Highgate Senior School pupils have achieved outstanding success at the Classical Reading Competition, hosted annually at Westminster School. The event brought together 10 schools from across London to take part in Latin and Greek recitals.
Competitors prepared passages ranging from mythology to epic and lyric poetry, with judges assessing not only accuracy and pronunciation but also clarity, expression and overall performance. The competition featured six categories: Beginners’ Latin (myth of Niobe); Pre‑GCSE Latin (extract from Virgil’s Aeneid); Open Latin (poem from Catullus); Beginners’ Greek (story about Demosthenes); Greek Dialogue (an extract from Sophocles’ Philoctetes) and Greek Chorus (passage from Euripides’ Bacchae).
Sixteen Highgate pupils representing Years 8, 9, 10 and 12, entered across all categories, each received a medal in some capacity, with prizes awarded to:
- Beginners’ Latin – First Prize to Stephanie, Jeanne, Emilia (Y8)
- Pre-GCSE Latin – First Prize to Anna (Y10)
- Open Latin – First Prize to Allison (Y12)
- Greek Dialogue – Second Prize to Tegam (Y10) and Stephanie (Y12)
- Greek Chorus – Third Prize to Agnia, Sasha, Eleanor, Sophia, Sara, Alice (Y9); Charline, Anya, Lexie (Y10); Stephanie (Y12)
“These awards are a remarkable accomplishment and testament to the pupils’ enthusiasm and hard work,” expressed Highgate Classics teacher, Felix de Leiris.
He added: “This year we decided to adapt the Greek Chorus entry to music, and pupils had to sing a cappella entirely from memory which was extremely challenging. The group sang it beautifully and their atmospheric performance drew admiration from teachers at other schools, many of whom had never heard Ancient Greek sung like that before.”
The judges comprised of leading scholars: Professor Philomen Probert (Wolfson College, Oxford) and Dr John Taylor (University of Manchester), well known to Highgate pupils as the author of the Latin and Greek textbooks used for their GCSE and A level studies.
Year 8 pupil Stephanie, who retained first position in the Beginners’ Latin category after her success last year, said: “I really enjoyed taking part! The whole experience was so fun, from the rehearsals to reciting on stage. If you’re into Latin or Greek myths, I’d definitely recommend it.”
Anna in Year 10, added: “I loved performing a classical piece in front of others who had prepared in such a variety of different ways. I met people from other years whom I never would have bonded with otherwise. I’d encourage anyone interested in classics, poetry, performing or simply trying something new to give this a go next year.”
Eleanor and Sasha in Year 9, enthused about taking part in the Greek Chorus: “The Classics competition was a wonderful way to expand our Ancient Greek pronunciation and helped us further explore classics in a friendly and fun environment.”
Highgate’s Classics Department teaches Ancient History, Classical Civilisation, Classical Greek and Latin in Years 7 to 13. In March, Classics Week brings the subjects to life with fun and interactive activities for pupils to participate in, including a Classics readathon, guest speakers and recreations of gladiatorial combat!
Find out more about Classics at Highgate Senior School here.
