The Autumn term ended in a flurry of festive activities to see out 2016 in typically jolly style! The Christmas Carol Service in St Matthew’s Church on Thursday 15 December 2016, the penultimate day of term, was an outstanding success with some beautiful performances from three school choirs, the staff choir and the various readers. Most importantly, the occasion raised £700 for the Christian Response to Eastern Europe which the school had previously supported that month by donating nearly 100 boxes to its Shoebox Appeal.
Likewise, the Sax Quartet hit the High Street to busk for the late night Christmas shoppers; Robyn Bowman, Katie Byles, Gigi Heatherington and Amelia Moody, led by Ady Nuthall, managed to raise an outstanding £90 for St Petrock’s, an Exeter-based charity for the homeless and vulnerable.
We were also asked to provide readers to perform alongside Exeter Chamber Choir at the ‘Christmas at The Great Barn’ event for an evening celebrating the spirit of Christmas by candlelight, in the very special atmosphere of the Great Barn, Ashton. Nine readers rehearsed with Mrs Bellamy-Cooper in advance of the concert and performed a range of Christmas themed readings including from such classics as ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘The Pickwick Papers’ by Charles Dickens. It was, as ever, a truly festive evening that launched the run up to Christmas really well.
All in all, as we look forward to all that the New Year may bring, we can reflect on a wonderful festive season and a fantastic 2016!
