Viewing archives for

The Royal College of Organists held a special concert exclusively for QE musicians in a historic City of London church.

Six QE organists and four vocalists performed in the free lunchtime recital at St Lawrence Jewry Church.

It was the first in the RCO’s Young Performers’ series of concerts. Like the remaining two schools due to give concerts in the series – Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Eton College – QE is an RCO-accredited institution.

For several of QE’s organists, this was their first public performance, and it was one which gave them the opportunity to play on the church’s high-quality, modern organ, built by the German firm of Klais in 2001.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was a joy to spend a lunchtime in beautiful surroundings and to hear our QE performers. Well done, too, to Year 7’s Harry Xuan and Hercules Li, who introduced the concert with confidence whilst just about able to see over the lectern!

“It is great to see the Music department helping our pupils to realise their Boundless potential, taking full advantage of our place and proximity to the capital, whilst also investing in our partnership with the Royal College of Organists to promote excellence.”

Mr Enright thanked the RCO’s Director, Sir Andrew Parmley, and Director of Relationships, Madeline Smith, as well as the Music department, for making the concert possible.

The concert featured music spanning five centuries by: George Böhm; George Frideric Handel; Matthew Camidge; Giulio Caccini; Johann Sebastian Bach; César Geoffray; Samuel Sebastian Wesley; Théodore Dubois; and William Mathias.

Assistant Director of Music Jas Hutchinson Bazely said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to perform in a historic church in the City, and the perfect occasion to showcase the growing number of organists at the School. For all the musicians involved, it was an inspiring event, and I’m very grateful to the Royal College of Organists for their kind invitation.”

The Young Performer Series in the City is dedicated to the memory of Catherine Ennis, former President of the RCO and organist at St Lawrence Jewry.

The concert programme featured brief biographies of all the QE performers.

Although Harry and Hercules, who have both just started learning the organ in School, did not actually perform, the remaining six QE organists all did. The six included:

• Zach Fernandes, of Year 10, who said: “I most enjoyed playing on a new organ as it had a new type of pipes which I didn’t know about. Additionally, I enjoyed playing to a larger audience than I’m used to and playing along with many more people than usual.”
• Arthur Wang, of Year 8: “The 8-ft stops sounded very warm, and I quite enjoyed being able to see the pipes right behind the organ, with its direct connection to the organ. The pipes were pretty close to each other, so there wouldn’t be a bit of delay if I was playing on different manuals at the same time. It was a really beautiful organ as well, with all the shiny metal on the pipes.”
• Robin Peng, of Year 8: “I enjoyed being on an actual three-manual pipe organ the most. The organ at St Lawrence Jewry is so much grander than the ones that I normally play. Also, it had a mechanical link to the stops and the pipes, and it was exciting to both see and feel them in action.”

In addition to the organists, several QE singers drawn from Years 11–13, also performed. Joseph Donovan, of Year 11, said: “I loved singing with the organ next to me; the sound was really strong and full.”

Click on the thumbnails to view the images below.

Year 10’s Adyansh Sahai took first place in a prestigious Hindi-speaking event – even though he was the youngest participant.

His talk on robotics impressed the audience at the celebration of the Hindi language, which was organised jointly by the UK High Commission of India and by the community charity, Sangam, UK.

Adyansh achieved victory at the event in The Nehru Centre in Mayfair, London, despite Hindi not being his first language.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to Adyansh on this noteworthy achievement.

“We lay significant emphasis on helping boys develop the skills to express themselves well verbally, whether in English or in other languages: our newest facility, The Robert Dudley Studio, is devoted to that end. Adyansh’s success is a great example of someone who has mastered those skills.”

Young people aged 15–20 were invited to share their experiences in Hindi. Adyansh was pitted against A-level students and Oxford & Cambridge undergraduates.

During the talk, he engaged his audience, which included dignitaries and officials from the High Commission, by including a live demonstration of a robot he had recently built from a shopping trolley. Designed to assist people with mobility issues, the robot was customised with 3D-printed sub-systems.

He was awarded with his first prize by VIP guests including Virendra Sharma, Labour MP for Ealing Southall from 2007 until his retirement at the 2024 general election, and Parveen Rani, who was the 2024–2025 Deputy Mayor of Hertsmere.

It is not the first time that Adyansh’s language skills have come to the fore. Earlier this year, his poem entitled A villanelle on villainy was published in QE’s pupil-led creative magazine, The Arabella.

Adyansh began his talk by proudly introducing himself as an Elizabethan, his experiences at QE having contributed to the confidence and resilience he displayed when taking part.

His parents, Abhinav & Deepika Sahai, wrote to Mr Enright after his triumph in the competition:  “He was able to rise to the occasion with the confidence QE has instilled in him.”

Young musicians enjoyed an action-packed five-day tour, which gave them multiple opportunities to perform in Belgium as well as the chance to sample the country’s cultural delights.

They played at three very diverse venues, beginning with Antwerp’s oldest parish church, Sint-Jacob (St James’s). Since the one-hour performance coincided with National Flemish Day, local dignitaries were invited along.

Besides the church performance, the boys played by arrangement for 45 minutes at a bandstand (the Kiosk de Musique) in the historic Parc de Bruxelles in the Belgian capital.

They also performed for an hour in the town square (Grote Markt) of Ypres (now officially known  by its Flemish name of Ieper) in front of the magnificent Cloth Hall. Originally a series of mediaeval buildings completed in 1304, the Cloth Hall was almost completely destroyed in World War I and subsequently rebuilt.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This was a very successful Music department tour, with some high-quality musicianship on display. I know the boys enjoyed the opportunities it gave them to perform in an unfamiliar environment. It was notable that all the items were conducted and, in the case of the tour choir, accompanied by pupils. The boys showed great maturity and leadership throughout. They also relished the full programme of activities we put on, from rides on rollercoasters through to enjoying some Belgian chocolate.”

The boys travelled from Barnet by coach, arriving first in Dunkirk after a journey through the Channel Tunnel on Le Shuttle.

In the French port, they visited a museum focusing on the town’s World War II history, which features real memorabilia found on the beach. This museum tells the story of Dunkirk across the war, from the well-known Battle of France in 1940, with its evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force to the town’s liberation by Czechoslovakian soldiers in 1945.

After crossing the border into Belgium, the tour party gained an insight into life on the front lines in World War I when they called in at the Trench of Death in Diksmuide – one of the conflict’s most treacherous trench systems. The system had areas of ‘no man’s land’ as small as 50 metres wide.

The tourists also:

• Explored the canals of Bruges on a boat trip;
• Sampled Belgian chocolate at the Choco-Story museum, where they saw a live demonstration of praline-making and, of course, enjoyed the tasting opportunities;
• Rode the rollercoasters and enjoyed the zoo attractions at Bellewaerde Park, Belgium’s oldest theme park, built in 1954 on the site of a World War I battleground;
• Enjoyed a walking tour of Gent’s key sites and took in the mediaeval Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in the heart of the city;
• Visited Brussels’ The Parliamentarium – an interactive exhibition about the past, present and future of the European Union and Parliament;
• Climbed the city’s 102m-tall Atomium, one of Brussels’ key landmarks, which gives panoramic views across the city and was built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Its nine stainless steel-clad spheres resemble an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the images. 

The tour ensembles were: Winds, Strings, and Choir.

They were conducted by: Eshaan Anil; Joseph Donovan; Parth Jain; Lamie Lam; Vihaan Salunke; and Jeremy Shi. The choir was accompanied by Zehao Wu.

Contractors have begun a major project to restore the School’s Main Building – the first important work on the structure since it was extended in the 1950s.

The project comes after QE secured a £2m Government Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) grant, with an additional £0.5m being contributed by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s charity.

The work, which is likely to take several months, will include fitting new roofs across the entire building, as well as significant measures to improve sustainability, and a host of other improvements and repairs.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am so pleased that we were successful in securing the funding we needed to deliver this important element of our current, hugely ambitious Estates Strategy. As ever, I am immensely grateful to our parents and alumni: it is their generosity that has made possible the substantial FQE contribution.

“While it is a little sad to see Main Building now wrapped in scaffolding, it will all be worth it next year when we see it restored to its original 1932 splendour, with new roofs and polished-up elevations. This work is an important element in ensuring QE remains ‘a state school like no other’ for our pupils.

“My thanks go to our Head of Facilities Management, Silvia Shann, her industrious team and our trusted contractors, who were busy over the summer holiday getting everything ready for the work to proceed.”

For its first three-and-a-half centuries, the School was based in Tudor Hall in Wood Street, High Barnet.

By the 1920s, QE had outgrown this home, so in 1932, it moved to its current premises on Queen’s Road, with HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent, opening the new building (pictured).

Main Building combines classic 1930s features – such as the iconic bottle-green glazed tiles that still adorn the classrooms and corridors – with a homage to QE’s Tudor roots through its brick and stone masonry, and oak panelling. It was extended with new wings as the School continued to grow in the 1950s.

The work will involve fitting 130,000 new roof tiles for the main pitched roof areas, the replacement of multiple flat roofs, and work on the external elevations, including re-pointing.

Several leaks and instances of mould on internal walls will be rectified, followed by redecoration as necessary.

Sustainability measures will include the installation of improved insulation in Main Building, as well as the fitting of solar panels on the pitched roof facing south west to one side of the Main School Hall. The few remaining original windows will be replaced with units that are in keeping with the building, but now double-glazed.

“Generations of Elizabethans have been educated in Main Building and we have, therefore, always sought to be good stewards, keeping the building in good repair,” said Mr Enright. “This work will not only improve the day-to-day environment for our current pupils and staff, it will also ensure the building continues to serve the generations to come.”

The work is expected to be complete by the spring or summer of 2026.

Playing cricket and rugby at a high standard in super stadiums amid sweltering heat and high humidity made the QE sports tour of Sri Lanka a memorable experience for the School’s sportsmen.

Three cricket teams and one rugby squad played a full programme of fixtures against school and club sides in the biennial summer tour.

The tourists also found time to broaden their cultural horizons through visits to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project and a famous temple in the city of Kandy.

Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “The 2025 Sri Lanka sports tour was a resounding success, blending competitive sport with cultural enrichment. Our pupils returned with unforgettable memories, stronger team bonds, and a deeper appreciation for international sport and culture.”

The three QE cricket teams each played five matches against sides from Colombo, Kandy, and Galle.

“The conditions were challenging, with hot weather, unfamiliar pitches, and strong opposition, but our players showed great spirit and determination throughout,” said Mr Hart.

“The A team delivered a solid performance, with disciplined swing bowling and mature batting. Highlights included a thrilling chase at St. Joseph’s School (alma mater of Sri Lankan bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan). The final match at the prestigious Singhalese Sports Club (SSC), a regular international venue, was a closely fought contest, with QE ending just 13 runs short of victory.”

The B team faced tough competition but secured one hard-fought win. “Despite the results, the team showed significant improvement and gained valuable match experience. Their resilience and sportsmanship were commendable,” said Mr Hart.

“Although the C team did not register a win, their enthusiasm and commitment were unwavering,” he added. “Each match was a learning opportunity, and the players showed noticeable progress in their skills and confidence.”

Head of Rugby Ollie Di-Lieto, who led the rugby tour, said: “I was proud of the efforts from the pupils who played in very difficult conditions, ranging from high humidity to heavy rain. Fixtures were played in stadiums that rival those used by Championship football teams in England, adding a professional atmosphere to every match.

“Our opponents played a naturally expressive style of rugby, often less structured than we are accustomed to, which posed unique defensive challenges. Despite the unfamiliar conditions, our players showed remarkable resilience and adaptability.”

The rugby players notched up three wins and one defeat.

First XV co-captain Jake Owens, who has just entered Year 13, said: “This was such a unique opportunity for us. To play rugby in another country is one thing, but to play in stadiums really made the experience special.”

For the First XI captain, Girish Radhakrishnan, enjoying his QE sporting swansong as a summer Year 13 leaver, the “truly memorable stadiums” were also an attraction. “We loved coming to Sri Lanka to experience a different culture,” he added. “The standard of cricket was very high so we enjoyed challenging ourselves. For those who played, scored runs and took wickets, the memories will stay with them for a long time!”

Results summary

Cricket

A team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 3
• Losses: 2

B team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 1
• Losses: 4

C team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 0
• Losses: 5

Rugby

QE vs Agoal Rugby Academy

Score: 29–5
Try scorers: Peter Atanasov, Year 12; Faaiz Adil (x2), Year 12; Atiksh Anagani, Year 13; Jake Owens, Year 13
Conversions: Victor Varbanov (x2); Year 12
Man of the Match: Adil

QE vs Kandy Sports Club

Score: 26–12
Try scorers: Adil (x2); Martin Machyka, Year 13; Sharvesh Sudhagar, Year 13
Conversions: Varbanov (x3)
MOTM: Owens

QE vs St Aloysius’ College, Galle

Score: 17–10
Try scorers: Adil, Anagani, Sudhagar
Conversions: Varbanov
MOTM: Siddarth Oruganti, Year 13

QE vs Malingas School

Score: 0–24
MOTM: Anagani

• To view the images, click the thumbnails below.