J.A.W.BENNETTANDTHESCHOOLHYMN

JackBennettknownasJ.A.W.Bennettwasoneofnineboysin6Ain1928.6AbecameForm7andthenYear13.Hewasascholarly,perceptive,fey,religiously-mindedboy,whowasalreadyasuperiorprosewriter,abletopullseeminglydisparatethreadstogether.Yethewasunworldly,hehadneverbeentothemoviesnorplayedanysport.Hisparentswerehard-workingordinarypeoplewhobelongedtotheBrethrenChurch.Theywereproudofhisachievementsbutuncertainofhislaterviews.Hehadtwopiecesinthe1928TheAlbertian.Thefirst,pp6-7wastitledScienceandModernThought.Hebeganwiththis:“Thepolitical,socialandreligiouslifeofmodernEnglanddatesfromthemomentoftheRestorationofCharlesII”[1660].Onthebutton.TheRoyalSocietywasfoundedin1660andCharlespromulgatedtheestablishmentoftheLucasianChairofMathematicsatCambridgeUniversity,andhiscontemporary,SirIsaacNewtonheldtheChairfor33years.InourowntimeitwasheldbyStephenHawkingfor30years.ThesecondpiecewasanessayfortheSchoolEssayPrize,pp49-50,entitledOurHellenicHeritage.Hebegins:“ThemodernworldislackinginoneIdeal–theIdealofBeauty.”Whilethesearewonderfulpieces,heisbetterknowntousforapoem,inthesameissueonp55.HecalleditEnvoi(thefinalverseisnotreallyanenvoi,butnomatter).Therearesevenversesandthefirstonegoes:“Duskonthewallsandthetwilightlingering,Darken,yetlightenourhalf-dimmedgaze;WhileonthepanelsstillbrightwithhisfingeringGodwritesthislegendingoldenrays:”Itwassettomusicbyalocalmusician,DrS.K.Phillips,anditwasfirstsungattheSchoolConcertin1930.ThisprogrammesaysthemusicwasbyDrW.E.Thomas.Wehaveacopyoftheprogramme,whereitcanbeseenthatfourversesweresung.

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Thelastyearthatfourversesweresungwas1942.IntheCalendarandSchoolListforterm2and3forthatyearthesixthversewasalsosung.Itgoes“Youngyetthouartandyoungisourloyalty,Notyetaresacredthywallswithourfame;Butwhentheyearswillhavegiventheeroyalty,Thenshallbehailed,withallhonour,thyname”The1943issueshadtodaysthreeversesprinted.Wenowsingthreeverses,1,2and7.Verse3isOKbutverses4,5and6arelessgoodanddon’tapplytoday.IfyouareanewYear9boyorgirlwhatwouldyoumakeofthefirstverse?Notmuch.Sowhatfollowsisanexplanationofitforyou.First,youhavetoimaginewhatthingswerelikeintheearlypartoftheyear1928.TheHallwasfinishedandopenedin1926.Thegoldletteringwasnewandgoingbackto1922,somostpanelswouldhavenomorethansixnamesonthem,andsomewouldhavenonamesatall.Thenameswouldbenewandshiny,andthewoodpanelsandbattenswouldhavelookednew.Second,thewindowglassisnottheoriginal.Therewerelittlepanesofglassinmetalframes.Third,whatisnowacar-parkonthewestsideoftheHallwasgravelthen.Itgotquitedustyinsummer.So,hereisthefirstlineagain:“Duskonthewallsandthetwilightlingering,”Duskandtwilighthavethesamemeaning;thatperiodbetweendayandnightwhich‘lingers’duringthesummer.ThishappensinNewZealandbutdoesn’thappenintropicalplaces.Thesecondlineis:“Darken,yetlightenourhalfdimmedgaze;”‘Darken’,becauseofthedusk/twilight,butwhatabout‘yetlighten’?Incartoonswhensomeonehasa‘brightidea’itisrepresentedbyalightbulboveraperson’shead.JackBennetthadthislightbulbmomentashesawsomethingnewinhis‘halfdimmedgaze’.Dimmedisnotpronouncedintheusualway.Tomaketherhythmofthepoetryworkanextrasyllableisneeded,sowehavedim-méd,withastressontheletter‘e’.Thelasttwolinesgo:“WhileonthepanelsstillbrightwithhisfingeringGodwritesthislegendingoldenrays:”Thesettingsunisshiningthroughthewestwindows,thereisdustintheairwhichmakesthesun’sraysvisible.Therayswouldhavebeenbrokenupbythelittlewindowpanesinthemetalframes.Bennettusedametaphortoexplainwhatisgoingon.HeseestheraysasGod’sfingers‘writingthelegendingoldenrays’.Thegoldenraysofthesunfallingonthegoldenletteringonthepanels.Thewordlegendhasseveralmeanings.Firstitmeansastoryfromancienttimes,notalwaystrue,andsometimeschanging,aboutafamouspersonorevent,likethelegendsofKingArthurorRobinHood.Amodernmeaningreferstoareal-lifemodernpersonwhoisfamousinsportorthemediaorforperforminganheroicdeed.

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Theothermainmeaningoflegendreferstothenamesthemselves.Alsonoticethatthefirstverseendsinacolon,notafull-stop.Thenextthreeverses,whichwedon’tsing,arealsoseenbyBennettaspartofthelegendtoo.Thesecondversebegins:“Throughhardshiptoglory,MtAlbertcreateusSuchthatourhonourmayliveevermore!”JackBennettknewthattheLatinmotto,PerAngustaAdAugustacouldbetranslatedasThroughHardshiptoGlory.AnothertranslationcouldbeNoPain,NoGain.ThemottoworksbestinLatinbecausejustoneletterischangedtogiveaverydifferentmeaning.Amottoisashortstatementthathelpsuniteagrouporfamily,suchasthatoftheUnitedStatesMarineCorps,whichisSemperFidelis,meaningAlwaysFaithful,whichreallymeansthattheywillalwayslookaftertheircomrades,nomatterwhat.BennettcallsonourSchoolto‘createus’whichheremeanstoeducateus.Thiscanbeadifficultprocess,butworthit,sothatour‘honourwillliveevermore’.Aswetravelthroughlife’sjourneywewilllivegoodandhonourablelivesandbeabletocopewithchallenges.Thelasttwolinesare:“Andthesebeourthoughtsintheyearsthatawaitus,Weshalllookbacktothemottoofyore:”Aswegetolderwereachapointwherewelookback,tothedaysof‘yore’.Yoreisanold-fashionedwordnowjustusedinpoetry.Itmeans‘backintheday’.Wedon’tsingthethirdverse,butthereisagoodlineinit,whichis:“Thingsthouhasttaughtus,richinthytreasure-truth,”WhichisaboutlookingattheSchoolasatreasurechest,fullofgoodstufftosetusupforlife.Thenextthreeversesdon’tworksowellinmoderntimes.Thefinalversebegins:“Grantwiththedays,then,MtAlbert,areverenceSpringingfromdutybutvitalwithlove:”JackBennettisasking,asthedayspass,therewillbeasenseof‘reverence’.Reverenceisanunusualwordinregardtoaschool,ratherthanareligiousservice.Heasksthatthis‘reverence’willgrowoutofduty,notinadrysolemn-facedwaybutvital(alive)withlove.Alivewithlove.Howgoodisthat?Andfinally:“ThatintheendingtherebenotaseveranceTorninthepatternthineownhandswove.”Bennettusesametaphorofwovenfabrictorepresentthe‘wholeness’oftheSchoolandasksthatthisfabricnotbetornorsevered:Thatis,whiletheSchoolwillevolveandchangeassocietyevolvesandchanges,itwillalwaysbetruetoitspurpose,thatis,itwillalwaysprovidethebesteducationandlifeexperiencesitcanfortheyoungpeopleoftheSchoolforthewholetimeofitsexistence.MrMauriceHall,thefourthHeadmaster,visitedBennettinEngland.JackBennettexpresseddismaythatthepoemhewroteasaboywasstillbeingsung.Perhapshethoughtthatwesangitall,whichwouldbedismaying.

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InhislastyearatSchoolJackBennettwonaLissieRathboneScholarship.HisnameisintheHallin1928asthewinneroftheScholarship.LissieRathbonewasthewidowofWilliamRathbone,awealthymerchantandlandowner.MrsRathbonesetupScholarshipforEnglishoneyearandHistorythenext.MrsRathbonediedin1918andtheScholarshipwasfirstawardedin1925.TodayitisadministeredbyVictoriaUniversityofWellington,thoughstudentsgoingtosomeotherUniversitiescanqualify.BennettwenttowhatwasAucklandUniversityCollegeandgraduatedwithHonoursinEnglish.DrRebeccaHaywardofTheUniversityofAucklandEnglishDepartmentwroteasignificantpaperonBennettin2005.ShenoteshisfriendshipwiththeRhodesScholarJamesBertramandhisdebttolecturerPipArdern,anoutstandingscholar.Bennett’sfriendsbecameasortofsecondfamily,ashewasveryconflictedaboutleavinghisownfamilyashehadwonaPostgraduateTravellingScholarshipandmovedtoEnglandandMertonCollege,Oxford.Hewonanotherfirstclassdegree.DrHaywardnotes:“HethencompletedaDPhilatOxfordonfurtherscholarships,unusualinthoseyearswhenfarfewerpeopledidresearchdegrees...Bennettwasthenfacedwithtryingtogetajob.HehadatemporaryJuniorResearchFellowshipatQueen’s[College].”DrHaywardcontinues:“BennettandhiswifestayedinNewYorkduringtheSecondWorldWarwhereBennettdirectedtheBritishInformationService.HeusedthetimetoexplorethecollectionsoftheMetropolitanMuseumandthePierpontMorganLibrary.”OnhisreturntoOxfordhewasmadeaFellowofMagdalenCollege.HewroteseveralbooksonChaucerandbecametheeditorofthescholarlyjournalMediumÆvum.AlwaysaspiritualpersonheconvertedtoCatholicism.HewasamemberoftheInklings,aninformalliterarygroupthatincludedthoseotherdeeplyreligiousandwell-knownfigures,C.S.LewisandJ.R.R.Tolkien.WhenLewisdiedin1964BennettmovedtoCambridgeandtookupLewis’ChairasProfessorofMedievalandRenaissanceEnglish.HisInauguralLecturewasentitledTheHumaneMedievalist.HedidsomeofhisbestworkatCambridge.Hewasneverinrobusthealthanddidnotlivetoseehisseventiethbirthday.AnobituaryinTheTimesstatedthat:“...hisdeathrobsthecountryofoneofitsmostdistinguishedliterarymedievalists.”HisfriendfromhisAucklandstudentdays,JamesBertramsaidofhim:“...hiswidelearningandluminousappreciationofChaucer,Langland,MaloryandotherwritershelpedtoextendthemodernrevaluationoftheMiddleAges”.ThiswaspublishedinTheNewZealandListener,7March1981.InatributetohimbyProfessorDouglasGrayinMediumÆvumVol2,No2,1981Graysaid:“Jackwasamarvelouslyentertainingcompanion,endlesslyinventiveinconversation,spontaneouslywitty.”And:“Jackwasamanwhoinspiredenormousaffectioninthatlargeandheterogeneouscrowdofthosewhowereproudtocallthemselveshisfriends.Hewastotallywithoutvenom,and,Ithinkwithoutenemies.”

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BennettwasonhiswaytoNewZealandtostaywithfriendsinCoromandel.Hedidnotmakeit.Bertramagain:“InLosAngeles,tiredfromtheplane,hewentearlytobed,anddidnotwakeagaininthisworld.”JackArthurWalterBennett,acleverBrethrenboyfromGeorgeStreet,Kingslandbecameaneminentscholar.HeisburiedwithhiswifeGwyneth,intheAssentionParishBurialGround,Cambridge,England.BrianMurphy