The Club are saddened to learn of the death of former pupil Andrew Clements.
The following obituary has been extracted from The Guardian.
Andrew Clements, who has died aged 75 after a period of ill health, was for more than three decades the Guardian’s chief classical music critic. His style was a model of critical integrity – authoritative and intelligent, sometimes enthusiastic and sometimes slightly grumpy, dry-humoured yet never showy.
Music may say things that words cannot express, but he mastered the rare art of putting music into words, always using language with precision; reading him, you knew what a performance had sounded like. Best known for championing new music with tireless devotion, Andrew had much wider musical interests than many realised.
However, music was only one of his passions. Topping the list of other fascinations were natural history and Latin American literature, and these strands all came together when he reviewed the world premiere of Peter Eötvös’s opera Love and Other Demons – based on Gabriel García Márquez – at Glyndebourne in summer 2008. Welcoming the work, Andrew ended his review by saying that only the production disappointed “for its failure to evoke any real sense of place, despite the lavish use of video projections full of writhing bodies, insects and reptiles; someone might have pointed out to [the director] that there are no chameleons in South America”.
With such wide interests, Andrew could have taken several professional paths but worked in music journalism – at times as an editor as well as writer – almost all his adult life. But his first job after graduating was in the editorial department of the Open University, where he met Kate (Kathryn) Coltman. They married, and had two daughters, Lara and Holly; they separated in the 1990s.
Andrew served as music critic of the New Statesman for 11 years from 1977, also contributing to Time Out. He had a brief spell (1987-88) as editor of the Musical Times, and wrote for many years (1979-93) for the Financial Times, not only on classical music but also as the paper’s rock and pop critic. Later, in a Guardian classical review he would say that Brian Wilson’s God Only Knows was still the most perfect pop song.
Overlapping with his writing, Andrew was commissioning editor for books on music at Faber & Faber (the publisher’s connection to poets and poetry was not lost on him), midwifing several significant titles. He first wrote for Opera magazine in 1983 and joined its editorial board in 1990. When he succeeded Edward Greenfield on the Guardian in August 1993, the appointment was clinched at least in part by a recommendation from the pianist Alfred Brendel.
He also had a fondness for the English pastoralist composers of the early- and mid-20th century, and indeed had grown up in Hucclecote, a village that has become a suburb of Gloucester. His mother, Linda, a domestic science teacher before her marriage, was from the Forest of Dean; his father, Joseph, who had grown up on a small family farm in Down Hatherley, to the north of Gloucester, made aeroplane parts for Dowty Aviation.
An only child, Andrew attended The Crypt school, a grammar in Gloucester, and was the first member of his family to go to university. He studied theoretical physics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and played the flute in a university orchestra. Contemporaries remember him as a little unsocial and enigmatic – qualities that later allowed him to maintain a professional distance and to write without fear or favour.
With such a background, Andrew was well placed to attend the Cheltenham music festival during its vintage years, and also the Three Choirs festival; this was his first musical landscape, and Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius held special appeal. He would remain more committed than most critics to covering the regional scene.
In 1992 he became a director of the Holst Foundation, honouring the Cheltenham-born composer, and the poetry of Ivor Gurney meant a great deal to him. Reading the Guardian’s Country Diary was a daily ritual (as was doing the paper’s Cryptic Crossword).
Music was not in the family, but his parents had been keen gardeners and lovers of the countryside. Andrew started collecting plants as a boy and was soon ordering Bhutan alpine seeds and indexing specimens. Birds, amphibians and reptiles were special interests, and he kept many creatures as pets – on one occasion, some burglars are said to have been frightened off by his poison dart frogs.
A holiday in Crete in 1979 – his first trip abroad – made a huge impression on him, and Greece would remain one of his favourite countries for the rest of his life. Bird-watching took him the length of South America, from Costa Rica to Ecuador and the Amazon to Patagonia. This he often did with his partner Amanda Holden, the opera librettist and translator, with whom he lived in London for several years. She died in 2021.
Andrew, who I was lucky to count as a colleague and friend for three decades, contributed to The New Grove Dictionary of Music, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera and The New Penguin Opera Guide. He wrote a compact account of the composer Mark-Anthony Turnage (2000). In opera, he responded not just musically but had a strong sense of theatre.
Pianists and the piano literature were close to his heart, and his penultimate review for the Guardian, of previously unpublished recordings by Radu Lupu, had a valedictory feel: “Of the many hundreds of pianists I must have heard in more than 50 years of recital going, a multitude that has included many of the greatest names of the 20th century, none gave me more consistent pleasure or a greater sense of wonder.”
An illness starting in early 2025 meant that Andrew’s last concert review (of the Dunedin Consort) appeared in early March. Despite these difficulties, he retained the sense of humour that countered an often gruff exterior. From his home in Oxfordshire he continued reviewing recordings; his final piece, about Nadia Boulanger’s opera La Ville Morte, was written just before Christmas and published at the start of January, by which time he had contracted the flu that led to his death.
Kate survives him, along with Lara, Holly and two grandchildren.
Andrew Joseph Clements, music critic, born 15 September 1950; died 11 January 202
The club is sad to announce the passing of former President, Ian Williamson. He died surrounded by his family after a short illness on the 27th December in Salisbury hospital in Wiltshire.
The club has sent its condolences to his wife, Patricia, and his wider family.
Dear Members, It’s my pleasure to invite you to this year’s reunion dinner at The Crypt School on Saturday March 21st. It’ll be held in the crush hall which is a wonderful and intimate setting. Not only do we have a great guest speaker but we’ll also finally be announcing our proposals for the future of the club. The price will be £35 for members and £38 for non-members. However for members who book before February 16th we’re offering an early-bird price of £32.50!
OCC Dinner 2026
OCC Dinner information collection
The menu is:
Starter: Slow Braised Ham Hock Terrine served with Sourdough Bread and Piccalilli Mains: Steak and Ale Shortcrust Pie Served Buttery Mashed Potato and Rich Gravy Dessert: Chocolate and Black Cherry Roulade Served with Pouring Cream Vegetarian option available on request
Our guest speaker this year will be Crypt alumnus, my former colleague and predecessor in the BBC, Graham Gardner. Graham has had a distinguished career in journalism from local newspapers to Severn Sound, BBC Radio Gloucestershire and then BBC Points West as the Gloucestershire reporter. He was high profile in the BBC’s coverage of the Cromwell Street murders after which he also authored a book with the senior investigating officer. Graham has never spoken publicly about his career before and I’m proud that he’s chosen his former school and my year as OCC President to do it.
As also mentioned above I’m also very excited that we’ll be announcing the committee’s proposals about the future of the club at the AGM on the 21st. In reality its taken us over three years to get to this point but we’re now in a position where we have a firm plan to reinvigorate the club and look to the future with some positivity. We won’t be announcing this generally to all members until the end of March so if you want to hear it first from me and the committee then the AGM and dinner is the place to be. I’m sure it will prompt some good discussions over dinner.
Please do book your tickets as soon as possible, take advantage of the early-bird offer, and encourage your peers and school mates to join us. As we embark on a new era of the club it would be wonderful to see as many people there as possible. We’ll be starting things a little earlier than usual with the AGM at 5.30pm, drinks at 6 and dinner at 6.30pm.
A new exhibition about a poem written by a Gloucester-born writer has opened.
The exhibition, at St Mary de Crypt in Southgate Street in the city centre, tells the story of the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley and how it has had a major impact across the world.
The poem was written in 1875, so this year marks its 150th anniversary. The exhibition has been put together by history students from The Crypt School, which Henley attended and which was founded at St Mary de Crypt, in conjunction with the Friends of St Mary de Crypt.
Most famously, Invictus was read daily by Nelson Mandela while he was in captivity but it has also been quoted from at different times by major figures including Winston Churchill and Barack Obama. It was also the inspiration for Prince Harry’s Invictus Games for injured service personnel and for the 2009 film about South Africa winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Paul James, Chair of the Friends of St Mary de Crypt, said, “We are very grateful to the students and staff at The Crypt School for putting this exhibition together. It is remarkable just how much influence Invictus has had on events around the world and we should be proud that its roots are here in Gloucester.”
James Higgs, Head of History and Politics at The Crypt School, said: “Our students have relished the opportunity to research, collaborate & present their ideas on William Henley and his poetry. They have enjoyed seeing the myriad of ways it has influenced figures way beyond Gloucestershire, and throughout the world. Henley’s themes of resilience and inner strength are all incredibly relevant to our students today.
The exhibition is free to view and St Mary de Crypt is open Wednesday-Saturday from 11am-3pm (except the morning of Wednesday 19th November when it will be closed due to a theatrical production). The exhibition will run until the end of the year.
INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley 1849 – 1903 Born on Eastgate Street, Gloucester, Crypt School alumnus, William Ernest Henley, went on to become a celebrated poet, writer and literary critic. He was moved to write the 1875 poem, ‘Invictus’, whilst recovering from surgery to save his remaining leg, having lost one when he was 16 to complications arising from tuberculosis. Evoking the indefatigable spirit, self discipline and fortitude in adversity, Invictus has inspired many and was quoted at different times by leaders including Sir Winston Churchill and Barack Obama. Whilst incarcerated at Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela recited the poem to other prisoners and was empowered by its message of self-mastery. He was forever linked to ‘Invictus’ when his early presidency of South Africa and the 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph were immortalised by the 2009 film of the same name.
The Cryptian Magazine is now available on line. Please follow this link for the full magazine.
Once again, the school has provided a lot of interesting and informative content – there is so much going on at the school these days both inside and outside of the classrooms – all put together by Chris Cobb.
Steve Knibbs has taken on the editorship for all of our Cryptian community input. Please contact *******@**********ns.org“>Steve or Adam with any comments or content for next year.
The Old Cryptians’ Club will be providing a light supper after the Founders’ Day Service at The Dick Whittington Pub, a short walk from the Cathedral from 8.30pm.
If you would like to meet up after the service for supper, please let us know by emailing ad***@**********ns.org by Thursday 12 June as we need to know numbers for catering.
The Dick Whittington Pub 100 Westgate St, Gloucester GL1 2PE
I wanted to report back to you about the Old Cryptians Annual Dinner held on Saturday 29th March.
We had over 60 people attend from many different school years and I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you all for supporting the event. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the meal and catching up with your school friends. The tour round the school was a success and many told me that they were surprised at just how much the school has grown, both in pupil numbers and the buildings accommodating them, since they had been there. The school’s popularity has been cemented by an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating and, under Nick Dyer’s leadership, I am sure this success will continue.
Several from my year turned up to listen to our fellow school friend David Fannin talk about what he’s done since leaving school, the business he set up, his appearance on Dragons’ Den, the difficulties with Brexit and sourcing manufacturing abroad and the eventual sale of the business, leading to his early retirement. As I said in my speech, it really was an example of what hard work and dedication can bring you and should hopefully be an inspiration to the students who joined us at the meal.
Talking of inspiration I also made reference to William E Henley as it’s the 150th anniversary of his most famous poem Invictus being written; if there’s ever a poem that could be used as motivation for the students it’s this poem which has served as an inspiration to so many.
It was a proud moment for me as an old pupil to stand on the stage again after so many years and tell people of my time at Crypt and how it has inspired me over the years. It really has. I learnt so many lessons at the school, both in and out of the classroom, that have served me well over the years. Even people knowing that you went to Crypt School can open doors for you in life as it has done for me, as well as causing many a friendly rivalry with some of the Old Richians I’ve met over the years. Some of the teachers at the school I remember fondly and would like to thank them for the knowledge they instilled in me.
Lastly, I would like to thank those who organised the event and made it possible and everyone who came along on the night, especially those who had not been to the annual dinner before. It was great to see you all and catch up especially seeing some old school friends who I’d not seen since school. Watching you trying to remember the words to the school song will keep me entertained for many years to come! It’s my sincere hope that the annual dinner be used as a reunion and will grow and grow over the years; so if you want to catch up with your school friends and see what they’ve been up to, please come along in 2026 and for many years after.
Hopefully I’ll see you again next year.
Thanks again, Matt Cass Old Cryptians’ Club President 2024-2025
Hi, I’m Matt Cass and I was at The Crypt School from 1984 – 1991. I’m Gloucester born and bred and still live and work in the city and consider it an honour to have gone to The Crypt School. I’m still close friends with many school friends and keep in touch with many of my class mates from that era. In fact over the last few years we have organised a class reunion where a good number of us have met up and had a great time catching up with each other – some of whom I had not seen since school days. It’s great to see how people have grown and succeeded, what jobs they have and who has moved to different countries.
This year I’m hoping that we can arrange a class reunion at the annual Old Cryptians’ meal in March which is normally at the school and hope you’ll be able to join me and maybe organise your own reunion for your class and year. The annual meal seems to me to be the perfect time to organise this sort of thing and reminisce about the old schools days (good and bad) and the many things and people who have come and gone from those days. It’s also great to see the old school and how its grown over the years into the powerhouse it is today.
When I was at school we had at one point about 300-400 pupils in the school as a whole and nowadays there are over 1,000! Apparently the school is so popular that people are coming from afar as Swindon and Wales!
I mentioned in my acceptance speech at Founders’ Day that as President of the Old Cryptians I will do my best to represent the school and its former pupils, young and old. We have had some notable people attend our school over the years but this year I want to celebrate one person in particular. I plan to celebrate one of the school’s most famous alumni during my term of office and hopefully bring some local and national publicity to the club and school.
William E Henley
2024 is the 175th anniversary of William E Henley’s birth (he went to The Crypt School from 1861–1867) and 2025 is the 150-year anniversary of his most famous poem, ‘Invictus’.
For those of you that don’t know much about Henley: He lived in Eastgate Street in Gloucester and even has a House at the school named after him. He suffered from Tuberculosis at age 20 and had a leg amputated. He was friends with Robert Lois Stevenson who wrote “Treasure Island”. Henley is believed to be the inspiration for Long John Silver in his book; probably because of him losing one leg. He also wrote ‘Invictus’ which is arguably his most famous poem; which Nelson Mandela quoted as inspiring him during his 27 years of captivity. It is also the inspiration for the 2009 ‘Invictus’ film starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon about South Africa winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The Invictus Games founded by Prince Harry also takes it name from the poem. And it all started at The Old School Room at St Mary de Crypt on Southgate Street, where The Crypt School was founded.
It is an honour to be linked to a school with such a rich heritage and such a positive present and future. I will do my best during my term of office to do the club and the school proud.
