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I s s u e I : A u g u s t 2 0 1 0
Much has been written about the early years at St Edward’s,
concentrating quite rightly on its firm religious roots, its
sporting prowess, and the heroism and sacrifice shown in
two WorldWars. There have also been articles on the rise of
educational standards as the School grew, despite the host of
challenges that faced those responsible for running it. From
history comes an image of a tough, no-nonsense school run
on the strict Victorian discipline that it held in common
with peer Public Schools.
when one considers
the very austere and
repetitive curriculum
in place at the time and
the still limited sporting
opportunities available to
the School population.
Within two years of arriving at
Summertown various Societies began
to be formed for reading, recitation,
amateur dramatics and debating, with
most being sub-divided between the
senior and junior schools. Simeon
himself and his Common Room
colleagues threw themselves into these
ventures and even hosted some of the
meetings in their own private rooms,
as the School was still in the process
of being built around them.
The first recorded play was
performed in July 1874 as part of St
Edward’s Day and took the form of two
short playlets on ‘a stage built at one
end of a classroom’. The cast included
two members of the teaching staff and
most of the prefects.
The same year, a Christmas Concert
was arranged and conducted by
A.M. Edwards, the first in a
line of distinguished music
teachers at the School,
whose main function
was as choir master
and part time organist.
Edwards also found
time to create a small
brass band with sixteen
volunteer musicians drawn
from teaching staff and boys.
A Musical Society came to life in
November 1874 and included a Glee
Club which was to prove a highly
popular (and often raucous) assembly
at concerts, right through to the Great
War.
The school’s choir had its roots in
New Inn Hall Street where they had
performed a regular and important role
during founder Thomas Chamberlain’s
often long and elaborate services at
his nearby church. By the time the
School Chapel was consecrated in 1877,
the choir had increased in size and
progressed to a very high standard,
rehearsing every day in order to master
the numerous anthems, choral works
and hymns required for services which
included ‘six weekday Evensongs, and
on the average counting Saints’ Days,
a choral celebration once a fortnight,
Sunday Matins and Evensongs’. The
choir was assisted, particularly in the
bass section, by members of staff and
even some locally based OSE.
By the late 1870s concerts held at
summer Gaudies and the Christmas
period were considered highlights in
the school year and much anticipated.
Though fundamentally ecclesiastical
and classically based there were,
nonetheless, opportunities for the
Glee Club to ‘raise the roof ’ and for
readings from Shakespeare by visiting
thespians of note, as well as brass band
or orchestral ‘interludes’ which appear
The first 50 years of the
Creative Arts at the School,
1863-1913
Yet little has been written about the
early development of the creative
arts at the School, despite there being
much available to research within the
School Archives. This includes the
uninterrupted run of the
Chronicle
,
which began in March 1873 as a
newsletter covering the life and times
at the School, written almost entirely
by the boys themselves. While there is
no evidence that any kind of artistic
endeavour was ever contemplated
at New Inn Hall Street, as soon as
Algernon Simeon took the school to
Summertown, he was intent that his
charges should have every opportunity
to ‘strengthen the intellect’ and at the
same time to ‘amuse and interest the
mind’. This was particularly important
a
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i
v
e
s
...the
often feared
and highly
respected senior boys
let their hair down...
mimicking school
dignitaries to the
delight of the
audience.
Glee
Club was to
prove highly
popular at concerts
right through to
the Great War.
Wilfrid Cowell
circa 1890
The first
editors of the
‘St Edward’s
Chronicle’ in
1873