Societies
and Clubs
About thirty societies exist in the School at any time. These are all extracurricular
and they enable students to meet socially in order to develop, discuss and participate
in a wide variety of activities. All of the societies are sponsored by teachers,
many of whom are experts in their own fields. Recent societies include:
Astronomy, Automobile, Beekeeping, The Big Mouth, Bioethics, Biology, Junior Biology, Junior Book Group, Chemistry, Christian Union, Classics, Junior Classics, Creative Writing, Debating, Junior Debating, Design Technology, Economics, Young Engineers, Essay Society, Film, Football, Geography, History, Origami, Meteorological, Middle Eastern, Philosophy, Photographic, Physics, Pocket Watch, Poetry, Politics, Puzzle, Reptile,Spanish, Stage Technicians, Vinyl and Philosophy.
Tea
and cakes are frequently provided at meetings,
which have an informal, friendly and enthusiastic
atmosphere.
Visits
and Lectures
Visits included:
Visits abroad included: an expedition to Morocco and the Sahara Desert, a football tour to Maastricht, Holland, French and German exchanges to Paris, Nice, Essen and Berlin and two retreats to Vallechiara in Italy. Other visits include: CCF camp at Nesscliffe, Shropshire, adventurous training in North Wales and an overnight exercise at Pippingford Park, Sussex; D of E expeditions in Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, the North Downs, the Wiltshire Downs and South Dorset; Urban Survival trip to Oxford and a river cruise and bus tour on the Thames and in Central London, Geography Field trips to Snowdonia, The Isle of Purbeck The London Eye, the Thames Barrier and Canary Wharf; Biology Field trips to the Gower Peninsula and Epping Forest; Economics visit to Lloyds of London and the London Metal Exchange; Politics visits to The Houses of Parliament and Westminster City Hall; Art visits to Kew Gardens, the Huntarian Museum, The Sir John Soane Museum, the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Hayward Gallery, the Estorick Collection of Modern Art and the Tate Modern for the Gilbert and George Exhibition; Design Technology visits to HMS Belfast, the Design Museum and the RAF Museum at Hendon. Music visit to the LSO St Luke’s for workshop on Indonesian Gamelan. Other visits: The New Forest, the Royal Society for Biology and Mathematics lectures and Sadlers Wells for a Flamenco show, St Albans School for a lecture by Stephen Hawking, BMAT for a lecture on Medical Ethics, City of London School and Francis Holland School for Model United Nations.
Visitors
to the School included:
These include: Civitas (the Institute for the Study of Civil Society), Sam Curtis (sportsman and mountain rescue team member), Médecins sans Frontières (an international humanitarian aid organization), Emma Cole (expert on the impact of HIV and AIDS), Professor Anthony Slinn (art expert speaking on Vincent Van Gogh), Andre Menache (Scientific Advisor to the charity Animal Aid), Roger Jefcoate CBE (designer for the disabled), Tom Freemantle (independent traveler and adventurer), Reg Starkey (expert on compulsive gambling), John Pilkington (travel writer and broadcaster who frequently describes his adventures on Radio 4), Brian Smith (St John’s Ambulance), Terry Idderden (British Red Cross), Marion Baraitser (author), Dr John Constable (Director of policy and research for the Renewable Energy Foundation), Professor Michael Laughton (Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of London), Ali Machinchy (World Champion radio jet pilot), Dr Peter Butler (surgeon), Clive Earl (Engineering Manager, AMEC Oil and Gas Projects), David Bodanis (author of ‘The Electric Universe’ and ‘E=mc2’), Professor John Cave (Middlesex University), Professor Malcolm MacCallum (School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary College, University of London, Professor Mike Edmunds (Cardiff University), Dr Lucie Green (Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College, London), Nicola Wilson (PhD student at the University of Warwick), Peter Swift (PhD student at the University of Durham), Dr Tracey Rihll (Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology, University of Wales, Swansea), Professor Hoggart (Geography Department, Kings College, London), Professor Carl Murray (Department of Mathematics and Astronomy, Queen Mary College, London and member of the Cassini Imaging Team), Daniel Morgenstern (freelance illustrator), Dr Eckart Marchand (Art History lecturer, University of Reading), Charles Hall (State of the Art Venice, pre-university art and art history lecturer), Heike Lowenstein (photography course leader, Blackpool and Fylde College), Alex Maclean (Creative Director, Airside Design Company), Sir Martin Gilbert (historian and Winston Churchill’s official biographer), Michael Hammerson (Policy Consultant at the Civic Trust), Professor David Papineau (Department of Philosophy of Science, Kings College, London), Dr Marcus Giaquinto (Department of Philosophy, University College, London, Rupert Goold (Stage Director and Artistic Director of Headlong Theatre), Sir Jonathan Sacks (Chief Rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth), Richard Desmond (Owner of OK! magazine and The Express newspaper), James Max (a contestant on The Apprentice and 5 live DJ), Lynne Featherstone (Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament), Rudi Oppenheimer (a holocaust survivor and lecturer), Michael Freedman (a BP political analyst).
Music and Drama events
Music has an important place in the life
of Highgate School where an extensive
programme of extra-curricular activities
complements music as a curriculum subject
taught throughout the year groups. A team
of experienced visiting teachers gives
lessons in all the usual instruments and
singing. There is a wide variety of concerts
to provide performance opportunities for
all kinds of soloists and ensembles. Many pupils have attained
distinction in the musical profession,
including Sir John Tavener, John Rutter,
Brian Chapple, Simon Bainbridge, Alan
Bush (composers); Jan Latham-Koenig (conductor);
Howard Shelley (pianist and conductor);
Carl Pini (violinist); Anthony Camden
(oboist/director of the Hong Kong Academy
of Performing Arts); Peter Wright (organist
of Southwark Cathedral); John Blakely (pianist);
Graham Salter and Andrew Cauthery (oboists);
Daniel Hope (violinist).
Musical
events
Choral concert: Handel’s Messiah at Southwark Cathedral with the Concert Choir joined by Channing School Choir and professional musicians. Orchestral concert: given by joint orchestras of Highgate and Channing Schools included Rossini’s Overture: The Thieving Magpie, De Bériot’s Violin Concerto (soloist: Richard Jones) and Malcolm Arnold’s Little Suite. Summer Term Band Concert included performances by the Concert Band, Swing Band, Samba Band and Saxophone groups. Baroque Music Project with Anthony Robson (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) culminating in a performance by the Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra of Bach’s Cantata No. 150. Other concerts included performances by Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Swing Band, Chamber Choir, Junior Concert Choir, Chapel Choir, chamber groups, saxophone and rock groups. A Professionally engineered recording made of most of the school’s ensembles and is now available on CD. Concert Band played carols in Pond Square. Other external events included music scholars concert at St Anne and St Agnes, Gresham Street, and musicians performing at a dinner at the Farmers and Fletchers Hall. Summer Music Workshops and Masterclasses Jazz: Nick Smart and Paul Clarvis; Woodwind: Julian Farrell; Singing: Aidan Oliver. House Music Competition (Adjudicator: Graham Griggs, Director of Music, The King’s School, Ely): Winners: Instrumental - SG; Singing - MG. Solo Piano Competition (Adjudicator: John York, Professor, Guildhall School of Music) Winners: Ben Rabinovich, Alex Graham, George Spence-Jones. Solo Strings Competition (Adjudicator: Jacqueline Ross, Head of Strings, Guildhall School of Music) Winners: Fiona Matthews, Toby Gould, Richard Jones. Solo Saxophone Competition (Adjudicator: Christian Forshaw, Professor, Guildhall School of Music) Winners: Conrad Ryan, James McIndoe, Paul Thomason.
Drama events
The Boy Friend (Wilson) The cast included: Christopher Berkin, Anna Arbiter, Oskar McCarthy and Na’ama Ten Brink. Musical Direction by John March and directed by Michael Bowden. La Cantatrice Chauve (Ionesco): The Sixth Form cast included: Oskar McCarthy, Beth Khan, Na’ama Ten Brink, Jack Bernhardt, Matthew Waksman and Cecile Pottier (staff). Directed by Simon Brunskill. Little Trysts (Miles Mantle KG): The Sixth form cast included: Peter Shenai, Matthew Waksman and Lauren Laing-Buisson. Directed by Soo-Lin Lui, Follow the River (John Ingold): Cast included: William Giller and Jeremy Neumark-Jones. Directed by Jon Ingold. Unman, Wittering and Zigo (Cooper): A cast of staff and students included: William Giller, Charlotte Kaye, Francesco Guariglia, Guy Woolf, Samuel Waddicor, Justin Hirst, Tom Beltrandi, Mark Short (staff) and Tom Asch (staff). Directed by Michael Bowden. Twelfth Night (Shakespeare): The Year 10 cast included: Charlie Metcalfe, Morgan da Silva, Alex Glass, Arthur Graham-Dixon, Sam Carl, Tom Wright, Harry Lambert and Zack Wellin. Directed by Charlotte Avery. Picnic on the Battlefield (Arrabal), The Man in the Bowler Hat (Milne), Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations (Ayckbourn): The Y9 cast included: Jack Light, Benjamin Weil, Jake Williams, Zander Bull, Tom Richardson, Jack Brighouse, George Starkey-Midha, Jack Lewis and Oliver Zeffman. Directed by Soo-Lin Lui and Philip Rowe. Half School Colours were awarded to: Raoul Rechnitz, Francesco Guariglia, Justin Hirst, Samuel Waddicor and Thomas Beltrandi. Full School Colours were awarded to: Hugo Wilson, Charlie Goldblatt, Matthew Marais, William Giller and Guy Woolf.
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