Shakespeare concert 1964

Poster for the celebration concert: click on the image to open a larger version
From the private collection of Roger Wilson

400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth

1964 was the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and Mr. Burrows, the headteacher who loved music, encouraged the whole school to become involved in a celebration concert.

Everyone was involved

There were songs by the choir, music from the school violinists and recorder players, 4A did the casket scene from ‘Macbeth’, 3A performed some choral speaking using texts from ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Henry V’. 3B performed the Pyramus & Thisbe play from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Even the Infants were involved in the concert, performing the Fairies’ Scene from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Do you remember? 

Were you at the school when this celebration concert was staged? Maybe you were one of the performers? Please share your memories by posting a comment below.

  

Comments about this page

  • I played Quince in Pyramus and Thisbe. On the Coldean school Facebook page there is the programme for the 1964 concert.

    By Richard J. Szypulski (07/05/2016)
  • I have a vague recollection of narrating in the The Merchant of Venice.

    By Jan Phillips (22/02/2017)
  • Jan, Did you live in Waldron venue? I seem to remember us being mutual friends of Gary Marden.

    By Richard J. Szypulski (25/03/2017)
  • Hi Richard – I remember we all had to learn the “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” speech & had to recite it. I also remember Gary Marsden from that time.

    Mr Burrows was music mad, I went back once to see him & played for him & remember that he loved it. Sadly I had occasion many years later to visit someone in a nursing home in Patcham & was horrified when I realised Mr Burrows was sitting there with no idea of the world around him, it was so sad to see.

    Still to this day though I can remember chunks of Julius Caesar so my school days were not a total waste! I do vaguely remember Pyramus & Thisbe as I was at Coldean 1960/65.

    By Rob (Bob) Tasker (01/11/2017)

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