John Colet Day - Thursday 11th October 2007

St Paul's Cathedral was filled with Paulines, Paulinas, Coletines, governors, staff, parents and friends for the annual service of thanksgiving and dedication in honour of the founder.

The music did full justice to the magnificent surroundings, with Philip Berg in fine form before and after the service playing organ works by Boyce, Bach, Mendelssohn and Messiaen. The combined choirs were joined by brass and percussion to sing a setting of George Herbert's poem "Let all the world" by Alexander l'Estrange - in the presence of the composer - and SPGS provided a choral backing for the intercessions.

Broadcaster and writer, the Revd Ernie Rea made his theme the words of Browning, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?", illustrating with the fascinating story of a former colleague of his who had not only climbed Mount Everest, the fifteenth Briton to do so, but had returned with an expedition of his own in the (successful) quest for the body of lost explorer George Mallory some 75 years after Mallory's fatal attempt on the mountain.

There were echoes of both scriptural readings, as Abram had dared to trust the promise that his offspring would match the numbers of stars in his vision of the heavens, and Paul wrote of straining forward to what lies ahead. Glorious autumn sunshine greeted the congregation as they emerged with the strains of Cwm Rhondda still ringing in their ears.

A memorable whole-school occasion.