The repertoire includes:-

ZADOK THE PRIEST: Handel

WHEN TO THE TEMPLE MARY WENT: Eccard

OH LORD GIVE THY HOLY SPIRIT:Tallis

LORD FOR THEY TENDER MERCY’S SAKE: Farrant

IF YE LOVE ME: Tallis

A selections from Handel’s  MESSIAH

and others

This email arrived, we thought we’d share it;

I was with my wife and my son at the exhibition for the First World War in the centre of Ypres. As we were leaving the building, something caught my eye, an advert announcing that the choir from JFS were giving a recital on the 10th of April.

You can imagine my disappointment because the day on which I saw this announcement was the 11th of April. Had we come but one day earlier I too could have introduced myself to the choir as an Old Boy. I was at JFS as a boarder from 1958 to 1967. To see and to hear on Youtube the choir sing so beautifully at the Menin Gate, despite the noise of the traffic, was wonderful. JFS did always have an excellent choir and it is great to see the tradition being kept up.

We were at the Menin Gate on the evening of the 11th. It was a moving ceremony. As I say, if only we had come a day earlier

My best wishes to you all.

Tom Dmochowski

From Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 April the John Fisher Choir undertook a tour of Belgium, here is a diary of our time.

Tuesday 7 April  32 boys and four staff left Peaks Hill at 7am and headed to the beautiful medieval town of Bruges, one of the cities described as The Venice of the North.

After a smooth crossing of the channel we arrived at our accommodation in the early evening.   Having feasted on chicken and chips we set to work and started rehearsing, as you can see here

 

When we had finished rehearsals we had a quiz night which was great fun.

Wednesday 8 April We walked the two kilometers into beautiful Bruges.  Our first task was to go on a canal trip, which, along with buying chocolate is a must do when you are in Bruges.

After lunch the boys donned school uniform and we headed to St Salvator’s Cathedral. The cathedral has undertaken major building work at present but this did not detract from the occasion. In a 45 minute performance the boys sang: –

Call to Remembrance: Farrant

Thou Will Keep Him in Perfect Peace: Sebastian

Locus Iste: Bruckner

Crucifixus: Lotti

Lacrimosa: Mozart

God So Loved the Word: Stainer

Nunc Dimittis: Brewer

Oh Thou the Central Orb: Wood

and Faure’s Cantque de Jean Racine, Agnus Dei and Libera Me.

After the concert a gentleman told Miss Harrington Booth the choir sang Locus Iste the best he had ever heard this tricky piece sang. Later, during some free time in Bruges, another gentleman, having recognised the school blaser told us he, Mr Mike McKenna, had been at the school from 1955-1960.  We gave him the details of our next concert and sure enough the following day he was there.

In the evening we went Ten Pin Bowling in Bruges where some were able to show off their more competitive side.

Thursday 9 April  We headed to Ghent for our second concert, at St Bavo’s Cathedral.  As we had some time on our hands we visited The Castle of the Counts, which provided us with the most marvellous photo-opportunity

The setting of St Bavo’s was quite beautiful, a lesser choir could have been intimidated  by the surroundings.  Mr Ford had not been able to join us at the castle as he had gone to meet the Cathedral’s organ master.  Mr Liddiard noted one would have to be a genius to play such an instrument.

 (need we say more)

The same repertoire as St Salvatore’s was used for this concert and was very well received by the audience, which included Mr McKenna who we had met the day before.

                                                   

After the concert a gentleman asked “is this the John Fisher School in Purley?  I live on the same road!”

When we got back to the hostel we were in time for a rehearsal for our secular concert in Ypres the following morning

There were a group of French students staying at the same hostel as us, we enjoyed a friendly game of football with them after dinner on Thursday evening which, obviously, we won.

Friday 10 April.  Ypres is a town known to many staff and boys at John Fisher as we visit the town square when Year Nine make the Battlefields tour, Both Mr Liddiard and Deacon Tony had been there before.  As we were setting up for the concert Mr Ford was asked by a lady if Dominic, one of our tenors, was there, the lady was his aunt who had come to hear us sing and we were delighted to see her and her husband.

The audience in the town square were treated to: –

Medley from Wicked

Fix you: Coldplay

Sitting on the Dock of the bay: Otis Reading

It’s a Long way to Tipperary- Pack up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag

Go Lovely Rose: Quilter

Africa: Toto

Shenandoah

And a medley from Les Miserables

              

When we had finished the concert we took our bags, the keyboard and our music back to the coach.

It was agreed that we’d be missing out if we were in Ypres and did not visit the Menin Gate, so we headed off there where something quite phenomenal happened.  The boys got into formation and sang, without sheet music, Call to Remembrance which can be seen (and heard) here: – https://youtu.be/zKUfm8MTtXc

However, as we wandered round looking at the Menin Gate in more detail our 32 fine young gentlemen gave the other visitors an impromptu rendition of O Vos Omnes and Crucifixus.  It was a most touching moment for all who witnessed it.

Making our way back to the coach we then headed for the Bellewaerde theme park were after three days of work they boys were finally allowed to cut loose.

Saturday 10 April  After a good breakfast we loaded the coach and headed into Bruges where we had four hours to enjoy this beautiful city.  The weather was not the best but it did not dampen our spirits.  having all had lunch we all met up at 2.30pm and headed home, delighted with our time and thrilled at the joy we had imparted to all those who encountered us on the way.