On the 4th of October 2024, the entirety of Christ’s Hospital school, Horsham, which totals to about 900 students, travelled up to London in coaches to celebrate a St Matthew’s Day like no other.
St Matthew’s Day is an important day in the Christ’s Hospital school calendar that takes place annually but usually only involves the sixth form, school marching band, and chapel choir.
It serves as a reminder of the school’s long-standing relationship with London where it was originally founded by King Edward VI in 1552 as a safe place for children on the streets of London to gain an education and the school keeps these values to this day with its exceptional bursary system to allow children from all backgrounds to get an extraordinary education.
This year, the school visited St Paul’s cathedral and held a service there in honour of the school’s Royal Mathematical school’s 360th anniversary.
The Royal Mathematical school was founded with the purpose of educating young boys with the idea of them becoming talented navigators of the oceans.
During the service, the school’s chapel choir, and gospel choir, which took part in St Matthew's day for the first time, sang for the congregation.
"I thought it was spectacular!" said Catherine Chanin. "The setting was stunning. Both choirs were phenomenally good. I particularly enjoyed the piece that the chapel choir sang with its nautical theme."
After the service, the whole school formed up outside the beautiful cathedral and formed up into blocks of their boarding houses with the marching band at the centre and began the march to Guildhall, where they were met with the Lord Mayor of London to hear a speech and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as the sixth form pupils received special coins in the form of a 50p coin that are newly harvested from the Royal Mint as part of a tradition of giving
Sue Priddle, said, "I loved it! My favourite part was the marching.”
It was extremely heartening to see the crowds of people watching the boarding school march through their streets and cheer them on for the duration of the journey.
Spectators also enjoyed the symphonious clamour of the marching band which played an array of pieces throughout the march from St Paul's Cathedral to Guildhall including Blaze away composed by Holzmann, Imperial Echoes composed by Safroni, Thin Red Line composed by Alford, Holyrood composed by Alford, Namur composed by Richards, Sussex by the Sea composed by Ward-Higgs, and HM Jollies composed by Alford.
This really was a St Matthew’s Day like no other.
