Hertsmere Borough Council officers support plan to double the size of Purcell School in Bushey (From Watford Observer)

This is an excellent idea as the Purcell School enjoys a strong national reputation for the quality of their musical education.
As a former Careers Adviser to the Purcell School I remember many of their young students who were lucky enough to enjoy both the benefit of motivating teaching and the opportunity to perform in school ensembles with their young classmates.
Local residents have also been able to attend concerts given by the students in the school hall.
Altogether, I have to say that any expansion of the Purcell School's activities should be welcomed by local people as it should enhance the reputation of Hertfordshire education and provide additional opportunities for musically inclined youngsters.

John Howard Norfolk wrote:
This is an excellent idea as the Purcell School enjoys a strong national reputation for the quality of their musical education.
As a former Careers Adviser to the Purcell School I remember many of their young students who were lucky enough to enjoy both the benefit of motivating teaching and the opportunity to perform in school ensembles with their young classmates.
Local residents have also been able to attend concerts given by the students in the school hall.
Altogether, I have to say that any expansion of the Purcell School's activities should be welcomed by local people as it should enhance the reputation of Hertfordshire education and provide additional opportunities for musically inclined youngsters.

Its priceless how some people get all in a twist over a supermarket being built and serving the community.Yet when an elitist music school wants to expand...hey presto,that ok.I have lived in Watford for 40 years (and still do) yet i know or know of nobody who has used that place or beneited from it,yet JH,who has hotfooted it to Norfolk,well he thinks its a great idea......like we all need to play the trumpet....

'JH,who has hotfooted it to Norfolk,'

If you look carefully karmacameleon, I think you will find he lives in Devon and his surname is Norfolk.

Ooooohh !

This news story is actually a piece of good news so please don't let us sink into unnecessary banter.

The school was previously in Harrow and relocated to Hertfordshire only in recent years which is why "karmacameleon" would have struggled over most of those forty years to know anyone locally who benefitted from their excellent musical education. Incidentally the school is funded by a government scheme for music education and is an asset for children throughout the country - indeed throughout the world!

The school is no more "elitist" than any other of the Watford area schools which claim specialist academy status for the quality of their particular subject interest.

Its just unfortunate that a few people - of whom I suspect "karmacameleon" may be one -lump together a musical education with "clssical music" and unfortunately then jump to the mistaken conclusion of elitism. It isn't.

Lots of us enjoy music and the best time to start is to start young.

And by the way, the Purcell School doesn't just produce classical music performers - I recall several of their students with ambitions for singing, composing, conducting and theatre.

If in doubt do please look at the school's website to find out more.

On a personal note my Watford roots go back to 1956. I may now live in Devon, but rather like Oli Phillips I think I have left my heart in Watford so I continue my interest in the town I have known so well all that time.

Auntie wrote:
'JH,who has hotfooted it to Norfolk,'

If you look carefully karmacameleon, I think you will find he lives in Devon and his surname is Norfolk.

Point taken,your so clever..

"And by the way, the Purcell School doesn't just produce classical music performers - I recall several of their students with ambitions for singing, composing, conducting and theatre."You may recall them but nobody else does...as they are rarer than rocking horse sh1t.You may be down in devon which i admit is quiet a walk away but harrow is hardly the black counrty to watford,is it.

"
Its just unfortunate that a few people - of whom I suspect "karmacameleon" may be one -lump together a musical education with "clssical music" and unfortunately then jump to the mistaken conclusion of elitism. It isn't."
This is where we will dissagree as i think it is totally elitist,a snobby school for snobby musicians,a bit like the Watford Grammar music school.Lets see how many kids from The Meriden or Holywell who use these facilities.One thing id like to get absolutely straight,WE the taxpayer pays for this school,not government.

I guess if national lottery money goes to the Royal Opera House why should we be surprised that special treatment is given to elitist schools, the product of which will be entertaining the very same upper classes that enjoy subsidised Verdi.

>Lets see how many kids from The Meriden or Holywell who use these facilities.<

Surely kids from the Meriden and Holywell estates have other, more important interests, like playing mindless video games, drinking strong lager, taking drugs, stabbing each other and mugging old ladies for their pensions!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with elitism. Love of music, painting, the theatre and similar arts raises those who enjoy such things above the common herd who are concerned only with where their next drink is coming from, football and watching moronic soap operas and TV reality shows because their own little world is so incredibly useless, futile and boring. We are talking here about the differences between intelligent, educated people of quality and the mindless, ignorant masses.

I do, however, agree with the proposition that those who enjoy operas and classical concerts should pay the full price for them and not be subsidised by the taxpayer. The government has never offered to fund my substantial collection of jazz vinyl albums and CDs, I'm afraid!

By the way, I suspect if you took a poll of ex-pupils of the Purcell School you would find a fair number are playing in jazz, rock and pop groups. Indeed, there are many classically-trained musicians who supplement their income by becoming session players in backing groups on pop albums. It's a well-known thing in the music business and to suggest that all pupils of the school are elitist classical musicians illustrates a gross ignorance

Unfortunately, there are some very ignorant and uneducated people from the lower classes who seem to have a chip on their shoulder the size of Watford Town Hall and see anything they deem to be remotely middle and upper class as snobbish. That they are illiterate, or semi-literate in the quality of their use of the English language - or, rather, lack of it - only serves to illustrate my point.

Roy Stockdill wrote:
&gt;Lets see how many kids from The Meriden or Holywell who use these facilities.&lt; Surely kids from the Meriden and Holywell estates have other, more important interests, like playing mindless video games, drinking strong lager, taking drugs, stabbing each other and mugging old ladies for their pensions! There is absolutely nothing wrong with elitism. Love of music, painting, the theatre and similar arts raises those who enjoy such things above the common herd who are concerned only with where their next drink is coming from, football and watching moronic soap operas and TV reality shows because their own little world is so incredibly useless, futile and boring. We are talking here about the differences between intelligent, educated people of quality and the mindless, ignorant masses. I do, however, agree with the proposition that those who enjoy operas and classical concerts should pay the full price for them and not be subsidised by the taxpayer. The government has never offered to fund my substantial collection of jazz vinyl albums and CDs, I'm afraid! By the way, I suspect if you took a poll of ex-pupils of the Purcell School you would find a fair number are playing in jazz, rock and pop groups. Indeed, there are many classically-trained musicians who supplement their income by becoming session players in backing groups on pop albums. It's a well-known thing in the music business and to suggest that all pupils of the school are elitist classical musicians illustrates a gross ignorance Unfortunately, there are some very ignorant and uneducated people from the lower classes who seem to have a chip on their shoulder the size of Watford Town Hall and see anything they deem to be remotely middle and upper class as snobbish. That they are illiterate, or semi-literate in the quality of their use of the English language - or, rather, lack of it - only serves to illustrate my point.

I think the use of three hyphens in your final sentence displays a lack of grammar. One would have sufficed.

I think it used to be the case that students at Queens' School could go next door to the Purcell to do A Level Music. I don't know whether this still happens but there must have been several local children who, therefore, did benefit from the Purcell School.

By the way Mr Norfolk, were you the Careers Advisor for Queens' as well. Your name rings a bell!

"Surely kids from the Meriden and Holywell estates have other, more important interests, like playing mindless video games, drinking strong lager, taking drugs, stabbing each other and mugging old ladies for their pensions!"
For your information Roy,ive lived here for 40 years and ive never heard of a mugging on the Meriden(only at Lea Farm school,which is your neck of the woods Roy) lol,it would be one brave mugger.If you think drugs are the home turf of the working class,it just shows your narrow-mindedness.
The fact you equate not having a love of classical(or your case jazz)music to being uneducated is laughable.I may not be grammatically your equal Roy but that does not mean im thick,far from it.Look at music and you will see that people who like classical or jazz music,come generally from the middle(Jazz)class and upper (classical)class.Thi
s is my opinion mind you and id be happy for you to prove me wrong but i suspect im right...One thing i will say Roy,concidering your so clever and from a better class you still only ended up 200 yards from where i live on the Meriden.Living on the avenues,lets face it,it dosent shout "I've Arrived" does it?Oh and now that the kids from your estate and mine share a school,it wont be long till the avenues becomes an extention of the Meriden.Must have been a shock to have all those potential muggers and druggies invading.

Gosh,karmacameleon does have a chip on his shoulder doesn't he? Surely even he has to admit that the Meriden is not exactly a haven of tranquility! After all there have been several murders over the years and there have definitely been plenty of muggings that have been reported in this paper. However, the point is that this school offers free scholarships to any musically gifted child from any background, so that they can develop their talent. I personally know of two children who have recently been awarded scholarships - one from a single parent family on the Harebreaks and one from West Watford. These kids can hardly be described as posh or over-priviledged. However they will be given the chance to get a great education - musical and academic which otherwise may not have been available to them at some of our less than brilliant schools. Maybe that is what you object to? There is absolutely no reason why a child from the Meriden or Holywell could not obtain a scholarship if they excel at playing a musical instrument, including being able to sing well. You should celebrate that there are still some institutions that celebrate excellence and allow people to braek through and do something special. Perhaps you are just envious?

ps Perhaps you should have a look at the recent news item about the Purcell school putting on a concert for local primary kids to encourage them to get invoved in music. Our kids need such positive role models

I’d rather we spent our tax money nurturing talent like this than paying for the damage caused by cider drinking, hoody wearing, socially inadequate, teenage pregnancy causing, thieving, mugging, murdering, drug taking minority of youths who seem to dominate the headlines these days.

Children should be encouraged to explore and improve on their talents whatever they may be rather than as it seems with the majority of children not in my first category above sat in front of an xbox or tv or computer too lazy to get off their bums and eating snack food which is such a waste of time and life and is building up a problem for this countries future (these activities being linked with amongst other things unruly behaviour in classrooms equalling poor exam results, rise in obesity equalling a burden on the NHS equalling an extra burden on us the tax payer).

This countries reputation has just nose dived the past ten years in the rest of the world, fuelled mostly by the antics of our youth both at home and abroad. I’ve travelled extensively all my life and right now when I tell people where I am from the first things they mention invariably about this country are about teens killing teens, about our high teenage pregnancy rate, about our obese children, about our booze culture and about our general lack of class.

This school is not elitist but is there to nurture kids with musical abilities. Once again people are knocking others because of their talents (probably out of jealousy - and by the way I don't like classical music, i'm more of a Nickelback fan (new album out today by the way)), we should be proud that we have this school on our doorsteps and that local Watford children are benefiting from it too.

I work at the Purcell School and would like to thank everybody who has written in with supportive comments. The Purcell School has only been in Bushey for ten years having had to leave Harrow because we were unable to grow there as we needed to. The welcome that we have enjoyed since moving to Hertsmere has been terrific and we have enjoyed becoming part of this wonderful community.

I am writing to clarify some misunderstandings that have been expressed in this discussion. The point of the Purcell School is that anybody, from any background, and irrespective of their family's wealth, can come here to study music if they have a special talent. The government supports us in this through the Music and Dance Scheme, and we are also grateful to private sponsors and companies who make it possible to offer our education to children who are not eligible for the government scheme. We help children from all over the UK and the world at large to make the most of their talents.

Many of them go on to become professional musicians, in all walks of musical activity. Yes, many of them are classical musicians. But a significant number are also in Jazz, crossover and rock groups. We don't think of music in an elitist way. As Duke Ellington said, "there's only two kinds of music; good and bad".

We give countless concerts here in Bushey. For most of them, entrance is free. Please come and hear what is going on at our school. You can find details on our website - where you will also find details of our community and outreach work.