19 April 2018
On Saturday 17th March, nearly 400 people packed into the Mayfield School Chapel to attend Mass for St. Patrick. This was the high point of the greatly anticipated Schola Reunion, an event which saw over 200 past members of the school’s choirs return to Mayfield for a day of music and memories.
Old girls flew in from all over the world to sing and celebrate the long and vibrant history of vocal music at Mayfield. Four of Mayfield’s Directors of Music – Sister Daphne Walker, SHCJ, Mr Kenneth Pont, Mr Peter Collins and Dr Matthew Ward – were present, and spent the day preparing the Old Cornelians and current Schola members for the music at Mass.
Accompanied by trumpets and drums, the sound of almost 200 singers under Mr Pont was astonishing in the Introit ‘I was Glad’ (Parry) and Communion motet ‘Dona nobis pacem’ (Bach). Mr Collins’ Schola contributed a beautiful ‘Lift Thine Eyes’ (Mendelssohn) at the offertory, and the current Schola, under Dr Ward, led the singing for parts of the Mass including a movement from Kenneth Leighton’s ‘Missa Cornelia’, commissioned by Schola in 1978 and recorded in 1980.
It was a truly memorable occasion, and thanks are due to not only the Old Cornelians and the Directors of Music, but to Mrs Claire Ball and the marketing team for organising the event, and the catering staff for the wonderful lunch (and cake!) they provided.
– Dr M J C Ward, Director of Music
We are absolutely delighted to have held our first Schola reunion at Mayfield, on March 17th, in order to celebrate the rich musical heritage of the School. Response to this from Old Cornelians was unprecedented, with hundreds of representatives from the last 7 decades attending, some flying from across the globe to be a part of this special event. It was an inspiring, emotional and most of all uplifting occasion, as the Chapel rang with anthems from across the years.
We were so pleased that Sister Daphne Walker could be with us to enjoy the reunion. The day was testament to the tremendous power exerted by Schola and its Directors, and also to the incredible community that is Mayfield – past and present. To you all, for making this day so incredibly special – those who were with us in person and also those who could not be here and yet sent memories and messages, a heartfelt thank you. It was a truly inspiring day and this is due not just to our legendary Directors of Music, but to all of you who came and sang and all who supported this unique event.
– Mayfield School
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