The Chronicle, No. 669, January 2016

10 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

The Music School An update from Richard Hayes, Estates Bursar

Murmurings An exhibition of new work by Art Teacher Lorraine Turley ran at The North Wall in November featuring luminous, atmospheric landscape paintings created from memories of her native Scotland and a visit to Iceland. November by former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. The anniversary evening on 21st November was a wild success, with the delicious dinner punctuated by plenty of fun and games. Amazingly, a number of Sing’s boys who were simultaneously performing in the last night of the School’s production of West Side Story were able to slip away during the interval to entertain guests. Pictured above is the impressive cake made by the catering team to mark the occasion. Sing’s 50th Anniversary Dinner A wonderful – and very yellow – evening was enjoyed by the pupils, parents and staff of Sing’s in November to celebrate the House’s 50th anniversary. The House began life as ‘Set B’ but was subsequently named Sing’s in 1925 after John Millington Sing, the Set’s first Housemaster. When the House moved into its present home in 1965 the building was opened on 27th

There’s nothing like the drama of ear- splitting demolition to launch a building project. Last year, we said a fond farewell to the Ferguson Music School, the Music Annexe and the Shooting Range to make way for an elegant and impressively- appointed new Music School. We also moved the Laundry and Maintenance Departments, and built a temporary Music School next to the Maths Block. Since then, the ground floor has been cast, hundreds of tonnes of concrete have been poured to create the foundations for the superstructure, and the first floor has been constructed. As we went to press, the roof structure

was clearly visible above the hoardings on South Parade. The new Music School, set for completion in the autumn, will give our talented young musicians the space they need to create and make music, to practise and to perform. Music is a huge part of life at St Edward’s and the new facility will enable our musicians to breathe and to thrive. The new building was designed by Tim Ronalds Architects and is being built by Feltham Construction Ltd. It will contain 20 practice rooms, seven ensemble rooms, a rock room and recording studio, three classrooms, a recital/rehearsal room, a music library, various offices and a staff room.

James Crawford

The site from above in October 2015