​Remembrance Service at Gordon’s

A simple Service of Remembrance took place at Gordon’s School on Sunday with just one student, Pipe Major Owen Carter, taking part to pipe the traditional Scottish air played after battle ‘Battle’s O’er’ and the Lament.

The Remembrance Service would usually be attended by the whole student body, staff and parents and would include a Parade at the school in West End, Surrey Heath. But COVID regulations meant a scaled-down, socially-distanced version with Residential Boarders observing the two minute silence in their boarding houses and just three Gordon’s staff and the Piper attending the service by the Gordon statue. The event was live-streamed via Facebook, reaching some 6,000 viewers across the world.

Dressed in his Blues uniform, the Pipe Major also played the Lament in memory of the sacrifices of so many, including the 155 former students killed in action during the First World War.

The Service, together with the Exhortation, was taken by the school Chaplain the Reverend Sarah Norbron.

Three poppy wreaths were laid by Headmaster Andrew Moss; Senior Pipe Major Iona Scotson and the Reverend Norbron on behalf of the Gordon Foundation Governors, staff and students of the school; its Parents’ Association, and one in memory of Darryl Gardiner, a Gordonian killed in 2008 in Afghanistan.

Headmaster Andrew Moss commented: “Gordon’s is proud to honour and recognise the contribution and sacrifice made by our students as well as men and women from the wider community and across the Commonwealth. While it was disappointing that our traditional act of Remembrance and the Parade were not able to go ahead, it was special that we were still able to share our intimate, simple service with parents, students, staff and Gordonians, albeit virtually.”