GODOLPHIN School staged an art exhibition and a commemorative performance to celebrate the contribution made by the students, staff and alumnae of the School and their families during the Great War 1914-18.

The exhibition in the Main Hall was taken largely form the school archive and gave an insight into the role of the school during the war with other images from the Imperial War Museum, the County Archive and the Salisbury Journal.

This was followed by the Commemorative Performance staged in a packed Performing Arts Centre.

The performance used music that was played at the school during the war and included choral works. The music was interspersed with readings and performances from the school’s drama students to reflect what was happening at the school at the time.

One of the choral works was ‘For the Fallen’ composed by 16-year-old Godolphin student Lucinda Pope, which was written as a GCSE composition, and is a setting of the famous poem by Laurence Binyon.

The Performance ended with the National Anthem and a period of silent reflection in which hand made poppies fluttered to the ground among the performers.

Mrs Emma Hattersley, Head, who created the event, said: “As we mark the centenary of the end of this devastating war, it is important to remember the ultimate sacrifice so many people made, and also the be aware of the contributions made by those left at home. Young women, especially, were frustrated that they could not officially join the war effort, but their commitment to and involvement in many projects is also to be remembered and celebrated.”