Hallé, Sir Tim Rice and opera stars mark school’s big day

Giggleswick School in the Yorkshire Dales is staging a year of celebration to mark its 500th anniversary, having been established in 1512.

Not only have the school secured the services of the Hallé Orchestra for the performance, on Saturday June 30, but the evening will be presented by song-writing legend Sir Tim Rice, a long-time supporter of the school.

Sir Tim became involved with Giggleswick through his friendship with television presenter Richard Whiteley, who was a former pupil and governor at the school.

He visited Giggleswick School, near Settle, in 1999 to see a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in the school’s chapel in 1999. He is also patron of the school’s Richard Whiteley Theatre.

He is the second famous name to support the school in recent months following Dame Judi Dench, who appeared in a school production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods last year.

Tickets for the Hallé’s first ever open air concert in the Dales went on sale this week. The school community will all be invited but there will still be around 9,000 tickets available for members of the public. It will also involve internationally renowned soloists Sir Thomas Allen, Sarah Fox and Barry Banks, and will be conducted by James Burton. A special stage will be constructed for the event, which will conclude with fireworks.

Giggleswick’s foundation director Andrew Beales said: “The Hallé Orchestra simply do not normally perform concerts like this at a school. We are very fortunate to have them.

“It is an incredible setting for the concert. We are able to take advantage of the scars of the Dales where the school is situated.

“A quincentenary celebration for a school is very unusual. Obviously there is St Peter’s School in York who are older than we are but Giggleswick is one of the oldest 50 schools in the entire country.”

Headmaster Geoffrey Boult said: “Music has been an important part of the life of the school since its foundation over 500 years ago, We are honoured that friends of the school such as Sir Tim Rice and world famous performers like the Hallé Orchestra and Sir Thomas Allen are able to join us to mark this historic occasion.”

The first building at Giggleswick School was erected in 1512, although it is thought its founder, the Rev James Carr was teaching in the local church as early as 1499.

Events marking the anniversary will come to an end on December 15 as the date matches the year the school was first built,1512.