Founder’s Day Celebration:

The 2025 Founder’s Day Celebration took place as part of the Minster’s regular Sunday evensong service at 4 pm on .

Three good reasons why Old Heathens should attend the Founder’s Day event:

  1. You don’t get preached at (evensong has no sermon),
  2. The hymns and readings are familiar (they are taken from school assemblies), and
  3. The Minster Choir is guaranteed to sing magnificently (evensong is largely a choral event).

So it was that the few old faithfulls gathered at the west end of the Minster before taking their places in the choir stalls to honour the memory of Dr Favour.

The service was led by Revd Sam Crook who welcomed us all.

The choir was conducted by Charlie Murray, who also composed the music for the responses. They sang Psalm 39, the Magnificat, the Nunc Dimittis and the Anthem.

The familiar readings were delivered by John Hudson — ‘Let us now praise famous men’ — and John Robertshaw — ‘Finally, my brethren’ — and the familiar hymns sung: Bunyan’s great hymn and the one bidding us to be ‘free from sloth and sensual snare.’

After the service we gathered at the West End beneath the stern bust of our founder, where Andrew Connell explained the significance of the Latin inscription on the school house and read its translation to draw the successful event to a close.

Thanks to all those who attended, especially the school representatives: Adam Smith, the Assistant Head, Head Girl Anaya Hammad, Head Boy Lakshya Kaushik and Deputy Head Boy Bhavan Sandhu.

Thanks also to the Revd Canon Hilary Barber for allowing us to use the Minster and to the HOBA Committee.