DAY 8 – Concert at King’s College School (Wimbledon)

--- My sincere apologies for not uploading this blog last night - we only arrived at our hotel at about 23:30 last night, and by the time we had all the boys checked in and settled, it was already 01:00. I decided that it would probably be wiser to complete and load the blog this morning. To all the parents: there isn't free wifi here at the hotel - you can buy wifi for 3 pounds per day, but you cannot pay with cash/buy a voucher, but have to pay for it online with a credit card. There is half an hour free wifi per day, but I am a scared that many boys would have used that up before they could use it to communicate with you. So just in case you were wondering, that is why they might not have contacted you or replied on your messages. Rest assured though that all the boys are perfectly fine. They might just be tired today, since they probably only went to sleep at 24:00 last night. They are now going to find a a park where they can rehearse some new songs for our performance tomorrow night. ---

The boys had to be down for breakfast at 07:30 this morning, and we departed for King’s College School at 09:00. It is only a 12km drive, but due to the traffic in London and surrounds, it took us about 50 minutes to get there.

Upon arrival at the school, we were warmly received by Mark Nixon, Head of Keyboard, and Ryan Weber, Head of Junior School Music. These two gentlemen have just been the most lovely hosts, attending to our every need, and having organised this whole day to an absolute tee. Mark Nixon is a Drakie old boy, and also an accomplished pianist. Our performance today happened solely because Mark saw that we were coming to the UK and just in passing mentioned that it would be wonderful if his school could host us for a concert. And what do you know - here we are.

As I am typing this, the boys are rehearsing in the most immaculate concert space here in the Music Department. The hall has been meticulously designed for an ultimate sound experience – it was designed by the same person who designed the Glyndeborne Opera House, one of the best opera houses in the UK. The boys are busy singing My Lord has come, and I have honestly never heard them produce the sound that is booming through the theatre right now – it is simply glorious. However, this theatre did cost £10 million to build, so understandably it is totally out of our league to ever dream that our school, in the land of load shedding and the crippling Rand, would ever be able to afford that. But, it does give one some perspective, and it is just wondrous to know what is out there, and how different our lives would be if we didn’t have this constant sword of budget restraints looming over our heads.

The boys (and staff!), have been in awe of King’s College School and its majestical campus and top-notch facilities all day. Many of them have Googled what the school fees are – so parents, beware…. This afternoon we had lunch in the school’s dining hall, and oh my word, what a delight! There was an exquisite spread of food, ranging from soup, to meat dishes, to pasta, to a variety of salads, an array of juices, and of course, some lovely desserts. One of the boys told me ‘yo Mam, did you see that – you can CHOOSE a dessert! CHOOSE! Imagine that – more than one dessert…’ The way to a boy’s heart is clearly through his stomach, or rather, through the dessert table… The boys’ excellent manners and exemplary behaviour were again complemented by many staff in the dining hall – we are clearly doing something right in South Africa, and some things CANNOT be bought, even with £10 million…

King’s College School is an independent DAY school for boys aged 7-18. It consists of over 1400 pupils, and is one of the most academically successful schools in the world. Ryan Weber, Head of Junior School Music, told us that 80% of the boys at the school take music lessons and can play an instrument – that is just mind-blowing, and a clear indication of the importance of culture here, although the school actually prides itself most on its excellent academic standards, with students here having a very good record of getting into Cambridge and Oxford.

After the rehearsal, the boys had some much needed sleep time from 15:30-17:00, after which they had supper again in the much coveted dining hall.

The performance started at 19:30, to another sold out audience. It was one of the best concerts on our tour, on par with the equally amazing concerts in Barnsley. I was left quite emotional many times during the concert, and I just could not believe what I was hearing. The magical acoustics, coupled with the boys’ commitment to every song, their projection and stage presence, made for a truly magnificent evening. What an immense honour for these boys to have experienced tonight – I am sure they will never forget it. Thank you King's College School, Mark Nixon and Ryan Weber, for your warm welcome, and for allowing us to perform in your world-class theatre. We had a truly special day and magnificent concert, and we will keep this day in our hearts and minds forever.