Inter-House Singing Competition
Date: Friday 15 February 2008
Five years ago the first Inter-House Singing Competition took place on the last Friday of the first half of the Lent Term. Such was the success and popularity of that prototype, that there is almost a tradition, in the making, of using that Friday afternoon to the same purpose!
This year the adjudicator was, kindly, Mr Graham Jones, the Director of Music from Eastbourne College, who seemed to enjoy the four House presentations, and, I hope, the staff interlude.
Warneford drew this year's 'short straw' and opened proceedings with Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive'. Incidentally this year's song choice demanded a song from the '70s, so second up came Wagner with Rose Royce's 'Car Wash'. Watson gave us Bill Withers' 'Lean on Me', and Baker, 'Hot Stuff', whose origins currently escape me!
Each performance was very different in style and emphasis, but each illustrated massive and wholehearted commitment, suggesting that the long rehearsal programme was 'worth it'. Mr Jones gave a brief resume of the merits of each piece before awarding the trophy to Baker! A first for them, and they may just have shaded it from all of their rivals. Ms Ockenden was, not surprisingly, 'over the moon'. Her euphoria should keep her buoyant until a week on Monday!
As for the staff? This year their version of the John Denver classic, 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' won audience approval, but not a mention from the adjudicator. Better luck next year, team!
