D.R. West's Memorial Service

Alexandra Thrift · Post by **Alexandra Thrift** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:30 pm

Sweet Miss Taverner was always very kind to me and appointed me choir leader on the quality of my voice( I presume) even though I wasn't much appreciated as a personality by the great and good of the CH establishment ....she also gave me a gift to thank me (for being leader) when I left CH.It meant an enormous amount to me. I always remember Miss Taverner with affection and gratitude and it would be marvellous if she could manage to attend the service.

By Carolynn,Kerren,I presume you mean Carolynn Gold (Newbury) ?? If so ....how lovely ! Isn't Bridgett Woolard a Deaconess........ Just pondering on the subject of OGs who may like to be involved ?

(Hi Munch!)

I must fill in my form and send it off. If I can help in any way on the day Kerren pls email me alexandrathrift@yahoo.co.uk

Best wishes to all.

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:42 pm

Thanks Alex! We might need someone to hold a basket for the retiring collection, or prop up oldies over tea ... all sorts of things will need doing so we will all be glad of each others' help.
All arrangements are in hand now.... fingers crossed. We finalised the music last week.
NB I am NOT organising this service. I pushed and pushed and pushed until it was agreed that there would be one, but it is being given in the HM's 'gift' as it were and being organised from within the school. They have been kind enough to involve me (and through me a number of others) in all their decisions and with one (sad) exception have deferred to everything we have asked for. (In fact I am now p.n.g. as far as Christ's Hospital is concerned (different reason) so you won't find me mentioned formally anywhere in regard to this service.)
I believe that Bridget Woollard is attending (I think she is a priest, not a deacon - although she is not working in the Church at the moment) and although her professional services were offered they are not needed. We chose Jo to lead the prayers as she was DRW's HM's monitress.
And yes it is Carolynn Gold (nee Newbury) - DRW's last Head Girl - who is reading.
I gather that to date 36 people have signed up.. and almost all of them want to be in the choir!
I am praying for good weather which would put the icing on the cake. It promises to be a lovely occasion. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
Kerren

Angela Woodford · Post by **Angela Woodford** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:10 pm

Alexandra Thrift wrote:Sweet Miss Taverner was always very kind to me and appointed me choir leader on the quality of my voice( I presume) even though I wasn't much appreciated as a personality by the great and good of the CH establishment ....she also gave me a gift to thank me (for being leader) when I left CH.It meant an enormous amount to me. I always remember Miss Taverner with affection and gratitude and it would be marvellous if she could manage to attend the service.

This is bitter territory for me - it's no place to air my feelings - BUT - I feel a tremendous grudge regarding Miss Taverner. When I ever spoke to her, which was rare, I felt that those blank blue eyes were looking past me for somebody more interesting to speak to. Singing was enormously important to me, and I longed for her to recognise this, but no. I desperately wanted to lead the 1st altos, but was passed over. When I coached 6's to win the Singing Competition, I wanted to tell her "I am some good musically!" But of course I didn't.

When I said goodbye to darling Mrs Betterton, she said that she would miss seeing me in the choir "because when you sing you look happy". She had put her finger on what others had missed.

I can laugh over She Who Shall Not Be Named, and admit that many of the mistresses were quite right over my many inadequacies. But Miss Taverner I can't quite forgive.
Munch

Alexandra Thrift · Post by **Alexandra Thrift** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:20 pm

I can't imagine Kerren how you could possibly ever be p.n.g. !!! ( giggling in chapel On OBs Day? surely not !

)

By coincidence I am just listening to "How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings Fair " (Brahms).......except by a German choir.....remember how we loved that anthem ? I noticed how the Queen Mum chose it for her funeral.....but,you say, the music has all been decided now......

Thanks for everything. Alex xx

Alexandra Thrift · Post by **Alexandra Thrift** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:33 pm

Hi again Munch,

I just remember how we used to sing in Sixes ..... usually you taking the lead......in the bathroom or the dorm. Sing our hearts out we did.....and boy were we GOOD !!

Do you remember our Gospel version of "Jesus is my eyeballs and God is my nose" ?

The thing is Munch,you were always fooling around and fun; making us laugh.At dour Hertford this would have been mistaken for IMMATURITY.......I had moments of melancholy and this may have been mistaken for occasional bouts of MATURITY. Who knows?....there's no fathoming most of it !

Alex xx

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:34 pm

Alex.. you put your finger on the one sadness about the Memorial Service. We wanted 'How Lovely.....' as the anthem - because it was DRW's choice at her own last Evensong at Hertford.
The Director of Music says its not possible because its too high and too difficult for the Chapel Choir to learn in one week which otherwise also contains St. Matthews Day. He will not allow the Choir to 'perform' anything unless they can do it properly. I offered to give each one of them a CD containing an MP3 version of it to learn in the summer holidays, but was told that they wouldn't bother to listen. So we had to cave in on that one.. but that was the only bit we had to give up. We have another anthem now.. with a soloist (Elaine) and which the Chapel Choir/Schola Cantorum and the scratch choir of OB's ought to be able to cope with in one short practice.
And I know that everyone will enjoy the anthem which has now been agreed...... but wait til you get there. I am not giving away any more secrets!
And my being p.n.g. at Christ's Hospital has nothing to do with bad (or even silly) behaviour on my part.. believe me. When you get your Old Blue you will find that I have resigned from the CHA Advisory Board (this happened in May) and they are now looking for someone to replace me.
If you are interested, watch out for the call for nominations.

Euterpe13 · Post by **Euterpe13** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:45 am

Kerren - your comments on the Brahms only goes to prove that if they had had the sense to have an OGs-only choir, there would not even have been any real need for a rehearsal, since most of us can still sing in from memory !!! ( sotto voceing it at the mo'

)

Can we guess the substitute anthem - Ave Verum, anyone ?

B.

Angela Woodford · Post by **Angela Woodford** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:56 am

Euterpe13 wrote:Kerren - your comments on the Brahms only goes to prove that if they had had the sense to have an OGs-only choir, there would not even have been any real need for a rehearsal, since most of us can still sing in from memory !!! ( sotto voceing it at the mo' )
B.

EXACTLY!

Well said Barbara. Why ever not an Old Girls' choir? 36 volunteers - 9 in each row - perfect. We all know the Brahms. Any discrepancy in numbers - I reckon we could each have sung any part. Too late now though, I suppose.

Hmm.

Munch (1st Alto)

Euterpe13 · Post by **Euterpe13** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:13 pm

Nothing to stop the OGs singing it anyway .... under the arches, for example

B
( 1st soprano)
( never forget, girls , that we were, according to his assistant who came to the performance, the only choir to his knowledge who could sing Britten's 150th psalm without a Director - in fact, we never needed anyone waving a baton at us - so the Brahms should be a pushover )

Angela Woodford · Post by **Angela Woodford** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:19 pm

A breakaway phalangist alternative Old Girls Choirfest!

Euterpe13 · Post by **Euterpe13** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:23 pm

almost makes me regret not being able to be present !!!!

(lets hope that the substitute anthem is not Zakod the sodding Priest, which seems to be both CH's and KES's standard offering for any memorial or other service...)

kerrensimmonds · Post by **kerrensimmonds** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:30 pm

Or even Zadok. No it's not.

J.R. · Post by **J.R.** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:56 pm

Euterpe13 wrote:Nothing to stop the OGs singing it anyway .... under the arches, for example

B
( 1st soprano)
( never forget, girls , that we were, according to his assistant who came to the performance, the only choir to his knowledge who could sing Britten's 150th psalm without a Director - in fact, we never needed anyone waving a baton at us - so the Brahms should be a pushover )

'....down paradise row !''

Arr ! The Crazy Gang. The Victoria Palace. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

My apologies - I'm being flippant on a serious thread.

I hope the service goes well and does your old mentor proud.

Angela Woodford · Post by **Angela Woodford** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:47 pm

OK Kerren - my complaints -

I'd have liked a Memorial Service, which actually acknowledged the DRW we knew.

An Old Girl Organist

Old Girls reading the Lessons

DR's favourite anthems and psalms.

If this meant a non-Horsham service, why not? Most of us were never allowed there, we were, according to DR's wishes, separate, and she didn't express a wish to "move on" until five years after the merger!

We're remembering the past, not celebrating the present.

"Old Mentor" J R? In the case of many of us, er, no. She only showed favour to the more gifted amongst us. But we all still remember her.

Munch

Mid A 15 · Post by **Mid A 15** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:08 pm

As an outsider (in that I'm not a girl and didn't go to Hertford) this looks like a no win situation to me.

DRW gave CH 30 years service as Headmistress so it is fit and proper that the School, Foundation, whatever should mark that.

Thanks to Tescos (?) the logical place for this tribute, Hertford Chapel, no longer exists / is no longer available. That leaves CH Horsham Chapel as the next most logical place to hold the service.

That said the former CHOGA Members are those who would want and should actively participate as they are the ones who knew Miss West.

However CH is no longer two separate sex schools which it effectively was in the time frame we are discussing. It therefore understandably wishes its tribute represent the School as it IS rather than as it WAS.

This, again understandably, is upsetting to some of those who knew DRW best.

Hence my opening remark that this is a no win situation. Whichever way you go somebody will be upset for perfectly good reasons.

If it was me I would try to look at it from the viewpoint that the important thing is that CH recognises Miss West's contribution and try to set aside any reservations I may have as to how CH is doing this.

Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

D.R. West's Memorial Service

Miss Taverner

Re: Miss Taverner

p.n.g. Kerren ! ???

Singing with Munch

Here goes...