihotri Leo Dhanani

FISH & SEASCAPE AZULEJO

Louis Dimson Will Fraiser Lucien Hernandez Will Crichton-Brown

66

Ali Abbas Conrad Dyble Yonas Djoudi

Eskander Dean YEAR 5 Benjamin Chen

CERAMICS
Inspired by Bernard Palissy

Looking at the French Renaissance potter
Bernard Palissy, who cast animals from life to create
ornamental rusticware, students made zoological and

botanical drawings from toy animals in the Pottery
Room, then designed their own plates. They learnt
about how to use moulds to cast replica critters and

also modelled creatures from scratch.

WATER

Freddie Lee Aarian Gudka Dylan Shorthouse

ART 67

Alex Preiskel GOTHAM CITY
Felix Shulman
Conrad Dyble

James Avery-Gee
Ali Abbas

Oliver Samuels Arjun Malde

Adam Fenjaly

68

YEAR 6 Ziyan Hirji

STEAMPUNK Bruno Cokeliss

Adrian Altunis Aryan Kohli Steampunk is a design style inspired by
Victorian-era industrialism, made popular

by science fiction author K.W. Jeter who
created the term steampunk in 1987 to
describe a style of fantasy fiction. Students
made fantastical pieces that featured objects
associated with old fashioned technology.

James Hassan Tomas Demiguel-Perez Christian Lonberg

SELF IDENTITY Self-portraiture expressionism is a channel through which Jean-Michel Basquiat
Inspired by Basquiat highlighted issues in society, including his identity as an African American facing racial
injustices. In many of his portraits, the colour red is used to warn people to take care in what
they say and how they speak, for example in the red path connecting the eyes and mouth.
The red-eye colour creates a haunted look that depicts frustration and internal anguish.

Itai Fink Markus Fedder Matthew Dixon Noah Hutchings

ART 69

Apollinaire Vandenbroucke Nathan Joseph Carl Hofstrom Theo Magid

Aaron Newton-Seem YEAR 7 Amaan Malde
Benjamin Moser
LAKWENA WALL
PAINTING DESIGNS

Lakwena’s intention through her primarily text-based
combination of words, pattern and acid-bright colour,
is to subtly subvert prevailing mythologies. Concerned
with the significance of how and who we decorate in the
environment, and what this reflects about our values and
beliefs, Lakwena positions kaleidoscopic colours, bold
pattern and adornment to examine and redefine ‘value’.

Aden Nedungadi Albert Guan Elliot Bloch
Sena Kumaran
MIXED MEDIA Kit Cosgrove
INTERIORS

The Year 7s began this project by looking at
artists’ images of interiors, such as those
of Jonas Wood who often includes ‘pictures
within pictures’. The students compared

them to work of artists from different
periods such as Velasquez and Van Gogh.

70

Arlo Terry Maxim Smith Joe Ochiai Raphael Hayim

Pharon James Benjamin Gu Rex Hodgkisnson STREET ART
Aiden Bhaduri Animals
Riyan Hargunani Ford Hartman
The Year 7s went on a fascinating tour
of East London in March to discover
how it has become a mecca for artists
from all over the world. They explored
various spots in Shoreditch, Hackney

and Spitalfields in their learning
about the street art scene before
having a go at their own creations

back in the art room.

Aaron Newton-Seem Jake Bailey Can Luca Aquino STREET ART
Other

Carl Hofstrom STREET ART Rory Cope
Photography Vansh Rathi

Yanda Xu

Armaan Malde

ART 71

YEAR 8 Nicholas Popp

WORK Aadi Patel
Inspired by Francis Bacon
Rokeby Crichton-Brown
Following the Year 8s’ trip to the Royal Academy to look at and
study the Man and Beast Exhibition, they produced some
stunning work inspired by Francis Bacon.

The project began with students producing distorted portraits
that reflected the main characteristics of his work, using both

photomontage and Photoshop.

Nikolas Kotridis

PRINTS
Inspired by German
Expressionist woodcuts

Ned Van Steenis The students studied the work of several German
Expressionist artists to understand how they drew their
Mohamed El hadi Abasa inspiration from their political and religious beliefs. They
went on to acquire the skills involved in printing with lino,
rounding off the project by completing an independent
study on the topic of Distortion and War, with a focus upon
creating an image or poster for the Stop War Coalition.

Jospeph Callman Felix Twining

Shiv Ahluwalia

Ishann Nigam

72

ART & POTTERY CLUBS

MS ART CLUB MS PRINTMAKING CLUB

The students made designs of famous authors in the
printmaking club sessions.

Kush Patel Oscar Thing

Anthony Horowitz Benjamin Zephaniah
by Milo McCluskey by Primo Page

Shiv Agnihotri

SS PHOTOGRAPHY

Alexander Mardle Finlay Schelin

Jane Austen by Roald Dahl by
Thurstan Hayne Louis Dimson

Siddhartha Rathke Aiden Bhaduri Finlay Schelin

Jake Bailey

ART 73

Music WEST END MUSICAL
The Music Department endeavours
Music News to take all boys in Year 4 to a West
End Musical, and this year we went
SPRING/SUMMER ‘22 to watch Matilda at the Cambridge
Theatre in Covent Garden. The staff
Luisa Rosina and boys enjoyed it immensely, and
it was wonderful to listen to the boys
The musical year here at The Hall is always a busy one and talking about it for many weeks afterwards!  
rehearsals and concert performances have thrived. Over
10,000 instrumental lessons have been given over the CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SHOWCASE
year and around 200 instrumental music exams taken. This Our annual Contemporary Music Showcase took place in the
has been complemented by many boys playing in their chamber Cooper Hall at the beginning of February, and we heard some
groups, bands and singing in choirs. It continues to be a delight lively, upbeat performances from the guitar ensembles, Year 8 Jazz
to see such commitment and excitement in solo and ensemble Band and some electronic music from some of Mr Kaine’s Year 8
performances at all levels and ages. students.  

The range of events and successes has been wonderfully wide, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MUSIC
the enthusiasm of the pupils and the staff prodigious and the skill As part of the Year 7 music
consistently impressive.  curriculum, boys study
rock ‘n’ roll music, so to
complement their classroom
learning, we organised a rock
‘n’ roll tour of London. We
wandered around Tottenham
Court Road, Denmark Street
and Soho, visiting and learning
about some of the core hot
spots of rock ‘n’ roll history. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONCERT IN THE WATHEN HALL GALA CONCERT
The Spring Term got underway with our annual Middle School
Concert in the Wathen Hall, and we were treated to performances THE HALL GALA Safeguarding Statement One of the highlights of
from our MS wind groups (Clarinet, Flute, Double-Reed, CONCERT the musical calendar each
Saxophone and Brass) as well as our MS Piano Trio, Year 4 & 5 The Hall is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and staff. year is our annual Gala
String Orchestras, Training Band and MS Choir. Some of the boys In accordance with the requirements of The Hall’s Safeguarding Policy, any filming and/or Concert, which was held
performing had only been learning their musical instrument for photography with mobile phones, cameras or other electronic devices is strictly prohibited in Cadogan Hall. Boys
just over a year and had been rehearsing in their bands for only at this concert. A professional recording will be made of this concert and will be made from Year 2 upwards
a few months, so I was amazed to hear so many high-quality available to parents. had the opportunity to
performances.   perform on this world-
Please also ensure that all digital watch alarms, pagers, mobile phones and other devices
74 are switched off.

On behalf of The Hall, we thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

TUESDAY | 22nd MARCH 2022 | 6 PM

famous stage and it was wonderful to hear such a diverse range
of music, from Brahms to a Zulu Folk song, to ABBA! A special
mention to Cassius Yechiel for an epic drum solo which inspired an
influx of drum lesson requests over the following few weeks!  

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Only a few days after the Cadogan Hall Concert, our Symphony
Orchestra met at 5 am at Heathrow Airport to fly to Jersey for
a music tour. We spent four very special days with the Jersey
Academy of Music, performing concerts and touring the island.
Highlights of our trip included visiting Jersey War Tunnels, Mount
Orgueil Castle, and watching the boys collaborate and perform
with Jersey musicians. 

CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Summer Term began with
our Chamber Music Festival.
Professional cellist, Kwesi Edman,
gave masterclasses to each of our
string chamber groups in school,
followed by a fantastic showcase
concert in the evening at the JW3.
This was the first opportunity of the
year for our string chamber groups
to perform and they did us proud!
Playing chamber music requires
special skills, both musical and

MUSIC 75

social, that differ from the PIZZA EXPRESS JAZZ CLUB
skills required for playing a Our Year 6, 7 & 8 Jazz Bands
solo or in an orchestra, and performed at the iconic Pizza
the boys really rose to the Express Jazz Club in Soho in mid
challenge.  May. It was wonderful to watch the
boys up on stage performing where
the likes of Norah Jones, Amy
Winehouse, Jamie Cullum have
also stood, whilst families listened
and ate delicious pizza! 
 

76

THE BIG SING
A special concert for me
this year was The Big
Sing – one of the hardest
things about the pandemic
was the restrictions around
singing, so to have the entire
school community together
again to sing was quite
emotional. The boys enjoyed
watching and listening to
their teachers playing in the
band, and they sang their hearts out! Dan Swana, Head of Jazz and
Pop music at Westminster school adjudicated, and this year, Blue
House, led by Jonathan Eisenberg, won the House Music Cup with
their performance of ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’.  

MUSIC 77

ABRSM EXAMS
We held two ABRSM exam sessions in the Spring and Summer
terms - this Summer saw the most entries for ABRSM exams we
have ever seen, with three and half days of exams.
Congratulations to all boys who sat music exams this term. I
wanted to highlight some boys who have achieved Distinction
marks on higher grade exams, which is remarkable for students of
a prep school age:
• Ben Gu (Grade 6, Cello)
• Rex Hodgkinson (Grade 7, Oboe)
• Siddhartha Rathke (Grade 6 Oboe and Violin)
• Sebastian Ferguson (Grade 7, Violin)
• Neev Bansal (Grade 7, Violin)
• Albert Sparks (Grade 7, Tuba)
• Sebastian Koh-Tang (Grade 6, Piano). 

MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS

Towards the end of June, we held The final performance of
a solo recital for our Year 8 boys the year was at the HSPA
who have been awarded Music Summer Social, and the party atmosphere was a fitting occasion to
Scholarships and Awards to hear some live jazz and rock music from our Year 8 Jazz Band and
their next schools. The concert Guitar Ensembles!  
was held in the music room  
of Burgh House, which is a This has been my second year as Director of Music here at The Hall
stunning setting and a fabulous and I can honestly say that I feel completely at home and greatly
acoustic for solo performances.
Congratulations to Oscar Fletcher (UCS), William Ma (Eton), enjoy working alongside such
William Gentle (Eton) and Albert Sparks (Westminster), for a wonderful colleagues and
fabulous concert!    pupils. My delight is, however,
tinged with the sadness felt by
78 many that this is the last year
for our wonderful colleague, Mr
Andrew Adams.
Suffice to say that Mr Adams
has brought so much to our
community, not only in his
individual teaching and in his
ensemble direction, but also
in his support of all the pupils
and the music staff. He shall be
sorely missed, although he has
promised to visit us soon and
attend our next gala concert.  

ChapelCHOIR In addition to expanding their number of performance venues,
the choir have also spent the year expanding their repertoire by
Chris O’Leary  learning a wide variety of music for evensong and beyond. This
Chapel Choir Director  was perhaps best represented in their electric performance of the
South African Hymn ‘Siyahamba’ (in both English and the original
Following an exciting and busy start to the academic year, Zulu) at the annual Gala Concert at Cadogan Hall. Although a
the Chapel Choir have continued to enjoy exceptional departure from the typical Anglican choral music that the choir do
performance opportunities across the country. so well, the boys did a fantastic job of bringing this famous tune to
life, and I greatly indebted to Dr Steyn for his direction of the choir
In February, the choir made their long-overdue return to in my absence. 
Southwark Cathedral in the heart of London, singing Herbert
Howells’ famous ‘Collegium Regale’ canticles which were originally We completed our Oxbridge pairing in May this year when we
written for the choir of King’s College Cambridge. Howells’ ‘Like rounded off the Chapel Choir calendar with a performance of
as the Hart’ was the anthem alongside Bernard Rose’s Preces and evensong at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford; a unique location
Responses, with the boys once again singing exceptionally well serving as both the city’s cathedral and the college chapel for one
alongside the consort of professional singers and organist that of the university’s most prestigious colleges. Howells’ ‘Collegium
joined them.  Regale’ Canticles and Rose’s Responses were joined by my own
setting of Psalm 48 and William Walton’s bombastic Jubilate Deo
Following Southwark, the choir expanded their performance - a particularly special work to sing alongside the lay clerks of the
venues to outside of London for the first time this year, travelling Cathedral Choir as Christ Church was Walton’s alma mater and the
to Christ’s College Cambridge in March to sing as the guest choir place he wrote the work for.
in one of the University of Cambridge’s chapels. Music by Percy
Whitlock, Maurice Duruflé, and George Dyson was performed with A special mention must go to Oscar Auerbach in Year 8 for his
great sensitivity and skill alongside current and former choral excellent solo in the Jubilate Deo, and I would like to thank all
scholars of Cambridge University as part of a weekly evensong, the Year 8 leavers who have dedicated so much time and effort to
with the officiant remarking how wonderful it was to have choral maintaining the choir’s standard this past year. Oscar, Thomas,
music of such standard return to the college following the Oscar, Marmaduke, Albert, & Xander – you’ve been terrific,
pandemic.  and I hope that you continue to sing throughout the rest of your
academic careers and beyond! 

A SPECIAL MENTION MUST GO TO OSCAR
AUERBACH IN YEAR 8 FOR HIS EXCELLENT
SOLO IN THE JUBILATE DEO, AND I WOULD
LIKE TO THANK ALL THE YEAR 8 LEAVERS
WHO HAVE DEDICATED SO MUCH TIME
AND EFFORT TO MAINTAINING THE CHOIR’S
STANDARD THIS PAST YEAR.

As this report shows, Chapel Choir has returned to singing with
great enthusiasm and success, and its members are outstanding
ambassadors for the school in both behaviour and musical
achievement. My thanks go not only to all of them for their
time, dedication, and effort, but to all friends, family, and staff
supporters who continue to be so encouraging of the work that
the choir does. I have no doubt that the next academic year will
be a very exciting time for the ensemble in both returning to
previous performance venues and enjoying new opportunities and
repertoire, and I look forward to welcoming both those joining and
returning well-rested and fresh-voiced in September. 

MUSIC 79

Drama

Senior School Drama Production

The play Rats’ Tales, dramatized by Melly Still, combines In July, after months of rehearsals, a group of Year 8 (and a handful
traditional fairy tales with some new stories written by of Year 7s) performers and technicians came together to present
former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. Centred around several performances of the show to live audiences in the Wathen
the tale of the Pied Piper, Rats’ Tales celebrates the power Hall.
of storytelling. It is a verminous, shadowy and enchanting
compendium of fables woven through with strands of fear, The performers realised Duffy and Still's determination to confront
mockery and spite, care, passion and magic, an ingenious the dark side of our imagination and ingeniously shone a light on
feat of theatrical invention. the morality of the tales for the audience. Most of the tales set out
to disconcert us. Several of the eight stories deal with the loss of
80 a loved one. We experience a fundamental disquiet watching the

AMONGST THE AUDIENCE WAS AN EXAMINER
FROM TRINITY COLLEGE, WHO CAME TO
ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE FOR THE
SCHOOL’S GRADE 4 AWARD AND PROVIDE
US WITH PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK. IN HER
REPORT, SHE COMMENTED THAT IT HAD BEEN
‘A PRIVILEGE TO WATCH SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE
PERFORMANCE’, HIGHLIGHTING IN PARTICULAR
THE GROUP’S ENERGY, PACE AND RAPPORT,
AS WELL AS SUPERBLY INTEGRATED SOUND,
LIGHTING AND DESIGN ELEMENTS.

jealous mother seeking to steal the source of her daughter's youth the mind games played by
and vitality, for example. The psychological damage inflicted upon a cruel stepfather, sends a
the little boy who comes to believe himself to be invisible due to shiver down our spine.
Mercifully, in this exploration
of the power of storytelling,
there is also no shortage
of comedy! In the familiar
fable of the Pied Piper for
example, the ostentatious
mayor of Hamelin becomes
a cliché-spouting politician
who prattles on self-
righteously about his ‘moral
compass’ and his ‘mandate’,
before commissioning a
pest controller to do the
town’s dirty work. A dose of
hilarious horsing-around
straight out of Pantoland
provoked loud chuckles, as
did the enactment of the
story of a marriage proposal
falling on deaf ears; in both
cases our young actors’
exquisite pacing and tone were
impeccable. The play’s main
‘happy ending’ emerges as an
ecstatic rush at the play’s end,
communicated with clarity and
fun in a highly engaging ‘rap’
finale addressed straight out
into the auditorium.
Amongst the audience was
an examiner from Trinity
College, who came to assess the
performance for the school’s
Grade 4 award and provide us
with professional feedback. In
her report, she commented
that it had been ‘a privilege
to watch such an impressive
performance’, highlighting in
particular the group’s energy,
pace and rapport, as well as
superbly integrated sound,
lighting and design elements.
‘The group responded assuredly both to each other and to
the audience, with superb group pacing, scene setting and
communication of tension and pathos’. Indeed, full marks were

DRAMA 81

granted for the ‘Group Dynamic’ section in the Trinity report, with
the finding that ‘the group as a whole was a very strong collective
from the outset, with some superb ensemble scenes and set-

pieces.’ The ‘excellent
rapport across the
cast’ conveyed on
stage was analysed
as resulting from the
performers’ ‘many
strong collective
reactions and skilful
use of unified/
choral speaking

techniques’, with
numerous examples cited
of strong characterisation
and confident physical
presence, achieved
through ‘very well-
defined vocal clarity,
variations, phrasing and
emphasis’. The examiner
especially praised the
‘highly engaging individual
and group narration,
that drove forward the
narrative with superb
development’. High praise
indeed!
82

A tangible sense of ‘other- An extract from
worldliness’ was conjured through "THE USES OF ENCHANTMENT"
a variety of technical means; the
end-on raised stage that was by Bruno Bettelheim
used to effect creatively provided
a visual multi-purpose backdrop Each fairy tale is a magic mirror which reflects some
for the well positioned set acting and the furniture was used as aspect of our inner world, and of the steps required by
stage blocks to create levels, adding an extra dimension to scenes. our evolution from immaturity to maturity. For those
The unfussy design was highly effective in evoking the period and who immerse themselves in what the fairy tale has to
setting immediately conveyed character. Props too were used
imaginatively to further enhance the performance (eg. the black communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool which
cloth that represented a shadow, the multi-purpose skipping at first seems only to reflect only our own image; but
rope, giant scissors, the light book). The use of technology was behind it we soon discover the inner turmoils of our soul
impressive from the very start of the performance, establishing – its depth, and ways to gain peace within ourselves and
the setting, time of day and mood. The sound effects and use of with the world, which is the reward of our struggles.
thoughtfully curated pieces of music further enhanced the physical
‘other worldliness’ ..
It is hard to adequately express thanks to Mr Padden, not only
for sharing his insight and passion for the dramatic arts, his
patience and belief in the students, but especially for facilitating
the development of skills and weaving individual contributions
together into such an accomplished ‘whole’. These fables,
brought to life before our eyes through some remarkably mature
performances, beguiled time and transformed space. From "once
upon a time" to the final "happily ever after", the students conjured
marvels from the simplest props and scenery in complicity with
the audience's imagination. A wonderful treat, for which we offer
congratulations and thanks to all involved. Sue Godwin

DRAMA 83

Sport

Our U13 Select
Cricket Team &
U11 A-Team hosted
Bedford Prep
School at Wilf
Slack in early May

1st XI took part in the Mill Hill Belmont SPORTS NEWS
8-a-side Cricket Festival in mid May
CRICKET

U10s enjoyed
their first
cricket
fixture of

the season,
away at

North Bridge
House

School at the
end of April

Well done to the 1st XI who were
victorious at the Prep4Sport
Cricket Challenge Cup held at

Cambridge University in early July

Year 5 boys
enjoyed some

hardball
cricket, away

at Arnold
House in late

May

84

MS & SS CROSS COUNTRY RACE

 Jack Silverthorne  

On Thursday 24th March 2022, the Middle School had People were really exhausted after this treacherous race. Everyone
our House Cross Country race. I am in Purple House, who took part got a card telling them their place and we gathered
and we sadly came last. Maxime came first, Theodor up score from how long we took to finish the race. At the end Mr
came second, and Atticus and Silas drew third place.   Mavroudis gave the winners a medal. Then he announced the
scores. “In fourth place is Purple, in third place is Blue House, in
It was fun! I came in 21st place out of 55 which is a surprisingly second place is Orange and in first place is GREEN HOUSE!!!” There
good score for a 1.5k race. I was sweating from my hair! A lot of was a big scream of excitement from Green House with cries of
people poured water on their heads to cool themselves down. This sorrow from Purple, Blue and Orange Houses. 
race began at 1:30pm on Hampstead Heath. Conrad Dyble came
first for the Year 5s with an outstanding finish in 5 minutes 31
seconds. There was silence while the panting students splattered
water on their heads.  

Rayaan Jan in 4D said, “It was super exciting, but it made me fall
on the ground, and I came 36th”. William commented, “It was really
tiring but I managed to get 32nd place.” Misha also said, “It was fun
but at the end I felt like I was going to fall over!”

The U11s won the Anold House cross
country competition in mid March.

SPORT 85

With the privations of COVID finally behind us We managed two full day training sessions
boys at The Hall were thrilled to be able to on the dry slope out at Chatham in January
mix again from Years 3-8 on the ski slope.
and April respectively. Our coach from
SKI SQUAD Precise Racing was on hand to assist with

REPORT SPRING /SUMMER 2022 technique and gate training. 

Katie Davies

Regrettably clashes
with a Year 4 Mexicolore
Festival and the Common
Entrance French Speaking
Examinations meant we

could not race at the
SATIPS event on May 9th.

Eight boys from the
Middle and Junior School
then represented The Hall

at the London Schools
Race at Welwyn Dry

Slope on the 18th June.

The training sessions certainly seem to have IT WAS SAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE OLDER MEMBERS
paid off and we were rewarded with two OF THE SKI SQUAD AS THEY MOVED ON TO  SENIOR
SCHOOLS AND AADI PATEL WAS A FITTING WINNER OF
U/10 podium places at the English Schools THE MCCORMICK CUP!
National Indoor Open Championships held
on artificial snow at Hemel on the 25th April. ONE OR TWO OF OUR KEENEST SKIERS DID NOT LET
THE SUMMER KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE SLOPES AND
SPECIAL MENTION MUST BE MADE OF JACK CURTIS WHO
HAS BEEN SELECTED TO BE PART OF AND TRAIN WITH A
YOUNG GB SQUAD.

86

SUMMER SPORTS

SPORT 87

2022 Y E A R 8 L E AV E R S

We wish all the Year 8 boys leaving The Hall this summer all the very best
in their new schools... don’t forget us!

Congratulations on gaining your places at the following senior schools for September 2022:

City of London 3 Marlborough 1 Radley 1
Eton College 7 Marylebone Boys 1 St. Paul’s 13
Haberdashers’ Aske’s 2 Merchant Taylors’ 3 UCS 5
Harrow School 1 Mill Hill 2 Westminster 6
Highgate 1 Winston Churchill Lycée 1

We wish you every good fortune as you start the next step of your learning journey!

We also invite you to join The Hall Connect
– the new official networking platform

for alumni. Joining the large group of Hall
alumni spanning decades past, enables you to:

Go to www.hallschoolconnect.co.uk
or email [email protected]

www.hallschoolconnect.co.uk