(This blog is taken from a recent chapel talk given by Rev Jonathan Beach to the girls). What is daily chapel all about? What value does it have and what opportunities does it create for us?
The first thing to say about chapel is that it is about community. All real communities have a place and a time of gathering – a moment when all can be together. We are lucky enough to be able to do this as a whole school every morning. Many schools don’t have the space for everyone to meet in one place so it is privilege that we are able to do so. Here we are visibly one community, one school. We are not split up into age groups, instead all ages are intermingled. Which is why we sit not in Houses but in School Companies, girls from across the school seated together. A visual, tangible reminder to us that we are all part of the same enterprise.
As a community we gather to celebrate achievement in every area of life, to mark significant events, to support one another, to have a sense of being united, to move forward as a single body.
The second thing that daily chapel gives us is the chance for reflection. Here we have a moment to pause and to think. That is why we come into chapel in silence – to give us the chance to quieten our souls before the busyness of the day. Here we get away from the demands of the curriculum and have the opportunity to look at a huge range of fascinating subjects. Last year we had some superb presentations in chapel. One that stands out for me was Mrs Ballard’s talk on the ‘Science of Perfume’. Many of you will remember trying all the different samples she provided. The chapel smelt beautiful for days afterwards. Personally, I’m not much of a wearer of perfume but I still learned a huge amount that morning!
We do our reflecting within a Christian framework. St Mary’s has a Christian foundation and we continue to honour that by starting each chapel by singing a hymn and ending each chapel with a prayer. For some of us this is very significant and highly valued, for others it is, perhaps, not so meaningful. And that’s ok. The Christian framework within which we work is not an exclusive one, there is room in chapel for a variety of voices from a variety of perspectives; some religious, some not.
And that brings me onto my third point. Chapel is about finding a voice. All of you will, this year, have a chance to speak in chapel, either as part of your House or as part of your Company. It is a huge privilege and a great opportunity to be able to address nearly three hundred and seventy people. The skill and confidence to be able to speak in public will become very important to most of you in the years to come. Many of you will go on to very significant careers where doing this well will really matter. Here you have a chance, in a safe and supportive environment, to start to learn this ability and to grow in confidence as you do so. And so, this year, let’s take things up a level in terms of quality. Let’s not be content merely to describe. We want to know your opinion, we want to hear your analysis, we want to understand your critique. Don’t just tell us about something, tell us why it matters, tell us what you think about it. Try the art of persuasion, don’t be afraid to be controversial – be passionate about your subject.
To do that you need to give proper attention to preparation. When I was in the military it was often said that for success you needed to remember all the Ps – “prior preparation prevents pretty poor performance”. (It wasn’t the word ‘pretty’ that was usually used in that phrase – but I’ll leave you to work out the actual word for yourselves!) If you’re going to deliver an excellent presentation in chapel this year you need to plan it well in advance, rehearse it thoroughly and get here early enough to give yourself a chance to set up. If you are still writing your script at twenty past eight on the morning of your chapel you’ve left it far too late!
Finally on the subject of finding your voice I must mention singing. It’s great that the Chamber Choir are leading our singing each morning – I am sure we will all sing better as a result. I must admit that I am not a great singer. When I sing my family put their fingers in their ears and beg me to stop. However, I do sing loudly and enthusiastically. So your challenge, this year, is to make sure you drown me out!
At the start of my talk I asked the question – ‘Chapel – what’s it all about?’ It’s about community. It’s about reflection. It’s about finding your voice. It’s a real joy and a great privilege – so let’s make the most of it.
