now boarding

What happened to years six and seven?

I guess the challenge you set your self when posting a diary format blog is the expectation, the requirement to post regularly, especially when the subject matter is liable to frequent and noteworthy change.

There are two reasons for this 2 year break in posting; one that we moved house early in the summer tem of 2011 and soon after I started work on the London 2012 Olympics which pretty much took up all my available time until late 2012. I guess the second reason is that year six and to a degree year seven seemed at the time to be realtively unremarkeable, the comfortable middle period.

Of course they weren't, and I'll aim to report some of those activities, but at the time it just all seemed like business as usual.

Of course Tom did special things; he worked super hard at school and his end of terms grades seemed to get better and better. He undertook an increasing number of important and high profile solos. His Cello went from strength to strength, he won cups and prizes. The choir toured, recorded and performed its duties at special, televised occassions. We started planning his next school.

All of which he seemed to take in his stride as to a degree did we, his family. 

But now he's in his final year, year eight and the hike up the steep slope that started five years ago is now an equally short (how short?) descent. He was awarded the honour of being made Head Chorister and has attended to those duties with aplomb, taking part in the ceremony to admit new Choristers at the first Sunday Evensong after returning from summer holidays. We can remember him being admitted as if it was only yesterday and so it feels as if the circle for this chorister family is completing.

 

First half of term.

After the full-on month of advent and all the Christmas services, and a good couple of weeks holiday, the winter term approaches with all the regularity that business as usual brings.

We've been very busy as a family since Christmas trying to move house, hence the lapse in posts, so here's a brief overview of some of the things that have happened.

Christmas Day
Our second Christmas spent at the Cathedral, Tom has a hectic schedule (which I'll describe later) and we end up collapsing in a heap back home around 5.30 in the evening. What's nice is that for us, having our family day on boxing day, added to the festive warm up of activities, services and concerts, means that christmas is warmly long and gradual, enabling us to savour the spiritual aspect of this time of year. 

Settling back in
Tom goes from strength to strength and the beginning of this term was his best ever, I know he'd agree that. He helped with packing and organising and there was barely a tear on returning to school.

Radio 3 Broadcast
Every year around the time of St. Paul's day, choral evensong is broadcast live from the Cathedral. Apart from the microphones everywhere it's business as usual for the boys.

Parents Evening
There are some teachers we barely get the chance to see, or indeed have never met before, so the parents evening is a great opportunity. And of course to hear how Tom's doing. Here too he seems to be going from strength to strength. Possibly as his confidence in the choir and with boarding rises, his school work reflects this.

Games Workshop trip
One Saturday I took five of the boys to Games Workshop on Oxford Street. They loved it. They really are a great bunch, working and playing together and supporting each other in a way that would put many adults to shame. 

300th Anniversary Gala
A big concert this one, to celebrate the Cathedral's 300th year of completion. John Rutter conducted and Andrew Carwood, the director of music, sang Tenor. 

Cello
We knew Tom was enjoying his cello but we weren't quite prepared when his teacher told us just how much potential she believes he has (echoed by the schools director of music). The plan is for him to take his grade 2 exam this spring but then skip straight to grade 5. this also means we need to prepare for the purchase of decent instruments, so long as, as his teacher puts it, he doesn't decide to give it up and play rugby.

A new year 5 chorister
Tom is joined by a new probationer after half-term, boosting the numbers in his year to four! Eight seems to be average. For a couple of terms, Tom was the only chorister in his year.

 

Back into the rhythm

After a shade over 2 weeks off over Christmas and the new year;  we all had a great time together but in a strange way it feels good to get back into the natural rhythm. 

Bags are re-packed, after-school clubs selected, accounts settled. News that two of the probationers are going to be made up in a couple of weeks is good as it bolsters the numbers and at last means that Tom won't be the only year 4 chorister.

Back to normal with prep; half an hour every night. Friday was spellings. 

 

Piano and cello alternatively 30 minutes each evening in addition to weekly lessons during the day. Tom really loves cello and with he's making good headway on his Grade 1 piano pieces.

 

Come the weekend, back home for a few hours on Saturday before Evensong, then  three service son Sunday; Matins, Eucharist and the Epiphanytide Procession. 

We never cease to ponder at how blessed we are that Tom takes part in such beautiful, prayerful services. This afternoon we even had the wonderful bouquet of  incense in the Cathedral - a bit of a rarity. Of course it was also our last chance to hear carols, including John Gardiner's magical traditional English Carol 'Tomorrow shall be my dancing day' ( and the closing motet sung in Russian...

 'Tebe poem. Tebe blagoslovim'. 

We sing to you. We praise you.

How appropriate.

 
 

Behind that cello, there's an 8-year old boy.

Here we are packed and ready for home at the end of the first half of term.

That's Tom - with the cello strapped to his back.

More prep and music practice

The next day after Tom's birthday I went in to visit.

I'm never too sure what prep he has, each day it's different, we have a schedule pinned up in the kitchen so I should know. Anyway Tom said he'd done his prep and had tucked into some colouring. He loves drawing - he really does but at school his appetite is never satisfied, so when he has the chance, he makes the most of it. At home I have a large whiteboard in our spare room / office and Tom is regularly covering it with expansive, detailed drawings. I wish they had a whiteboard in the boarding house for doodling on.

The evening includes two 20 minute slots, one for academic prep, the other for music practice. A fire alarm type bell indicates turn-around, that way half the choristers practice whilst the other half do prep. Makes sense but as a parent, you kind of figure it out as it's not yet been completely clear as to what you do, when and your permissions.

Apparently one parent used to hang around in the dining hall (where most of the prep gets done) whilst his son practiced (upstairs), unaware he could join in.

This evening Tom was quite clear he had cello and piano to practice and I love watching / listening.

Tom even volunteered to ask the director of music if we could take the cello home for half term - we could. Apparently the cello is as good as Tom's until he grows out of it, which is nice. 

Hello Cello.

Picked up Tom up on Friday and he was a lot more chirpy than previous weeks; full of enthusiasm and very proud of his Cello - it's 2nd from right.

Cello was his choice of instrument (all Choristers learn Piano) and I have to say he plucked the strings (bowing comes later) and the sound was beautiful.

The weekend was a good one - and importantly the handover on Sunday evening the best yet. There was a nice transition with some of the other boys toasting marshmallows on a disposable barbie out in the playground, with the odd parent(!), and a couple of staffers. This seemed to work well for Tom.

Dare we say things looking up?