has the Richard Mayo Cup), Electric music (rock and pop bands) and Super-Sized House Singing in the Summer term. An annual visit by the London Community Gospel Choir has also been introduced. Richard is also grateful for the outstanding support of a variety of staff over the last 20 years: his Concert Manager and PAs, Miranda Humphreys, Elsa Tatevossian, Jenny Axtell and Mette Turner; our Music School Manager, Lisa Tsang; and his two Deputies, Dr John Carnelley and David Eno. Richard’s father, Graham Mayo, studied under Sir John Barbirolli and Sir Adrian Boult. Barbirolli once said: ‘Any friend of Elgar is a friend of mine.’ Richard’s willingness to discuss Elgar and many other composers with colleagues and pupils and, in spite of the great demands of some of the orchestral and choral writing, to bring this music to performance, will be much missed, as will his well- observed and affectionate sense of humour, his modesty and his kindness. ◉
in 2024, together with Joint Foundation Schools’ concerts at the Royal Festival Hall with Verdi’s Requiem in 2016, and in 2018 Britten’s War Requiem , for which there were 500 performers on stage. Encouraged by Dr Spence, Richard has also been highly committed to commission- ing new music, including pieces by Nico Muhly, Danny Saleeb, Thomas Hewitt Jones OA and Peter Gritton. This culminated in the memorable world premiere of The White Road by Cecilia McDowall at Southwark Cathedral on 8 March 2024. Indeed, we were delighted that Cecilia McDowall joined us in 2006 as the College’s first Visiting Composer. Richard cares about musical opportunities for all, what- ever their abilities or interests. I recall the rapport he showed during his congregational hymn practices when I led the Upper School. He is also enormously grateful to his team in the Music Department for their delivery to the pupils over the past 20 years and their promotion of wider opportunities, including the development of House Music to include competitions for a Part Song (which now
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