It was a pleasure to welcome so many members of the Petre Society and their guests to Downside on Tuesday 12th March.
The day began with Whole School Mass in the Abbey Church for the Solemnity of St Gregory the Great with Abbot Nicholas Wetz presiding. The Schola Cantorum were in full voice with the accompaniment of the brass band and Old Gregorian, Matt Walters (R18), who joined us on the organ.
Members of the Society were then greeted with a delicious lunch in the Butler Room, joined by Head, Andrew Hobbs, and Abbot Nicholas. After lunch, members gathered in the Petre Cloister to hear from some of our Music Scholars with a mini-concert – special thanks to Pawel, Natasza and Brynn for their beautiful performances. Click here to listen to a short video snippet of Brynn on the saxophone.
Finally, to conclude the day, the Head and Abbot shared updates on School progress and news from the Monastic Community during the Q&A session.
Thank you to the members and their guests for joining us and for those who were unable to attend this year, you were missed. It was a delightful day and a pleasure to welcome many people back to Downside, including one or two who had not returned to Downside for over 50 years.
There are many ways to support us and we are so very grateful to all who have generously chosen to leave a legacy to Downside. Did you know that even just 1% can be left in your Will to Downside so that those closest to you inherit 99%?
If you would like more information on how to become a member of the Petre Society or to discuss how you could support us, please contact Jessica Newman at jnewman@downside.co.uk.
