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challenging repertoire of the wind-band world.
September 1993 saw the
arrival of a new Head of
Drama, Robert Lowe, and
he and David soon
discovered that they had a
mutual love of musical
theatre, and so began a
partnership of Director and
Musical Director lasting
over 10 years, resulting in
the school productions of
Cabaret, Jack the Ripper,
My Fair Lady, The Music
Man, Cinderella and Little
Shop of Horrors. A staff
and pupil venture, Songs
from the Shows proved to
be a popular evening
accompanied by an
orchestra with music
especially arranged for the occasion and this became
the template for the Music
Theatre Singing
Competition that has now
become a biennial event. David remained a large part of the Stahl musical team up until his departure and always welcomed opportunities to tread the boards himself, even if the only roles available were pantomime dames!
Many wonderful, colourful music tours were undertaken by David with the Chapel Choir or various orchestras and ensembles. There was no trouble recruiting for the Jazz Orchestra tour to Barbados, where Oundle students were able to hear how steel pans should be played. Other highlights included tours to Belgium, Holland, New York, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, the latter being invitations to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival with OSJO, experiences not to be forgotten.
David was happy to find his tutoring feet in New House under its new Housemaster, Tony Burrows. He had to get used to some new terminology (“Sir, may I have a bed extension?”; “Certainly, where are they kept?”), but he loved the sense of belonging and loyalty that is unique to a boarding house and it was with great sadness that, after five years, it was announced that
New House was to change to a girls’ House. However, the Headmaster did not feel that it was fair that the new Upper Sixth should be dispersed among the other Houses, so part of the Old Sanatorium was converted into flats for the boys and a slightly apprehensive David Milsted. All that can be said is that they somehow made it to the end of the year relatively unscathed, before David moved to Laxton House, soon to become Fisher.
David McMurray also decided that David would be ideal to head up the committee overseeing the inception of the new Junior Club on the Two Acre site. It soon became apparent that this was a committee of one, but David got on with things despite no budget to furnish the site. Having begged, borrowed and stolen, a weekend club for the Fourth and Fifth Forms was soon in full swing, complete with tuck shop, and the area has continued to develop into the site where both Senior and Junior Clubs now co-exist. David relinquished the running of the Junior Club when, after a couple of years, he was invited to team up as Deputy Housemaster with the newly-appointed Fisher
Housemaster, Noah Wood. He was an immensely loyal, long-standing and much-loved Deputy in Fisher for 12 years, leading field trips and social events, stalking the corridors with his light- sabre and tutoring some choice individuals that sometimes only David’s man-management could keep on the right track.
Amongst David’s fondest memories of Oundle are the celebrations for the School’s 450th anniversary, firstly in St Paul’s Cathedral and then at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham in 2006. They were amazing occasions where the School, parents and OOs were treated to exactly what the Music department was capable of. A moment no one
present will forget was David conducting the massed woodwind, brass and pipers for a rendition of Highland Cathedral, an overwhelmingly powerful and moving highlight. Another great moment for him was getting a whole School Mexican wave going in the middle of an OSJO performance of Tequila. The whole event was so successful that it has become a regular event to enable every pupil to enjoy the experience at least once.
David found that a special part of teaching young individuals to explore and aim for their musical potential was that no two musicians were the same. Encouraging both their individual progress and ensemble training was the main reason he loved Oundle and stayed so long in one place. He retired slightly early in order to shift back to his original career of over 30 years ago, playing music. He will still be seen around Oundle, though, with his spaniel, Skye, and playing Gilbert and Sullivan. His colourful contributions to the School over 25 years, especially in its musical life, will be much missed.
Noah Wood, English teacher www
STAFF FAREWELLS
THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018
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