A Service for Queen Anne's School, Caversham
23 October 2009 at 3:00 pm
The Abbey welcomed Queen Anne’s School, Caversham for this special service.
Queen Anne’s School has over 330 pupils, approximately half of whom are boarders. It has a large sixth form and enjoys an extremely high reputation for academic excellence, sport, art, music, and drama.
The Grey Coat Hospital Foundation dates back to 1698 when it was established by eight merchants from Westminster: Simon Boulte, Richard Ffyler, John Holmes, Robert Maddock, Samuel Michell, Charles Webbe, John Wilkins, and Thomas Wisdome. In 1706 it was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Anne. In the late nineteenth century the governors of the Foundation decided to use part of the endowment to establish a girls’ boarding school in the country, and on Ascension Day 1894 Queen Anne’s School, Caversham, opened its doors to its first pupils. The Foundation Chalice, which will be carried to the Abbey’s High Altar during the service, is a Victorian silver chalice dating from 1844. It is one of several precious gifts given to Grey Coat since the beginning of the Foundation in 1698.
Since their last service in Westminster Abbey, Queen Anne’s Chamber Choir has performed at the Crown Court Ceremonial Opening Service in Reading Minster and taken part in a choral tour of Venice, singing at St Mark’s, St Giorgio Maggiore, the Basilica Dei Frari, and St Luca in Verona.
The Right Reverend Peter Hullah, Principal of Northampton Academy, gave the sermon.
See also:
The Order of Service (PDF, 188.4KB)