Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

jtaylor wrote:

Great Plum wrote: We lost the psalm and Nunc Dimittis - probably two of the most beautiful settings...

That's a crying shame (sorry!) to have removed those two - great settings, and the whole leaving SHOULD surely be emotional, and yes slightly depressing - the whole point is to mark and appreciate the benefits etc. and that people usually have such mixed feeling about leaving.

J

Tell me about it - to make matters worse in the Easter holidays, the chior had recorded a CD which included the whole of the Leaving Service as was...

I agree, Julian - a crying shame!

However, I think "depressing" is the wrong word - perhaps "solemn" would be more appropriate. The service does, after all, mark an important rite of passage and these often should be both significant and ritualistic in order to bring home to us that there is both an ending and a new beginning. Not that I am suggesting that the service should be, or as some have stated is, funereal, but surely the whole purpose of the funeral service is just this - to mark both an end a beginning. The difference is that those of us who are coming to closure at the Leavers' Service are there to see and enjoy it! It should be magnificent and memorable - i.e. SOLEMN!

What was that rousing organ piece that always concluded the Leavers Service ? Mind you, that was in the Dr Rust days in the sixties !

Remember being up in the balcony for one Leavers, and that music absolutely blew my mind. Very rousing.

'Dance of Scipio' springs to mind, but I'm sure it wasn't that ! I'd love to get it on CD.

March of Scipio I think... It's on the CD I was mentioning eralier...

It's on here....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 22-9723863

Even the 'Scrotum' is on there.

Laura M wrote:Our leavers service was the most unemotional service I'd ever been to, not sure why exactly a few people cried one bloke broke down completely, we had more moments of high comedy rather than tearful goodbyes during ours.

The most brutally funny thing (although horribly cruel) was when someone snorted like a pig when geoffrey jones' name was announced. the whole school heard it. aren't we cruel ********.

Chammy wrote:

Laura M wrote:Our leavers service was the most unemotional service I'd ever been to, not sure why exactly a few people cried one bloke broke down completely, we had more moments of high comedy rather than tearful goodbyes during ours.

The most brutally funny thing (although horribly cruel) was when someone snorted like a pig when geoffrey jones' name was announced. the whole school heard it. aren't we cruel ********.

I do have a great picture of the poor boy...

Good to see that album of CH classics is still around... it was good fun to make if I remember correctly!

I really thought I was going to cry loads at the Leaving Service... But I didn't. It wasn't that I hated the place and wanted to leave, it just felt the right thing to be doing, and moving on. I only cried at the very end of retreat when I saw others on my year (boys!) crying..... Have missed CH lots since though...

DavebytheSea wrote:However, I think "depressing" is the wrong word - perhaps "solemn" would be more appropriate. The service does, after all, mark an important rite of passage and these often should be both significant and ritualistic in order to bring home to us that there is both an ending and a new beginning. Not that I am suggesting that the service should be, or as some have stated is, funereal, but surely the whole purpose of the funeral service is just this - to mark both an end a beginning. The difference is that those of us who are coming to closure at the Leavers' Service are there to see and enjoy it! It should be magnificent and memorable - i.e. SOLEMN!

That sums it up far better. It was certainly a rite-of-passage. It's interesting that the government are mooting a citizenship graduation-type exercise for 18 year olds, based on the current citizenship ceremonies.

J

Mary Clare wrote:I really thought I was going to cry loads at the Leaving Service... But I didn't. It wasn't that I hated the place and wanted to leave, it just felt the right thing to be doing, and moving on. I only cried at the very end of retreat when I saw others on my year (boys!) crying..... Have missed CH lots since though...

Mary, I think by the time your leaving service had come around lots of the symbolism (and emotion) had been removed and people were less emotional - I remember crying more when we were playing Auld Langs Ayne - that's when it kicked in for me!

playing Sussex by the Sea as we marched under the arch out of the quad for the last time ...

we play that sometimes in the band I'm in now, and it still brings back loads of memories.

I went to the CD on Amazon - first time I'd heard Praise the lord for Our Foundation for more than 4 decades. It made me cry this time -mostly for what might have been, a feeling of loss. I didn't cry back then. Could hardly contain my joy. even though I didn't get the prayer book that went with the Bible for the good girls.(Seemed a bit skewed- logically the baddies would get the extra moral instruction?)

Great Plum wrote:The Leaving Service was first 'bastardized' in my year due to its 'overly depressing' nature...

We lost the psalm and Nunc Dimittis - probably two of the most beautiful settings...

However, many people cried - it is still a very emotional service.

I certainly did....

I don't think I did you know. I was really expecting too as I was sad to be leaving. I think the change to the service was what stopped me. I must admit though, I don't really see the need to change a service which has had the same order for many years, but then again maybe I'm just getting old.......

I know Mr Friend, I feel old too - how's India?

Dear David Eastburn,
Concerning your idea of dying slowly so that you can rehearse the choir, have you thought of Sir Condy Rackrent's solution? If not, I draw your attention to "Castle Rackrent" by Maria Edgeworth, published in about 1800. I am sure that your County library will have a copy. It is an excellent book, very funny and includes the very moving "funeral" scene.
Incidentally,we were at school together (David Miller, Prep B 1948-49, Lamb B 1949-56) and I am certainly not thinking about my own funeral, so why are you planning your's?