Thirteen Formative Years |
 EDUCATION – St Stithians College: Physically speaking, the chapel (which I photographed in August 1998) stands at the centre of the school: the sports grounds are below it, the classrooms are behind it, and the boarding houses and dining hall are above it. There were school assemblies in the chapel on weekday mornings, and of course Sunday morning services in it. Saturday evening hymn practice was very popular amongst almost everyone who boarded at the school. One-hundred and twenty boarders would assemble in the chapel to rehearse the three hymns that were to be sung during the following morning’s service, and then – after we’d rehearsed the hymns – there was a general requests session. Students’ favourite hymns were sung with enthusiasm and gusto. Top of my hymn-pops was Hymn 901 in the 287-page Methodist Hymn-Book: “God the All-terrible! King, who ordainest / Great winds Thy clarions, the lightnings Thy sword …”. We sang it to the tune of an old Russian national anthem, and we always came close to raising the roof of the chapel. |