We open the final weeks of the term and indeed of the academic year in the midst of our amazingly verdant campus. The landscaped space outside the newly opened Fives Café will no doubt be very popular in the weeks to come. A formal ribbon-cutting will happen later in the year alongside the opening of the new Sixth Form Centre, which is due to be completed over the summer.
It is very good to be back, albeit the breathless run-up to Founder’s Day (a particularly sun-kissed celebration this year) would have necessitated a pause even if one were not in the calendar. The day itself was full of joy and celebration; full details can be enjoyed here.
From the bold celebratory notes of the Founder’s Day Concert to an innovative promenade production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland we were delighted to showcase a variety of Art, Design, Music, Drama and Dance during Founder’s Arts Week. In the middle of the week, we also had the pleasure of behind-the-scenes insights from Formula 1 technical supremo, Pat Fry. He was extremely generous with his time and rarely have I seen a speaker so enthusiastically mobbed by the pupils. This week we also welcomed Sir Gregory Doran, Artistic Director Emeritus at the RSC, for our annual Evelyn Waugh Lecture. Greg delighted the audience with stories from his long and varied career, exploring the difficulties he overcame directing Shakespeare. From spiders to skulls, the lecture was as thought-provoking and philosophical as it was humorous and poignant.
The College has a tradition of producing large-scale musical events. Famously, Benjamin Britten’s St Nicolas was written for Lancing and premiered here in 1948, the College’s 100th anniversary year. Earlier in the term and with our 175th anniversary in mind, we were delighted to host 180 Sussex school children and others from the local community for the Beware the Mackerel Sky performance project, an epic community opera written by Christopher Hussey. Singing and playing in our magnificent Chapel – an unknown space to many – the children performed alongside our own College Choir, musicians from the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Bernardi Music Group String Academy and opera soloists; there were 381 performers in total. This was an unforgettable weekend and a unique opportunity for our pupils to perform in a multi-generational, multi-disciplined musical collaboration.
Our 175th year culminates with a spectacular Anniversary Ball on Saturday 29 June and I invite you to join us for this historic event and to celebrate the end of a fantastic school year. The evening will begin with a ‘Sussex Sparkling’ drinks reception in the Chapel gardens followed by a delicious feast, catered by the award-winning and highly sought-after chefs at Caper and Berry. We hope all guests will dance the night away before enjoying a spectacular fireworks finale. This will be a night to remember for many more Lancing years to come. I hope to see you there.
With my best wishes,
Dominic Oliver
Head Master
