Papplewick School, Windsor Road, Ascot. www.papplewick.org.uk Mrs Rebecca Lindley, on 01344-621488 at registrar@papplewick.org.uk
PAPPLEWICK CHOIR VISITS ROME AND SINGS MASSES AT ST PETER'S AMONGST OTHER HISTORIC CHURCHES.
Twenty choirboys from Papplewick School, Ascot had the tour of a lifetime to Rome at half-term. Under the direction of Chris Goodwin, Director of Chapel Music, they sang Masses at St Peter’s, Santa Maria Maggiore and the Pantheon and hugely enjoyed the experience of singing in these vast, beautiful churches with impressively resonant acoustics. They had worked hard to prepare their varied repertoire ranging from plainsong, through Baroque and nineteenth-century music, to contemporary sacred anthems. Visits to Rome’s top attractions such as the Colosseum and the Trevi fountain were fitted in and they needed no encouragement tucking in to the local pizza, pasta and gelato. As the boys entered St Peter’s for the first time said, it was “awesome!"
Headmaster, Tom Bunbury said "I am so proud of the immensely high standard of our Choirs here at Papplewick, and for the boys to have had this fantastic opportunity to sing in these wonderful churches in Rome will no doubt be etched on their memories for ever."
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Papplewick is a day, weekly, and full boarding preparatory school for around 210 boys between the ages of 6 and 13. Situated in 15 acres of land opposite Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, Papplewick has an excellent record for academic achievement and feeds many of the UK’s top independent senior schools including Eton, Harrow,Winchester, Wellington, Stowe and Bradfield.
In the last three years the school has maintained its academic record, gaining no less than 41 awards to top independent schools, including three King’s Scholarships to Eton. Through its strong commitment to sports, the school also builds skills
of teamwork, sportsmanship and responsibility.
As well as academic, sporting and cultural excellence, Papplewick aims to provide boys with the confidence and security they need to fulfil their potential, and the school strives to promote enthusiasm for life contribution to the community and kindness to others amongst all its pupils.
A report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in 2013 remarks that relationships between pupils and teachers are an outstanding strength of the school and are seminal in creating the strong sense of a mutually supportive and trusting community.’
Papplewick operates three daily return services from London, from Chiswick and Brook Green, Hammersmith and Ashburn Place, SW7. It also offers a daily run to and from Maidenhead.