Melksham Rotary 50th anniversary concert

At the end of this month our French friends from Guingamp will arrive for a weekend of celebration of Melksham Rotary’s 50th Anniversary. 

They will no doubt be delighted to hear of our earlier celebration, an anniversary concert in the Melksham United Church. In association with Rotary, Stonar School staged a highly successful concert of music and drama, in aid of our Anglo-French Senegal Project.

A selection of music and choral items was presented by Nick Goodall, director of music and the assistant director, Sophie Meehan, whilst a pleasing range of spoken and dramatic items balanced this under the guidance of head of drama, Barbara Ingledew.

Particularly impressive was the clarity of the verse speaking, with an appropriate tone, and the ability to make us see what was being related, as with Leonard Clark’s ‘Owl’, and Richard Kell’s ‘Pigeons’, beautifully conveyed by Bella and Aurelia Harris– Johnstone respectively.  The enthusiasm with which each piece was presented and the way that the young cast supported each other was most noticeable.

Immediately before the interval, Rotary President Steve Fivash gave a brief account of the Anglo-French Senegal Project, explaining how French Rotarians had visited Senegal to help build schools, bore holes for wells and planted trees for much needed shade.

Steve explained how the Melksham club agreed to help them financially with a very expensive project. The audience responded most generously with support for a raffle (with many fine prizes donated by Rotarians) and voluntary donations as they enjoyed the free refreshments, especially the range of tasty cookies baked by Mrs Rosemary Keen.

The concert concluded with a spirited rendering of the Stonar School Song, reputedly written many years ago by the then Chairman of Governors. when sentiments and expectations were very different!

The acting headteacher, Dr Sally Divall, gave a vote of thanks in which she echoed all our thoughts by congratulating all the young lady performers on providing such an enjoyable evening, whilst president Steve thanked the school and the audience for their support.

Peter King, press officer