At the Official Opening of The Farrington Music School on Friday 20 June 2003, Peter Dix, who retired as Headmaster of Port Regis in August 2010 after 17 years at the helm, read out a letter from Stephen Binnington, the then Director of Music.
Dear Headmaster
I write to explain the urgent need for a purpose-built Music School. We are woefully short of space, and the children have to practise in many strange places, but I feel the drying room and changing rooms should be used only in an emergency and not because there is nowhere else to go. We need something well designed to provide teaching and practice rooms, listening facilities, storage space and a recital and rehearsal hall large enough to seat a respectable audience. I believe the future of music at Port Regis depends on the building of such a facility to give our young musicians a fair chance to develop their tremendous potential.
Signed: Stephen Binnington
Dated: 9 October 1976
Today Stephen and Port Regis have their beautiful new Music School, the Farrington Music School. It is a dream fulfilled, and the beginning of something very special in the history of the school. During the opening weekend of concerts, which graced the exquisite Recital Hall, we had a foretaste of things to come. The children played and sang quite beautifully, the Old Portregians showed what a good grounding can do for one’s skills, and the musicians from the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals provided appropriate pomp and circumstance as well as some jazzy fun for the special occasion. That evening we enjoyed the beautiful playing of Ruth Rogers (OPR), one of the country’s most talented young violinists, and that of her accompanist Alvin Moisey. A School Concert followed on the Saturday, with some of the first programme repeated but with one or two new items as well; on the Sunday evening the Wyncantores, our local Choral Society, and the Three Reeds performed most elegantly, and on the Monday evening we tapped our feet to the brassy swing of the musicians from Pridwin School in South Africa. Two weeks later, the Recital Hall was again full to capacity for a fine Prize Day concert.
The successful completion of this lovely building has come about as the result of the careful planning, hard work and immeasurable enthusiasm and support of a very considerable number of people. Thanks goes first and foremost to the parents, not least those who served on the Development Committee under the energetic Chairmanship first of Bruce Gyngell and then of Charles Pugh, for all that they have done. Without their efforts, this project would still be on the drawing board, as it would be without the generous and whole-hearted backing of other benefactors whose commitment and support is hugely appreciated.
Secondly, thanks goes to the architect, David Sharp, for designing a building which will inspire children to want to make music. The ambience, the views, the split-second-perfect acoustics, the abundance of natural light and the beautiful setting on the edge of the water have responded most elegantly to the brief, and given us something of which generations of Portregians and their families will be enormously proud. Thanks, too, to RG Spiller, the construction company, for their splendid work on the project, not least Len Drinkwater, the most wonderfully grumpy site agent, who bullied and harangued the sub-contractors into launching on time and in really good shape.
Many others helped too, including Mike Hill, the Quantity Surveyor; Brian Ritchie of the structural engineers, Anthony Ward; Lars Jackson, the interior designer, who conspired with my wife to persuade me that lilac seats would be acceptable to a respectable audience; and Rodney Wayman and John Raper, who came hot-foot from redesigning the acoustics of the Barbican Hall, to design, supply and fit the dazzling array of electronic and technological equipment in our Music School.
Thanks also to Stephen Binnington for his extraordinary patience over 27 years, and his tireless devotion to the detailed planning of this building, and to John Viner whose technical expertise and infectious enthusiasm knows no bounds.
Finally, a big thank you to the Governors who have provided support from the outset, not least, Chris Holloway, whose vision determined that the building should be an octagon and whose persistence, encouragement and commitment have been a source of ongoing inspiration and guidance.
Sadly, Robin Farrington, the previous Chairman, who shared much of the early thinking and planning of the project, was not with us at the Opening to take his share of the credit, but we were delighted and honoured to be able to welcome Suzie and other members of the family to this wonderful occasion.
Our Visitor, Sir Hugh Cunningham, was a governor for 18 years and Chairman for 13 of them, and he happens to know a thing or two about building at Port Regis! He was also a close friend of Robin Farrington’s, and he spoke most warmly of what Robin did for the School and of his enthusiasm for the project. Suzie then cut the ribbon to mark the official opening before everyone retired to the Dining Hall for an excellent lunch. Robin lends his name to a building which will do something very special for the children of Port Regis for years to come.
Secondly, thanks goes to the architect, David Sharp, for designing a building which will inspire children to want to make music. The ambience, the views, the split-second-perfect acoustics, the abundance of natural light and the beautiful setting on the edge of the water have responded most elegantly to the brief, and given us something of which generations of Portregians and their families will be enormously proud. Thanks, too, to RG Spiller, the construction company, for their splendid work on the project, not least Len Drinkwater, the most wonderfully grumpy site agent, who bullied and harangued the sub-contractors into launching on time and in really good shape.
Thanks also to Stephen Binnington for his extraordinary patience over 27 years, and his tireless devotion to the detailed planning of this building, and to John Viner whose technical expertise and infectious enthusiasm knows no bounds.