A Pageant of Christ's Hospital

[michael scuffil]

Taking up from the Queen Mary thread...

The Pageant was part of the Christ's Hospital Festival, a fund-raiser for the first phase of the re-building programme, in essence the extensions at the back of the house blocks. It was held on the last two Saturdays of the summer term 1963, the first aimed at Old Blues, the second at parents. Apart from the pageant, there was an afternoon fête (and a general Open Day). Additionally, the pageant was also performed on the Wednesday in between for locals (who came in surprising numbers, the first Saturday's performance had a good press). (The review in the Horsham paper had a photo of Queen Elizabeth riding in on horseback; unfortunately the horse refused to perform on the Wednesday.)

The Pageant was performed in the New Quad in the evening, and was designed to end by torchlight with a rendering of the Foundation Hymn and an unashamed shout of "We want your money!" It involved at least half the school, mostly with walk-on parts like JR had. Some of us had speaking parts, which were mostly (entirely?) pre-recorded, and played over loudspeakers. It was written and produced by David Jesson-Dibley, who used well-known episodes (most, if not all, of them in the Christ's Hospital Book) as his sources. The last scene featured CH as it was at the time, with the senior grecian Michael Pitcher playing himself, drawing attention to undrained playing-fields and overcrowded and outdated accommodation. The whole thing lasted about two hours.

[jhopgood]

Looking through my "programme" which I inherited as OB Editor, I came across the name John Howes, a main part along with Pepys, Lamb and Lee in Episode V.
Not being familiar with the name, I looked it up, and assume he was the first Headmaster or somesuch. He was certainly an employee of Sir Richard Grafton, the first Treasurer.

Anyway, he wrote

The foundation deeds of Christ's Hospital (1552) provide for a teacher of 'prick-song' at the annual fee of £2 13s. 4d. (it was only a part time appointment) and in 1587 John Howes justifies the inclusion of music in the curriculum, saying:

"I also thinck it convenient that the children should learne to singe, to play uppon all sorts of instruments, as to sounde the trumpett, the cornett, the recorder or flute, to play uppon shagbotts[sic], shalmes, and all other instruments that are to be plaid uppon, either wth winde or finger, bycause nature yelds her severall gifts and there is an aptness of conceavinge in some more than in other some, and yett every child apt to learne the one or the other, those qualities cannot be greatly charageable bycause they are the gifts of God in nature, and they are qualities that every honest minde taketh great pleasure and delight in, and no doubt if the children be well taught, plyde, and followed it wil be a redy meane to preferre a number of them haveing theis quallities."
Notes: The last sentence reminds us that Christ's Hospital tried to place its children as apprentices and servants. That music should be recommendation in a domestic worker may surprise us; but the Elizabethan apprentice or servant lived as a member of the family. Nor was the industrial worker much different ... A musical family would value a servant who could join in the music-making (Pattison).

So music has been important at CH since inception, of which I was unaware.

BTW, in the book, "Christ´s Hospital in the Year 200", his name is written as Howse.

I wonder if his name was on the list when they were looking to rename the Prep?

[J.R.]

Oh, sweet meomories !

[RolandAldridge]

I remember being involved with that damn thing (I think I was in the LE or maybe 3rd form at the time) - none of us had the slightest clue what was going on. I think I even missed showing up to the performance, since no-one thought to tell me when it was.

Roland

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I am very sorry, that I missed it. Had I been able, I would have, certainly been there !

I gather from the date, that I was in "Saith Effica" --- which is a long walk, on a cold night !