Shawnigan Lake School - Yearbook (Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia Canada)

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Jhe ( hanel ipi Not a great deal can be said about the chapel and the life of the Church within the school except that we are a Christian school in name, and that in act and worship we try increasingly to justify our calling. The daily round of worship — that basic food and nurture of the Church — is carried on in the chapel. Sunday worship accords with the teaching and traditions of the Church and follows the pattern of the ages. The highlight of the year for us as Christians came with the visit of our Bishop who confirmed twenty-five of the boys; during the same visit he laid the corner-stone of the new classroom block. We value our association with our visitor, the Archbishop, and pray that this happy situation may continue throughout the history of the school and diocese. More and more we hope to fulfill our responsibilities to the Church and less and less be an ivory tower of Christian life separate from the life of the diocese and of the world. A word should be said here of the many boys whose work has enabled our worship to be of the highest standard possible. The choir worked hard this year and we were fortunate to have such good leadership in our choral worship. The servers performed their tasks faithfully, sometimes in the light of a cold dawn, and their labours resulted in a much more beautiful service of eucharistic worship. To these two groups we extend our thanks. In short, the chapel continues to exert a quiet and unobtrusive influence on the life of the school, and we hope that those who come here and who discover in the chapel their spiritual home, will make their constant residence within the arms of Mother Church. Jhe C-A our In the past year the Chapel Choir grew considerably in numbers, and made some encouraging music al progress. The soprano boys, who practised for several mornings each week, have found that the brief and somewhat inconvenient after-breakfast periods have borne fruit in the development of improved vocal tone and greater sight-read ; ng ability. The annual Christmas service took place on Sunday, 14th December. Carols sung by the choir were these: The Holy Son of God Most High (German 16th century) In Every Town and Village (French Bell Carol) Come, Bow We All Before Him (German 17th century) Out of the Orient Crystal Skies (Tyrolese) Psallite Unigenito (Michael Praetorius) The Scripture readings were those used in the Nine Lesson service in King ' s College Chapel, Cambridge, and the congregation joined in traditional Christmas hymns and carols. It was in part due to the sensible attitude of the soprano boys that we were able — if a little diffidently — to accept an invitation to sing in Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, last February. Our Evening of Worship in Music was planned as a devo- tion on the life of Our Lord, and was heard by a large congregation. In the favourable acoustic conditions of the Cathedral the soprano tone came into bloom in a manner that is impossible in the school chapel. The programme included the following: -29—

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School Life —28—

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Four Psalm Paraphrases Heinrich Schuetz (1585-1672) A Spotless Rose Herbert Howells Six works by contemporary Canadian composers: Jesu, Soul of my Heart ' s Desire Cyril Moss O God, Who Hast Prepared John J. Weatherseed Bread of the World Hugh Garland O Sacred Feast O How Glorious I Healey Willan Introit for the Easter Eucharist ) Magnificat (Plainsong, with fauxfourdons by Thomas Morley) My Lord, My Master, at Thy Feet William France The choir travelled again to the Cathedral to take part in the great thanksgiving servi ce arranged to mark the centenary of the Diocese of British Columbia. The choir has become re-affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music at Croyden, England, and we look forward with much pleasure to the proposed visit of the Director next spring. We are asked to sing Matins in the Brentwood Chapel on a Sunday in October, and we hope to be of service in other outside places during the coming year. Each year sees the graduation from Shawnigan of boys who have been members of the chapel choir. It would be interesting and cheering to hear from Old Boys who are now singing in church choirs. Those who have come to any realization of the purpose of a liturgical choir will surely welcome whatever opportunities may arise to continue serving Christ in the ministry of music. If chapel and its choir have not been mere school activities, but witnesses of Christian Truth, the n graduate choristers will be anxious to take their part actively in the life and work of the church beyond this place. Organists are always pleased to have applications from young singers who will undertake to be regular in their attendance at services and practices. We are grateful . . . ... to Mr. Bullen and Mr. Higgs for making time in the midst of their numerous duties to assist us as members of the bass line. ... to Mr. Leonard Wilson, organist of St. James ' Church, Vancouver, and a frequently heard C.B.C. artiste, for his valuable advice on repertoire. ... to Mr. Bernie Porter of Victoria, for most generously lending us his electronic organ so that technical problems connected with the Cathedral recital might be overcome. Jhe dLibrciru This year has seen several changes in the library. Unavoidably, we were affected by the fire and for most of the year the library had to do service as a classroom and as a magazine reading room. Next year we hope to return to normal and restore the atmosphere of quiet which a library should have. In spite of handicaps, much has been accomplished. At the beginning of the year Mr. Archbold started a small section devoted to pocket books; it was hoped that these books might encourage boys who used the library infrequently to read more. The experiment seems to have been largely successful, and at Christmas time further volumes were purchased. During the Christmas holidays the books in the fiction —30—