14 Nov 2024

Bedales commemorates Remembrance Day

In a poignant ceremony of Remembrance, students and staff across Bedales School came together on Monday 11 November to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in war.

On Armistice Day, members of the Pre-prep, Prep and Senior schools assembled by the steps of the Memorial Library where they honoured the occasion with a Remembrance service . Built in 1921 to commemorate staff and students who died in the First World War, the Library offered an apt setting for the Bedales community to reflect on the sacrifices made in wars of the past and current.

The service opened with a moving speech from Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales, before Senior School Head Students Zeb, Sophie, Ege and Clara read out the student roll of former Bedalians who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Trumpeters from the Prep and Senior schools then performed ‘The Last Post’, signalling the start of the two-minute silence at 11am.

The sounding of ‘Reveille’ marked the end of the silence, and the ceremony continued with a compelling reading of Isaac Rosenberg’s poem ‘Break of Day’, spoken by 6.2 (Year 13) student George. Head of Bedales Prep Colin Baty then introduced Rupert Brooke’s poem ‘1914: The Soldier’ and May Herschel-Clarke’s ‘The Mother’, which were read by Block 2 (Year 8) students Plum and Max.

The service concluded with final reflections from Will, who said: “Thank you to everyone who gathered to mark this important occasion, and for bringing your thoughts and feelings to such weighty - but sometimes hard to comprehend - events in our history. Thank you also to the musicians and readers from the Prep and Senior schools for their meaningful contributions to the day.”

Bedalians also commemorated the occasion in the local community, supporting Petersfield Town Council and the Royal British Legion during Remembrance Sunday events on 10 November. In what has become an important tradition for the School, 18 members of the Bedales community volunteered in Petersfield at the weekend, alongside other local schools and organisations. The students engaged with the public, handed out orders of service and collected an impressive £1263 for the Royal British Legion, helping the charity to continue its work in supporting armed services personnel during and after their service.

As part of the Remembrance events, Senior School students Jodok and Poppy from Block 5 (Year 11) laid a wreath at the Petersfield War Memorial on behalf of Bedales.

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09 Oct 2024

Bedales musicians collaborate for Whole School Concert

Musicians from Bedales Pre-prep, Prep and Senior schools joined together on Friday 4 October for the annual Whole School Concert, showcasing the musical talents of Bedales’ very youngest through to Sixth Form.

Taking place in the School’s new Assembly Hall, parents and guests enjoyed a range of pieces from students and staff, including a Whole School devised performance and music from the Senior and Prep Choir, Bedales Contemporary Band and Bedales Senior Jazz Band among others.

The concert opened with an extraordinary Whole School Devised Performance of the 1928 French traditional carol Now the Green Blade Riseth, with song lyrics originally by J M C Crum. Incorporating two Creation poems by Marcelo Gleiser, the hymn’s lyrics were altered for the occasion by Lucy McIlwraith, Teacher of English at Bedales Senior, with music arranged by Doug McIlwraith, Director of Music at Bedales Senior. The orchestra was accompanied by dancers from the Senior, Prep and Pre-prep, and the audience were invited to sing along in an atmospheric Whole School effort.

Musicians from Bedales Prep followed with an immersive devised piece titled The Firebird, based on music by Stravinsky. Performers from the Prep School danced and acted alongside the musicians, bringing the story of the Firebird to life.

Bedales Senior Dance students then performed a routine to Florence and the Machine’s New Beginnings before the Senior and Prep Choir took to the stage for Anton Bruckner’s Locus iste.

In a further demonstration of the School’s strengths in the performing arts, Bedales Senior Drama students performed Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem ‘Constantly Risking Absurdity’ before the Bedales Senior Jazz Band played an energetic rendition of Picking up the Pieces by The Average White Band.

The concert was brought to a close with a spectacular performance by the Bedales Contemporary Band, playing an original composition - Who’s Got Control? - by Sixth Form student Andrea De Selancy.

Each year, the Whole School Concert is a wonderful display of musicianship across Bedales, highlighting the integrated community of students and staff from the Pre-prep, Prep and Senior schools and providing a performance platform for Bedalians of all ages.

Director of Music at Bedales Senior Doug McIlwraith said: “The Whole School Concert once again demonstrated the strength of collaboration across all ages at Bedales, from our youngest students performing alongside the orchestra to Sixth Form students composing original pieces. It was wonderful to incorporate Dance and Drama into this year’s event to showcase the breadth of talent across the School. Bedales is renowned for fostering creativity and individuality, and the Whole School Concert was a wonderful reflection of the passion and expression that we encourage in our students.”

Director of Music at Bedales Prep Matt Blunt added: “The excitement of performing in a space befitting our students’ creative skills was palpable - staff and students worked together across the School to showcase the development of our creative arts. There was a sense of joy in every rehearsal, performance and pew, as we came together to bring the Assembly Hall to life. This space will continue to inspire students for many years to come.”

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07 Jun 2024

Bedales students take on new musical

An innovative new musical, written by the award-winning songwriter and composer behind the EastEnders theme tune, is set to be performed at Bedales School in Hampshire in June as part of a creative collaboration.

Rehearsals for the production are in full swing as students from Years 6-12 at Bedales Prep and Senior schools prepare to perform Rick in June.

Written by Simon May, who is best known for writing the music that has top-and-tailed the BBC soap opera EastEnders for nearly four decades, Rick explores themes such as neurodiversity, self-confidence, and resilience.

It tells the story of a young boy, Rick, who walks out of his lead role in a school production after being teased by his fellow cast members. Locking himself in his room, he falls into a deep sleep and – in a plot twist inspired by the classic American folk story, Rip Van Winkle – doesn’t wake up for 100 years. As he adjusts to life in the 22nd century, Rick learns to embrace his unique abilities and develops the confidence to return and successfully perform in his school production.

Having built a successful career as a teacher and composer writing music for television, Rick is Simon’s second foray into musical theatre. It follows Smike, a lively rendition of Charles Dickens’ celebrated novel Nicholas Nickleby, which has been performed thousands of times in the UK and overseas and was adapted for television by the BBC in 1973.

In an unprecedented move for licensed musicals performed by schools, Simon has given Bedales the freedom to adapt Rick for the stage. Bedales Senior’s Head of Drama, Hayley Cole, is leading the project for a joint Senior and Prep school production that celebrates the School’s strengths in creativity and innovation in the arts.

With a creative team that includes Bedales Prep’s Director of Music, Matt Blunt, Head of Drama, Simon Kingsley-Pallant, Bedales Senior’s Head of Dance, Liz Wood, and Theatre Manager, Joanne Greenwood, Hayley has adapted Rick to fit the artistic vision of the Bedales community. This collaborative effort not only brings Simon’s work to life but also gives Bedales students exciting, hands-on experience in a workshop musical theatre production.

As momentum builds around the project, Bedales’ workshop adaptation of Rick is set to be showcased to a live audience of agents, theatres, and schools with two ‘scratch’ performances. Simon, impressed by the talent and commitment of the Bedales cast, musicians, and technicians, is looking forward to seeing the culmination of the project on stage in June.

Head of Drama Hayley Cole commented: “Collaborating with Simon May on Rick has been an incredible journey for Bedales students, offering them the chance to develop and perform a scratch musical from the ground up. This unique project has fostered leadership, creativity, and a sense of community across our Prep and Senior schools, showcasing the talent and enthusiasm of our students. We’re excited to see where these performances will take the musical next and hope they inspire further development and success.”

Simon May added: “The enthusiasm and creativity of the students have been truly inspiring, and I am excited to see how this workshop production will shape the future of Rick. I am grateful for the incredible effort from the entire Bedales team and thrilled to see where this journey will take us next.”

Rick will be performed at Bedales Olivier Theatre on 27-28 June 2024, 7.30pm. The production is open to all. Tickets are available to book here: https://www.bedales.org.uk/event/whole-school-show-rick

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