The annual service to commemorate the Old Boys who fell in the Great War, and the Founders of the School was held at St.James’s Parish Church on Thursday afternoon.
The Headmaster, Mr.W.J. Bright and the whole of the school staff attended with 220 scholars.
The preacher was the Rev. F.R.Gillespy, M.A., Rector of Ashleworth, Gloucester. A large congregation of parents, relatives and friendsof past & present pupils filled the church to capacity.
The opening hymn, ‘Ye Watchers & Ye Holy ones’ was sung to a tune composed in 1623. The special psalms were the 15th & 149th. The anthem (Stainers) ‘What are these arrayed inWhite Robes’ was beautifully rendered by the whole of the scholars, under the conductorship of Miss Moody, the School Music Mistress, Paget II being the soloist.
The preacher, taking his text from the first verse of the 44th chapter of Ecclsiastics, “Let us now Praise Famous Men” said they had met to pay honour & tribute to the many famous men who during the past four and a half centuries of its existence had been associated with the Grammar School, and not the least among them were the many Old Boys of the school who so nobly went out leaving their homes and all they loved & made the Supreme Sacrifice in the Great War. The preacher also referred to JohnFereby, the Founder of the school & Sir Baptist Hicks who subsequently re-endowed it: and in commemorating the lives of all those famous men for which the service was held he hoped that all would increase their endeavour to emulate their noble example.
Appropriate hyms for the occasion were sung and in conclusion, the whole congregation rose & fervently sung Kipling’s “Recessioanal.” The altar screen was appropriately decorated with flowers, and the whole service was so permeated with reverence for the occasion as to make it an event to be remembered.
The collection amounted to £11 13s 3d & will be given to Moreton in MArsh Hospital.
No Comments
Add a comment about this page