APS News 29

abingdon.org.uk/prep 9 AbingdonPrep Music It was fantastic to be able to welcome parents to our Junior Section Carol Service held in the school hall. For some of the boys, this was their first performance at Abingdon Prep, and they rose to the occasion superbly. It was a fun and festive event, with some great singing from Years 3, 4 and the Junior Choir, some wonderful solos, as well as an array of festive readings. The audience deserves their own round of applause for joining in with gusto in the congregational carols. We even had a performance conducted by one of our pupils—a budding choral director in the making! This event marked the beginning of the Christmas season at Abingdon Prep. The hall was dressed beautifully with our Christmas tree and lots of decorations the children had made in CDT. The sense of awe and wonder created by our live performances and our boys’ singing so well cannot be understated, it was a very special event for all involved. Sean Fitzpatrick Creative and Performing Arts Colours Years 3 and 4 Carol Service There are few things more magical than coming together as a community to celebrate Christmas through singing and music. This statement certainly rang true when we met together in St Helen’s Church in Abingdon for our Years 5-8 Carol Service. This was my first Carol Service in St Helen’s since arriving at APS and I confess I didn’t quite know what to expect. Will the church’s acoustic be good? Will the children be as good on the night as they were in rehearsal? Will the audience be able to join in with the singing when wearing masks? Will the whole thing have to be cancelled due to the pandemic like so much else over the past 20 months?! Years 5 to 8 Carol Service All my concerns were allayed entirely with the opening moments of “Once in Royal David’s City” sung by a duo of Year 8 boys, whose voices soared beyond hearing and comprehension, and touched the very soul. Thus followed an evening of superlative performances from Years 5-6, Years 7-8, and our Senior Choir, interspersed with beautiful solo pieces and articulate readings. Masks notwithstanding, the audience joined in with gusto during our congregational carols, finishing with a glorious descant in “O Come All Ye Faithful.” That the APS family could meet together in this way was itself a triumph of logistics and Covid- safety measures. But, given everything over the past few years, the fact that your children could rise to this occasion so well, and give that indescribable feeling of hope and internal warmth that only communal singing can provide, has made me feel so proud to be a part of a school that is clearly very special. The children should be so proud of themselves too for pulling off such a feat, and music has never felt more alive to me at APS than it did at our Carol Service this week. Your children are a credit to you and to our school and, in a world where we are increasingly being forced apart, our community feels closer and stronger than ever. I look forward to welcoming many of you at our musical events in future. Sean Fitzpatrick