An Evening of Poetry and Music in celebration of National Poetry Day

Date: Wednesday 15 October 2008

In celebration of National Poetry Day, Mrs Lawrence (Head of English) organised and hosted a magnificent and well-attended Evening of Poetry and Music on 9^th October. The theme for the poetry and music this year was ‘work’ and the poems and music selected, read or sung by children, staff and parents (and a grandparent) were chosen to reflect many diverse attitudes to work.

To offer a taste of things to come and to provoke the audience’s interest, Mrs Lawrence introduced the evening by quoting Oscar Wilde, who thought that ‘Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do’; and, by contrast, George Bernard Shaw, who wrote, ‘The harder I work, the more I live’. There followed an enchanting series of readings and songs under headings such as ‘A Mug’s Game’, ‘Down with Skool!’, ‘Blessed Work’ and ‘A Woman’s Work’.

There were some extremely moving performances by the younger readers and perhaps a special mention might be made of Milly Sherwin (Year 3) as the youngest reader, grandparent Professor Charlie Mount as the most experienced reader, and Lily Carr, who read her own ingenious poem, A Round Tuit. In truth all the children read with such enthusiasm and sparkle, and a dozen members of staff did their best to keep up with them!