Following the success of the Public Speaking and Debating Competition in the Michaelmas Term, pupils from 1st through to 5th Form once again took to the stage — this time to breathe life into the verses they have been studying in the classroom.
The evening’s judging panel featured Deputy Head and Drama Teacher, Mr Jones — hot-footing it from the school’s production of Billy Elliot The Musical — Director of the American Program, Mr Furst, with a strong passion for the spoken word, and Ms Saxby, ever inspiring pupils to ignite their imaginations.
Introducing the evening’s performers, English Teacher, Mrs Blount remarked, “Poetry has been one of humanity’s greatest companions offering solace, joy and a means to make sense of the world, so dear poets, take a deep breath, embrace the moment and let your words take flight.”
From whimsical tales to profound reflections, heartfelt recitations to moments of humour, each performance was delivered with passion and purpose. So impressed were the judges that they invited ten pupils to perform a second piece before selecting the final winners who were evaluated across a range of criteria.
A huge congratulations to Ethan (1st Form), who secured 3rd place, Fifi (1st Form) as runner-up, and Daniel (4th Form), who was awarded 1st place for his compelling delivery of ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley and ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare.
The English Department now looks forward to welcoming pupils back to the stage in the Trinity Term for its next competition — this time celebrating original creative writing.
