2 September 2022 As I write this, I look out on a perfect English summer’s day, while a number of our Lower School students enjoy a game of cricket on Upper Field. I have always marvelled at the mental resilience of those who play cricket. The need to move swiftly between different phases of concentration as a ball is bowled; the capacity to put a mistake behind you and move on to the next ball; the requirement to balance risk and reward; the unusual blend between teamwork and individual excellence. It makes for a unique blend of the mental and physical and I’ve savoured watching some excellent performances this term, with our younger year groups displaying rich promise. I’m delighted that cricket is part of the rich summer sporting tapestry at Abingdon. This term our oarsmen have made the most of their busy summer racing season, our tennis players have put together some outstanding performances, and a group of exceptional athletes have achieved some mind boggling feats. This includes smashing a 30-year-old record at the Achilles Relay event at Iffley Road in Oxford. Mens sana in corpore sano; this is certainly something we live by at Abingdon. Abingdon News Message from the Headmaster Practice makes .... According to the old adage, practice makes perfect. But for most of us, when it comes to playing a musical instrument, we have definitely not reached perfection. Learning a musical instrument as a young person is a common experience. For each of us, practice triggers different memories: potential arguments, avoidance tactics, the tedium of scales; and sometimes, I hope, enjoyment. Fast forward a few decades, and I wanted to reflect on how all my hours of practice have impacted on my adult life. Having invested many hours over the years into practising a musical instrument, I have been fortunate to reach a good standard as an amateur player. This has brought many benefits. The thrill of performing an exciting large-scale orchestral work such as Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade or playing the sublime clarinet solo in Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Symphony made all the practising worthwhile. Then there is the whole social aspect of playing music in groups: meeting new people and making new friends. This was particularly helpful when I lived abroad. Another benefit of music-making came into sharp focus as the pandemic forced us into lock-downs with new routines. For me, the chance to make music each day became part of my new routine and a key ingredient in managing the stress of lockdown life. So as I look back, practice has not made perfect but it has made great opportunities arising from this life-long and greatly rewarding hobby. It has made connections with a whole range of interesting people and it gave me a positive coping strategy during recent lockdowns. So back to that common experience of struggling with practising. ‘No pain, no gain’: I would encourage all young musicians to keep going, pointing out that the ‘pain’ of those moments has the potential of bringing a life-time of ‘gains’. Andrew Crisp, Middle Master Front cover: During May, the Art department ran a competition to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Students submitted some excellent supersized stamp designs, of which this cover is one, and the winners were chosen for depicting Her Majesty in a kind and endearing way. All entries were very graphic and professional with a great sense of surface pattern and decorative design.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNTM1