Year 13 bade their formal farewell to school, at their final Prize-Giving ceremony this morning. Miss Ferro paid tribute to the kindness, compassion, contribution, hard work, sense of fun and wholehearted joie de vivre which this year have engendered during their years at Wally Hall and wished them joy as they set sail into waters yet uncharted.
The girls received their prizes from the most wonderful guest of honour, the world renowned percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie. Dame Evelyn inspired students with insightful answers to questions posed on behalf of the School by senior music scholars. She spoke of what her influenced her instrumental and musical choices, her own sources of inspiration, how being hearing impaired enabled her to experience music in different ways and highlighted the importance of listening in all situations. Dame Evelyn was struck by the positive, can-do atmosphere of the School and especially commended the morning’s musical performances by Year 13s Sasha, playing Rondo Pastorale from Oboe Concerto by R Vaughan Williams and Dolly, who sang Nobody from the musical Betty Blue Eyes by George Stiles.
Amongst her many accomplishments, Dame Evelyn is, of course, famous for her key role in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Miss Ferro highlighted that this iconic 2012 event was the perfect connection to this year’s prize-giving as Year 13 joined the Senior School in 2012.
