Our Service last Sunday was a very special occasion for a number of reasons. It was sadly the last one for our Chaplain, the Reverend Shaun Atkins, before he steps down at the end of the Summer. As the Head Master said at a reception following the service, he will be greatly missed by many people; the Chapel is at the very heart of the School and the Chaplain’s pastoral work is appreciated on many levels by the entire School community, not to mention the local neighbours. The Head Master, in particular, mentioned Shaun’s sermons and the impact they had made on many congregations over his nine years at the School, tackling a variety of key issues in both a sensitive and stimulating style. We all wish Shaun and Anne, and their family well for the future.

At the Service, we also welcomed back a number of Old Bedfordians (one all the way from Canada!) to take part in our second annual “Come and Sing.” This event provides the opportunity for former choristers to return to the School, rehearse with the Chapel Choir and then to be part of the Choir for the Service. OBs and current Choir members all seem to get a lot out of this experience and we would like to see it go from strength to strength in future years. Thank you to all the current Choir members for making the visitors feel so very welcome, especially if it had been a few years since singing Choral music in such a setting.

Finally, well done to the Choir for some beautiful singing this Sunday and throughout the term. Their Communion Anthem, Felix Mendelssohn’s “O For The Wings of A Dove” was particularly special as was the Gloria from the “Festive Eucharist” by Rawsthorne. We hope that the Choir have a successful trip to Durham Cathedral between 6th and 12th August. All will be most welcome at any of the Services. More details are available on the Cathedral website.

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