Carol services round off superb term
Ahead of the Christmas break, St Andrew’s Prep staff and pupils joined together with family and friends for two carol services. The first was held for the pre-prep and nursery in the school’s 120 year old chapel and later in the morning the prep school united at St John’s Church for a moving festive service led by Rev’d Giles Carpenter.
The pre-prep and nursery carol service was staged with a tableau from the nativity scene, posed beautifully by children from across the age groups in pre-prep. Parents were seen to reach for their handkerchiefs as the children performed beautifully and sang lustily and beamed back at the congregation.
Later in the morning, the prep school children walked up to St John’s church for their own carols and lessons service. Headmaster, Gareth Jones, gave a warm welcome and wished everyone a happy yuletide before Arthur Lewis led the singing with his Once in Royal David’s City solo. Further traditional carols including See Amid the Winter’s Snow, Away in a Manger and We Three Kings were interspersed with performances of The Colours of Christmas by Rutter, The Christ Child is Born by Emerson and Candlelight Carol by Mold which were sung by the various choirs of the school.
Music and choral singing is a major strength of St Andrew’s Prep and this was so evident from the arrangements heard at these services. Thank you to everyone who helped to organise the services, in particular our Director of Music, Mrs Wicks, and Assistant Director of Music, Miss Eldridge, who arranged the beautiful musical performances and to Mr Shouksmith for playing the organ.
