This week we launched our assembly theme for the half term. We shall be exploring ‘The Wonder of Music’. I kicked off our consideration of this topic by introducing the boys to Joseph Boulogne, also known as the Chevalier de St. George. If you have not heard about him, and his remarkable story which is now finally being told more widely than ever before, do please see this link to what the boys in the Prep watched on Monday, as part of my assembly.
The extraordinary life of musical genius Joseph Boulogne
We finished my assembly by watching a performance of Boulogne’s work by African American soprano Sonia Headlam (a clip also worth watching). It was clear to us all what the wonder of music meant for us at the Prep on Monday, given that more than 200 years after Boulogne’s death his important but mostly untold story has not only come to light but all sorts of artists are also now bringing his music alive.
Miss Bee was the obvious next choice for an assembly on this theme in the Prep. It was excellent to hear her views on how we all emotionally connect with music that has had a particular impact on us at particular points in time. This morning in their assembly 5S shared more around the power of music to influence our behaviours in all sorts of different ways. They included the notion of an ‘ear worm’ (a short and usually slightly irritating musical excerpt) which meant that most of us have been wandering about for the remainder of today humming the tune and occasionally singing the lyrics to “that song about the antics of a juvenile member of a family of fish characterised by their cartilaginous skin”. Music really is wonderful!
