Thomson Society lectures are famed for the esoteric and fascinating nature of topics Harrodian teachers choose to talk about. This week we were reminded that its pupil counterpart, the Student Society is equally educationally enriching and eclectic.
‘I’ve seen fascinating Student Soc talks about love, cult films, AI in Graphic Design and Espionage so far this year,’ enthuses Lower Sixth Former Jose, above. ‘What I love about the Student Society is that it gives people the chance to talk about the things that REALLY get them excited instead of the stuff they have to learn for exams.’
What I love about the Student Society is that it gives people the chance to talk about the things that REALLY get them excited instead of the stuff they have to learn for exams.’
Jose, Harrodian Lower Sixth Former
Jose, who is studying English, Economics, Maths and History at A Level, chose to showcase his own fascination with 'Last Stands in History' at his Student Society talk on Thursday. His talk considered why and how battles to the last person have taken place by drawing on examples including Rorke’s Drift, the Last Stand of the Samurai, the Sack of Rome and the Battle of Thermopylae. ‘There’s a danger in going too niche when you’re talking about your favourite subject,’ explains Jose. ‘I thought Last Stands was a subject which had psychological appeal to a wider audience.’
Ever wondered why the saxophone isn’t included in the orchestra? That was the question Ms Baum set out to answer in a tale that examined the Saxophone’s unpredictable, historical odyssey.
The same might be said of the subject chosen by Music teacher Ms Claudia Baum, above, for Tuesday’s Thomson talk. Ever wondered why the saxophone isn’t included in the orchestra? That was the question Ms Baum set out to answer in a tale that examined the Saxophone’s unpredictable historical Odyssey: its invention in Belgium, its emergence as an ‘exotic’ new orchestral contender, its ‘excommunication’ from the classical mainstream and its second coming across the Atlantic with a starring role in the rise of Jazz, Soul and Rock Music
Ms Baum illustrated this fascinating tale with virtuoso demonstrations of the instrument's enchanting lyrical and melodic qualities on her own alto sax.