Ampleforth goes on Tour
Many Old Amplefordians will have fond memories of going on tour while they were at the school. For current pupils the Easter Holidays were no different with two major Tours taking place, the Schola to Rome and the U15 Girls and Boys to Sri Lanka.
The Rome Tour was an incredible opportunity for the Schola to immerse themselves in the very heart of the Catholic Church, to which they contribute very meaningfully through the liturgical music programme at Ampleforth. The highlight was undoubtedly singing in St Peter’s on Palm Sunday as well as attending the Papal Mass in St Peter’s Square. They also had the incredible opportunity to travel to Montecassino, where they visited St Benedict’s own cell and had sung Mass in the spectacular crypt. They met two Ampleforth monks who are currently studying in Rome, Br Joseph Benedict and Br Edmund (T85), as well as the Abbot Primate of the Benedictines. The Schola’s most venerable member, Fr Henry, was also on the trip with them, as were Fr Ambrose, Peter & Marie Roberts, and a strong group of supportive staff, parents and families. Thanks to Edward Seymour, Director of Music, the singing was first class and they received a personal letter of thanks from the Director Emeritus of the Capella Guilia after they visited Cardinal Roche, head of liturgy for the Catholic Church. A wonderful trip all round that they will surely remember for the rest of their lives.
Meanwhile, further afield, 25 girls and boys from the U15 Cricket, Rugby & Netball Teams went on the trip of a lifetime to Sri Lanka, with Head of Cricket Sebastian Phillips (C00) and Head of Netball, Hayley Edgar, at the helm. They not only had a packed fixture list but plenty of opportunity to experience the best Sri Lanka has to offer, including a wonderful visit to a turtle hatchery. The girls cricket side are particularly strong at the moment, with the U15 girls currently County Champions, so this gave them a taste of playing internationally at a high level. The boys enjoyed a wide variety of rugby fixtures and the girls also played netball, the grounds were quite different to what they are used to in North Yorkshire and the trip was a good challenge for them all, as well as an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between players who will be looking to join the College’s First Teams in coming years.
What a wonderful experience all round. To see photos of the trips you can visit the College website.