Oundle School have entered into a partnership arrangement with the Royal College of Music, whereby pupils from the School gain the experience of working with professors and students from the College, both in Oundle and London.
The memorandum of understanding between the two institutions was signed on Friday 13 January by Headmaster Mr Charles Bush, and Mr Stephen Johns, Artistic Director of the Royal College of Music.
The prime movers behind this partnership are Mark Messenger, Head of Strings at the Royal College of Music, and Angus Gibbon, Head of Strings at Oundle School. The historic signing was followed by a concert given by three areas of the educational spectrum; primary, secondary and tertiary.
Laxton Junior School string project showed the beginnings of string playing. Pupils from Oundle, and students from the Royal College demonstrated the progression from secondary to tertiary level. Students and pupils also played together in performances of Grieg’s Holberg Suite and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. Students from the Royal College astounded the capacity audience with performances of James McMillan’s Second Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence to finish the concert.
Mark Potter, Head of Laxton Junior School remarked, “Form Two of Laxton Junior School were thrilled to have been asked to play in the string concert on Friday 13th January. The concert was held in The Great Hall at Oundle School and was only the second time that our musicians had played before an audience. It was wonderful to see the development of playing stringed instruments at LJS and Oundle School and it highlighted to our musicians just what they could achieve with lots of practice, dedication and enjoyment from their playing. With Form Two playing alongside the Oundle School Junior and Intermediate Strings, the Oundle School Chamber Orchestra and the Royal College of Music strings, what an evening to remember for our six and seven year olds.”
Andrew Forbes, Director of Music at Oundle School remarked, “As a School we are honoured to have our name linked with the Royal College of Music. We have now worked with the Royal College on three separate occasions and are delighted to have made this formal link. We are very excited about the prospect of closer liaison in the future”
Mark Messenger, Head of Strings at the RCM said: “It is exciting to find a school which shares the same values and aspirations for their students as we do at the Royal College of Music. What was demonstrated in our concert together was commitment, energy, enthusiasm, discipline and enjoyment. I look forward to making music together in the future.”
Headmaster, Charles Bush was delighted at the prospect of this Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal College of Music. “All at Oundle School will benefit from such a remarkable opportunity that recognises both the standards of string playing by School musicians and also allows them ready access to improvement.” said Charles Bush. “The concert on Friday was an outstanding showcase of what will increasingly be possible in future.”
Background Information on Oundle School
Oundle School is situated in the quintessentially English Market town from which it takes its name. The School's buildings, dating from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century, are dispersed throughout the town, which is, to a large extent, its campus.
The School's history goes back to 1556 when Sir William Laxton, Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and Lord Mayor of London, endowed and re-founded the original Oundle Grammar School, of which he was a former pupil. In 1876, the Grocers' Company decided to divide the School into two parts: Laxton Grammar School, mainly for the inhabitants of the town, and Oundle School, mainly for pupils from further afield. However, to mark the new millennium, the Governing Body decided to reunite the two schools under the common name of Oundle School, with Laxton as a House for day-pupils.
The School is now able to offer a range of educational possibilities to meet contemporary needs: co-educational day or boarding education, with Laxton Junior as a 4-11 day school, and Oundle School as a boarding and day school, with entry at 11, 13 or into the Sixth Form.