FOUNDATION HYMN

[Foureyes]

If you haven't already found this, please see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBTAovgEjvY

[J.R.]

Certainly brings back memories, although I don't recall the band taking part in Chapel.

[michael scuffil]

Can anyone provide more info? This must surely date from the late 60s. And who is Cliff Michelmore interviewing?

[Katharine]

Some of the boys look so small they must be 9, rather than 11. We stopped taking in girls so young while I was at Hertford, did it stop at Horsham at the same time?

[Fjgrogan]

The interviewee is Sydney Carter - Lord of the Dance man.

[Katharine]

The interviewee is Sydney Carter - Lord of the Dance man.

We sand LOTD this morning, and I noticed that he was born in 1915. I know my father (date of birth 1st August 1914) knew him at Horsham, I may have met him as Father kept up with a lot of his contemporaries, they seem to morph together in my memory!

[Foureyes]

What date? I think that it is 1982/3, as is stated at the top opf the screen. The reason I think this is correct is that if you look at the end of the chapel distant from the altar you will see a lot of empty pews, which would be from running down some of the boys's houses immediately prior to the arrival of the girls.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I don't ever remember the Band in Chapel, but as to the ages of boys --- the prep were actually taking in children at 7 !!!,
They didn't attend Chapel, but it was said that it was a good way of getting into CH without the, otherwise compulsory exam.
I don't know how true that was, but I never heard any of my ex-Prep contemporaries in the 40s mentioning an entrance exam.
Can anybody shed light ?

[Foureyes]

Concerning the Prep, I was in Prep B from 1948-49. I recall travelling up to London to attend some form of selection. Was it in Great Tower Street? There was certainly an interview and I am pretty sure there was an exam, as well. But there were no exams/interviews to go up from the prep to the Upper School.

[jhopgood]

Certainly brings back memories, although I don't recall the band taking part in Chapel.

Can't remember the full band in Chapel but the orchestra certainly played there, as I can remember sitting in front of the altar. I think it was Mozart's Requiem as the second trombone (me), had the Tuba Mirum solo, which I ceded to Paul Barnes, a member of the NYO.
We also played church music, Gabrieli etc, which got us to play in local churches.
I can remember chamber concerts in Chapel as well.

[Fjgrogan]

Is it not likely that on this occasion the band was used specifically because of the recording?

[Katharine]

Just had a google - the programme was broadcast in June 1983.

I presume the hymns were filmed then, but I still think some of the boys look very young, and the hair looks very tidy for then!

[michael scuffil]

What date? I think that it is 1982/3, as is stated at the top opf the screen. The reason I think this is correct is that if you look at the end of the chapel distant from the altar you will see a lot of empty pews, which would be from running down some of the boys's houses immediately prior to the arrival of the girls.

I thought it was earlier largely because of Cliff Michelmore looking like he did when he presented Tonight in the 60s (but he was eternally the same age... his face reminded me of Pullin). And the wild hairstyles of the 70s were completely absent. But I daresay whoever uploaded this got the date more or less right. In fact, come to think of it, recording TV programmes in the 60s was impossible at home, so unless this comes from BBC archives, it must be later.

There are other odd things. The chapel isn't full, as has been pointed out. But as far as I can see, there are no teachers at all, apart from the Director of Music. The back row appears to be completely empty. In other words, this was an ad hoc occasion, and possibly not compulsory. Is there no one on this forum who remembers it?

In 1964 or 1965 an edition of Songs of Praise was recorded in CH chapel, complete with staff and their wives in their Sunday best. (I remember David Jesson-Dibley saying how unimaginative the production had been.) I wonder if there are any recordings of that around. Probably not, for the reason given above.

[AndrewH]

Junior houses only. (Comment just after the Foundation Hymn)

[jhopgood]

In 1964 or 1965 an edition of Songs of Praise was recorded in CH chapel, complete with staff and their wives in their Sunday best. (I remember David Jesson-Dibley saying how unimaginative the production had been.) I wonder if there are any recordings of that around. Probably not, for the reason given above.

I remember that.
They had the announcer and the credit screen set up by the exit at the altar end. As Barnes B we were just about opposite.