School News

MORNING ASSEMBLY

When morning Assembly was first set apart for a short period of worship, it was the custom for the Headmaster to read a short passage from the Bible, on which to base one’s thoughts during the silence which followed. As time went on, changes took place and different members of staff chose the readings for the week. The readings varied: passages from the Bible, short poems, and extracts from novels were read to illustrate the theme for the week’s thought. This kind of Assembly continued until last term, when it was felt that we were drifting away from our original intentions, and so it has been the aim this term to bring back the kind of Assembly we used to have when the passages read gave a clear lead for worship. I still think that morning Assemblies could be improved upon and I feel that more passages from the Bible would bring about the improvement.

John Cockrill (17 years)

I think that to improve the readings they should be evenly mixed, so that we do not have too many religious readings. Readings from the Bible, I am, inclined to think, go in one ear and out of the other. I do not mean that we should cut out readings, from the Bible altogether, but I think the readings should not all have a religious motive.

Roy R. Tyerman (15 years)

As morning Assembly is the first organised activity of the day far the whale school, I think that the aim of the readings should be to start the day well. The theme behind the readings should certainly be connected with worship, but this does not necessarily mean a series of passages from the Bible.

I am sure that the school as a whole derives more benefit from the modern and simplified translations of the Scriptures, such as Dorothy Sayer’s “Man Born to be King,” than from the Revised Version of the Bible, which is often difficult to understand. The lower half of the school should be considered when readings are chosen as it is an advantage, if they, too, can really appreciate them.

Music, skillfully chosen, is always welcome as a change on one day of the five. I would suggest, however, that variety and interest in readings are all-important and should always be considered first.

David Blackburn (15 years)

I think Assemblies could be improved by the use of music. Music usually settles my mind in a single line of thought which is so necessary far silent worship.

Dennis Yare (16 years)

I agree with one of my contemporaries in that we should have more Bible readings, but with stipulations.

There are passages in the Bible that just do not come within comprehension in the fifteen minutes of Assembly, and even if the older ones do understand them (owing to Scripture lessons), the younger ones, which comprise half or two-thirds of the school, do not. This kind of difficult passage will lead to a holy dread of Assemblies in future years. Poems would break down this feeling, but, please, well-chosen poems! And, finally, just to see that this feeling of dread does not develop, let us have a “Humour Week,” perhaps just once a term, which would ensure attention to all readings. Here I may be detracting from the purpose of Assemblies and readings, but I feel it is necessary.

Brian Sayer (15 years)

I think the singing of a hymn every morning, instead of one on Thursday mornings only, would be an added improvement. The members of staff responsible each week for readings could choose their own hymns to fit in with the theme of their readings. In this way the feeling of worship, I think, would be increased.

June Berriman (16 years)

A great improvement could be made on this term’s Assembly readings. I think they have been drab and certainly uninteresting to the younger members of the school. I used to enjoy a former Geography master’s readings. At the beginning of every summer term his subject was “British Sportsmanship,” and he invariably read the story of the old-fashioned fast bowler who once delivered a ball which passed the wicket keeper, went through two coats, and killed a dog an the boundary. I appreciated this type of reading and derived a great deal from them and I sincerely hope that next term’s readings will not be as uninteresting as this, term’s.

Raymond Newbigin (16 years)

While I feel it would be almost impossible to make morning Assemblies perfect, I do think they could be improved. The music on Friday mornings is, to me, a great joy, but it is definitely a secular enjoyment; since it comes only once a week, however, I do not think there is any great cause for alarm. Bible readings do not interest me very much. I derive more interest from bath poems and thought-provoking extracts from novels, and I like finishing Assembly with a hymn.

Elspeth Rutherford (15 years)

Morning Assemblies are, on the whole, enjoyed by the scholars and we hope that they will continue to be a time in the day which is looked) forward to.

Our view is that the, theme of the readings should never be allowed to stray to subjects not closely connected with worship, but should keep to religious topics. The system used hitherto of maintaining the same theme throughout the week has been successful and we hope to see it continued. While we favour readings from the Bible, we recommend other illustrations of the theme, which should be as interesting as possible. Stories and incidents from true life help to focus one’s attention and will make it easier for juniors to concentrate. We feel, however, that the standard of the readings should be intended primarily for seniors, as the juniors will gradually acquire a greater understanding. Juniors would lose less by only a partial grasp, of the meaning than would be last if the level were lowered.

We enjoy our one day of music very much and think that the person responsible for the week’s reading should feel free to choose a hymn occasionally. The length of readings is difficult to determine and our suggestion is that they should be short enough to allow for a few moments silence before announcements are made.

Joan Wolf (18 years)
Christine Johnson (17 years)

THE SCHOOL GETS UP

“THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE”

24th-26th March, 1949
PREPARING FOR “PIRATES”

I believe the idea originated with Mr. Porter last term. On his arrival at Ayton, he started to organise the musical life of the school on a more democratic basis, with numerous committees of boys and girls to help him. One of his best supported efforts was the “Choral Society.” We sang in hymn singing and at the Carol Service at the end of last term. I think he was attracted by Sullivan’s music to “The Pirates of Penzance,” with little thought, at first, of a full production, but as we proceeded, the more we sang the better we enjoyed it, and it became evident that we MUST put it on to the stage.

All uncertainty was cleared up at the beginning of this term, when Mr. Carr announced that the production would definitely take place near the end of March.

Then the hard work started. Mr. Dunn was producing the opera, and at first the time was divided between musical and stage rehearsals. We sweated at both, and soon we had the opera “creaking” – as Mr. Dunn would say, but gallons of oil were needed to make it run easily. At this stage Mr. Dunn and Mr. Porter combined their rehearsals and music and acting were fused. It was then that the real work began : rehearsals, were taking place almost every night, yet there was other work to be done somehow. We became tired, but I think that the tiredness added to our enjoyment. Such institutions as West Lane Hospital and the San. took toll of some of our members, and at one period the prospects of the production were decreased by a minor ‘flu epidemic. To counteract this, Mrs. Carr dosed us all with penicillin tablets after each meal and I can still picture the cast coming out of the dining room sucking round, yellow tablets.

The hired costumes arrived late on Tuesday evening, from Brighton, and you can imagine the fun we had seeing other members of the cast-especially staff-walking around in piratical dress. I cannot imagine spending a more pleasant half hour than we spent trying on our costumes in Room 3. We found waist bands, red squares, kilts, and such piratical garb and wondered just where it was going to fit. But after all our speculations, the costumes fitted perfectly.

Then came the performance. It is being reviewed in another part of this issue, so I shall not comment on it. But I must repeat a conversation overheard in the village. One rather nervous woman, after seeing the pirates going down to a performance, remarked that “it wasn’t safe to be out on these dark nights.” But an old sage, who had seen both policemen and pirates coming from the gym after the performance, countered this statement with, “It’s orl right, luv, there’s been a rema-arkable increase in’t Bobbies.”

I should like to say “Thank you” to everyone who make this ambitious production possible; every member of our community “pulled his weight” magnificently and if there had not been this cooperation from the youngest to the oldest, the “Pirates,” would not have been the success and the delight it was

Raymond Newbigin (16 years)

“THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE”

24th-26th March, 1949
THE CRITIC’S REVIEW

“The Pirates of Penzance” was the fourth collaboration of the great partners, coming in 1880 after the enormous success of “H.M.S. Pinafore,” the moderate success of “The Sorcerer “and “Trial by jury,” and the failure of their first venture, “Thespis.” It was first produced in the United States, where D’Oyley Carte had a company touring to prevent “pirated,” and often inaccurate, versions of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas finding a golden market. Sullivan was still enjoying his talent for light music, and the obligations of his success in this field had not yet begun to make him feel he was neglecting his duty to serious music. “Hail Poetry!” however, at the end of Act I. of the “Pirates” is evidence that the oratorio style was never far below the surface; one can listen to it with enjoyment in the satirical context of the light opera, but a whole evening with it would be a penance.

For the School to aspire successfully to put on any one of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, three problems had to be solved at the outset: how to overcome the restrictions of a small stage, how to make effective use of voices which, while they would be sweet, would be small, and how to make us forget the absence of Sullivan’s orchestral colour.

I was glad myself that a small and possibly inexperienced orchestra was not used ; it would have increased the difficulties for the singers and could not have revealed to us all the skill and humour of the original orchestration. The pianist, Muriel Thomas, was completely successful, and where she got a chance of holding equal place with the singers, as in General Stanley’s “Softly Sighing” (Act II.) it was with real delight that we heard her take advantage of the opportunity. I thought the orchestral overture on the gramophone a mistake: it is only with utmost difficulty that a theatre audience can be brought to listen to music when the curtain is down; there was no chance at all, with an excited audience in a school hall. I should have preferred it on two pianos with, if necessary, an enforced silence.

Problems of staging and of immature voices were solved to a large extent by the extended “apron” stage, which brought the principal singers out into the audience and gave their voices every chance to be heard. The device was completely successful, and the words of almost every song, even the choruses, were easily and clearly distinguished. I remember the girls and the policemen in “Go, Ye Heroes” (Act II.) as the best example of part singing on Saturday evening, while the trio, “A Paradox, A Paradox,” was sung with a confidence and a brilliance almost professional.

It was a pleasant departure from the usual to see General Stanley’s daughters all looking young and charming: it is not often that there is really “not one whose homely face or bad complexion “makes the protestations of perfection to Frederic invalid. But I could not help wondering how the energetic Major General produced so many beautiful daughters in less than three or four years. Was he perhaps a Mohammedan, or Mormon?

I would remind these maidens of the chorus of the need to act as well as sing and look beautiful; “How beautifully blue the sky” should be their pretext for concealing their obvious interest in the doings and conversation of Mabel and Frederic, and when they are silent the young ladies should be striving to get as near as possible in order to hear and see as much of the lovers as they can. They lost a chance of adding to the comedy there.

By the Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiast the stage “business” is jealously watched to see that the traditions of seventy years’ standing are faithfully observed. Gilbert himself -,was rigidly set against allowing liberties with either his script or his stage directions. What he would have said could he have heard a portion of “H.M.S. Pinafore” inserted bodily into the text of the Pirates,” I hate to think; yet if my horrified ears heard aright this was done on one night at any rate of the performance. [The horrified ears were misled; the “What never? Hardly ever” of “Pinafore” was repeated by Gilbert in the original edition of “Pirates” as “What, all of them? Well, nearly all” Ed.] Far more legitimate and extremely attractive were the girls’ dances in both acts of the opera and the vigorous hornpipe of the pirates, while the drill of the policemen on their first entry reached a perfection and precision contrasting strangely with the imbecile countenances assumed by this talented Force. These gentlemen and their Sergeant are to be congratulated on extracting every possible nuance of expression from their words and music.

I suppose the role of Mabel, the heroine, is as exacting as any in the repertoire of Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Her two main arias, “Poor Wandering One” and “Ah, leave me not to pine,” are both difficult to sing, and the coloratura of the first song is a fiendish test for a young and inexperienced voice. Small wonder, then, that Mabel became somewhat fixed and glassy in her concentration on getting every note. “Ah, leave me not to pine” came out sweet and pure as a bell: while it vas interesting to see how when “Poor Wandering One” is repeated at the end of the opera, Judith Crossley, now having seen all obstacles successfully surmounted, carolled forth with a freedom and confidence she did not dare to have in Act I.

Someone must be blamed, however, for the omission of “Oh, here is love and here is truth,” perhaps the producer was unable to work his leading lady into a sufficient frenzy of rapture. I think Frederic could have done it, but a love duet is not easy to make convincing when the young lady is still young enough to be self-conscious. Ruth, the piratical maid of all, work, is Gilbert’s first example of the ageing spinster. The tragedy of the loving but unloved female regretfully finding herself on the shelf was something that Gilbert never ceased to find funny, and later on in “Patience,” for example, and still more in the “Mikado,” this unfeeling humour of the librettist provoked Sullivan to give some of his finest music to the character at whom Gilbert sought to poke fun. In “The Pirates,” Ruth is cruelly treated when in Act I. she is exchanged from Pirate King to Frederic, back again and back once more.

We laugh uneasily there. In Act II. Ruth’s loss of Frederic is lost in the development of the plot around General Stanley. Marjorie Wilson’s singing was not powerful, but it was sweet and beautifully clear: I never missed a single word. But why was she allowed to look so young: I was never convinced of her forty-seven years, and when she re-appeared with the Pirate King in the ruined chapel of General Stanley’s home she looked in her smart tricorne and cloak as attractive a young woman as even the exacting Frederic could desire. Frederic himself looked a true hero and sang like one. One wondered how far General Stanley’s daughters needed to assume their admiration in “How pitiful his tale, how rare his beauty.” But he should have had a second costume for Act II. It was surely not seemly for one in pirate dress himself to propose to lead the police against the piratical stronghold. Philip Bell, as the Pirate King, was a tremendous spectacle.

What an asset to be able to roll one’s eyes and show the whites like that! His facial expressions were so varied one was apt to forget that he was contributing a fine voice to the part. I liked also his aide, Samuel, who showed a real appreciation of the timing as well as the quality of his lines.

Major General Stanley achieved a poise and an assurance that I have not seen excelled by Martyn Green himself. I certainly don’t believe I have ever heard “A Model Major General” done better. “Softly Sighing” demands somewhat greater musical accomplishment, and found out his limitations as a singer. But the late Sir Henry Lytton had no voice at all, and I felt William Hall was worthily in the tradition of Grossmith, Lytton and Greene-and as a Gilbert and Sullivan devotee I can give no greater praise than this.

Margaret Bowness, of the School, produced the scenery, and the delicious little view through the window of the ruined chapel was refreshing and effective, for that scene is often rather gloomy and circumscribed. The view of the headland in the School version was extraordinary effective. I have yet though, to find a scenic artist who will pay attention to the evidence that is provided not only in the stage directions about the first scene but in the script, “We are quite alone and the sea is as smooth as glass.” Only once have I seen a sea which was really calm-and in that case the tide was out, although we have elsewhere (Pirate King: “Well, it’s the top of the tide and we must be off”) evidence that it was not. Margaret Bowness’s waves were true to tradition.

The Stage Group, under the able direction of Stanley Jones, must have put in an enormous amount of work in the construction of scenery, and in making additions to the lighting set. They are to be congratulated on all the work they did behind the scenes.

But when all has been said of the caste, much of the praise distributed to them rightly belongs, as they know, to producer and musical director. The use of thirty-four people on that stage was a tribute to Blakey Dunn’s ;skill; so, surely, was the way in which the value of each word of the dialogue was given its importance. Only the rather bewildering alternation of night with day in Act II. seemed unnecessarily disturbing; I think it would have been better to have plumped for moonlight and relied on that for the illumination throughout.

Bernard Porter had his singers well in hand. He was lucky in being able to start in a school with an established tradition and enthusiasm for fine singing, but he has developed it in a way that has made musical history and a new and most promising departure for Ayton. The fruits of Mrs. Harper’s work were also evident. Without the foundation of her training, young soloists could not have tackled these difficult parts with so much success.

What a perfect vehicle for singing and drama the Gilbert and Sullivan operas provide. There is no other work in English of this quality. “We found the musical piece in the theatre poor, vulgar and mean to a degree and have sought to provide in its place pieces which are well constructed as to plot, witty, and in good taste, with music of the highest class.” That was what Gilbert said the great partnership set out to achieve, and worthily they did so. I hope “The Pirates” is the first of a Savoyard tradition at Ayton. May they never stray into the banalities of sugar and sentiment provided by other composers and librettists.

Stanley F. Sweet (Parent)

“THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE”

THE CAST!

On the Photo:
Back row: Stanley Jones; ??; ??; Major-Gen. – Bill Hall; Raymond Newbiggin; Pirate King – Phillip Bell. Third row: Margaret Featherstone; Irene Wardle; ?Jean McNeil; Marjorie Wilson (in the dark hat.) Second row: Policemen ??John Cockrill;?; Derek Smith; Judy Crossley; Dan Yare; ??; ??; Les Donaldson; and Hal Benbow on the extreme right. Front row: Ann Tindale; Irene Frost, Margaret Scott, Judith Dudding, Mary Bell, Margot Ayre, Shirley Rushton, Jean Sweet, Christine Johnston, Joan Wolf

Can you fill in the remaining names? If so please let us know

Cast List:

Major-General Stanley – William Hall
The Pirate King – Philip Bell
Samuel (His Lieutenant) – Raymond Newbiggin
Frederic (The Pirate Apprentice) – Derrick Smith
Sergeant of Police – Stanley Jones

General Stanley’s daughters:
Mabel Judith Crossley
Edith Jean McNeil
Kate Isabel Wardle
Isobel Margaret Featherstone
Ruth (Pirate Maid-of-all-work) Marjorie Wilson

Pirates and Policemen:
H. Benbow, L. Donaldson, G. Easton, D. Noyes, R. Tyerman, D. Yare (Tenors). A. Burns, J. Cockerill, D. Downey, S. Gaunt, B. Lockey (Basses).
General Stanley’s Daughters: M. Bell, J. Coates, J. Dudding, J. Gatty, E. Rutherford, D. M. Scott, D. Tindale (Sopranos) M. Ayre, I. Frost, C. Johnson, S. Rushton, J. Sweet, J. Wolf (Altos) 

AN IMPRESSION OF “PIRATES”

By a parent – who went to the School Show chiefly to please his daughter, and who received a pleasant surprise!

After a perfect evening’s entertainment, my thoughts went straight to the work put into this production by the Conductor, Producer, and Pianist. One can understand complete enthusiasm by the School members in such a grand game as Amateur Theatricals, but from experience of handling many concerts, I know the time, patience, and personal effort necessary by the management committee, to make such a success as this performance of “Pirates.”

From the musical angle, my impression was that this show was under complete control all the time by your conductor, and the accompanist left nothing to be desired, and I say without fear of contradiction that this combination went a long way to coordinating the whole production.

It is difficult to pass an opinion on individual artistes, and frankly everyone was good in the terms of an amateur show. Naturally, some were better than others, but it would not be fair if one did not mention the performance of Mabel and Frederic.

In Mabel’s singing there was a sweetness and quality of tone that was excellent, and with maturity there can be little doubt of her becoming a first-class artiste.

I personally think that Frederick was the surprise of the evening. One can expect a polished display from an adult cast, but in the case of a boy doing a big part for the first time, I feel he deserves more than casual congratulation on his singing, acting, and all round performance. The Major-General’s daughters would have done credit to a much more experienced Company, and certainly looked their part and acted and danced it with complete success. The singing was good, and the stage deportment excellent.

The Pirate King, with his terrifying display of teeth and temper, and first-rate acting, and his band of merry Pirates deserve a special pat on the back: they were extremely true to type. The Major-General, too, was extremely good.

NOW THE POLICEMEN. On looking back, I have had several smiles to myself on picturing in my mind’s eye those boys with their badly fitting uniforms, and excellent handling of their duties in a true Gilbertian fashion, especially the small rather plump boy with a permanent smirk, who was so thoroughly enjoying himself. The Sergeant of Police had his men completely under control, and the whole result was a good display of amateur acting.

The setting, scenery, and general production of the whole show made the display on Saturday evening a very good and creditable performance of a difficult subject to produce, a limited stage and with all especially with its drawbacks.

I always feel that if it is possible to get Gilbert and Sullivan produced in the colourful-humorous-and musical way intended by the Authors, it is an achievement of credit. This production did credit to AYTON SCHOOL, and must have impressed all visitors like myself who were privileged to see the show, and who must have come away feeling refreshed, entertained, and with happy memories. Thanks are due to everyone connected with the production, and I can only repeat that if all visitors enjoyed the show as well as I did, all the cast, and everyone in any way connected with the production, however slight the connection, must feel the effort and hard work involved was worth the doing.

A PARENT

“TEN AYTON SCHOOL GIRLS”

“Film Review”