Traditions

Far Brook School
TRADITIONS

At Far Brook, there are five long-standing traditions which exemplify our dedication to learning through the arts. These traditions overarch our curricula and provide the framework for our school days and years. The five traditions are Morning Meeting, the Thanksgiving Processional, the Medieval Masque, Stabat Mater, and the Graduation Shakespeare Play.

The value of the traditions is not merely in the "performances." Preparation and rehearsal for these celebrations require self-discipline, respect for others, and striving for accomplishment and mastery. The traditions provide exposure to great material which stretches the imagination and the human spirit and fosters development of ideas, character, and values. Music is a vital part of all Far Brook traditions.

"Music is the spiritual fabric of Far Brook,
unifying and sustaining the school with great quality."

Winifred S. Moore, Roots of Excellence

MORNING MEETING

Each morning before classes begin, students and faculty file into Moore Hall, class by class. The atmosphere is one of quiet contemplation. Classical music fills the air, as even the youngest children take their places. Morning Meeting is the soul of Far Brook, unifying the school through shared experiences. We experience poetry, music, singing, tales that range from the absurd to the sublime, as examples of what is fine and meaningful, as food for the imagination, and as catalysts for adventuresome learning.

"Every morning the bell of the Hall would ring and we would walk
solemnly into the open room and sit on the floor while someone might play
a flute sonata or a teacher might read a poem by Keats. The incredible thing
is that I sat on the floor each morning from the time I was four
[through Eighth Grade] and soaked up all that culture and beauty.
And I never realized how fortunate I was."

Andrew Epstein, Class of 1984

LEAVING MOORE HALL AFTER MORNING MEETING

THANKSGIVING PROCESSIONAL

The Thanksgiving Processional is the universal and timeless celebration of the harvest. The pageantry and drama of this simple ritual rest in the richness of the music and the ongoing procession of children of the entire school dressed in autumn colors and carrying gifts from the harvest. The Far Brook choir leads the Processional, singing music of J.S. Bach and songs of autumn. The fruits and vegetables are later contributed to a community service organization.

THANKSGIVING PROCESSIONAL

MEDIEVAL MASQUE

During the darkening days of December, we celebrate festivals of light and hope.

The Medieval Christmas Masque, which arose from the Sixth Grade study of the Middle Ages, is the school's traditional winter dramatic presentation. It includes choral music of the 14th - 16th centuries and celebrates the recurring miracles of birth, hope and family love.

Other festivals of light and hope are shared in classrooms or in Morning Meeting. The spirit of Hanukkah pervades the school through the baking of latkes, the lighting of menorahs, and the retelling of the story of the Maccabees. Divali, Kwanzaa, Santa Lucia, the Chinese New Year (Nien), and the Japanese New Year (O-Shogatsu) may be shared through the help of parent volunteers. And every year at this time, paintings by students on classroom windows reflect our diverse traditions.

STABAT MATER

Stabat Mater, an extended choral work by G.B. Pergolesi, is performed each March by older students in a formal concert setting, accompanied by a professional string chamber ensemble.

The late Edwin Finckel, Director of Music at Far Brook from 1951 to 1990, chose this work over 33 years ago for its "purity of sound which is achieved with young people's voices." Alumnae and faculty are invited to participate.

SHAKESPEARE

The tradition that closes the Far Brook year and rounds out each student's education through the arts is the presentation of a Shakespeare play. Either The Tempest or A Midsummer Night's Dream is presented by the graduating eighth graders as their gift to the school. Every child at Far Brook is involved in some way in the growing excitement as the play nears. Through reading the story, participating in a variety of classroom projects, memorizing passages, and singing the songs, all of the students are included in the process.

"I realize what a priceless thing it is to have learned Shakespeare's language
while one's ear is young, to be able to just read it instead of
laboring over it -- no one should ever doubt that young children
can benefit from reading it and playing it."

Julia Flanders, Class of 1979

"Great plays are given children here, for they deeply understand them in part
and return to them all through their lives . . . . Shakespeare is not cultural at Far Brook,
but a good plot, a conflict between good and evil, between monsters and good spirits,
between conspirators and noble creatures; and Shakespeare leads children to the limit
of joyous, fantastic comedy. Exquisite imagery, language that feels fine rhythmically
to children...educates. Beauty is not dissected. Constant acquaintance
with beauty and greatness draws it in through the pores."

Winifred Moore, Founding Director

THE TEMPEST

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM