Tower and Town, December 2025 (view the full edition)Marlborough CollegeMarlborough College was founded by the Church of England in 1843 to educate the 'Sons of the Clergy'. The Chapel, consecrated on the Feast of St.Michael and All Angels in 1886 by the Bishop of Salisbury who continues to this day to be the College President, is a regular place of worship for pupils, staff, parents and Council. It is invariably the first place of return when Old Marlburians visit the College in their adulthood and, whether religious or not, it leaves an indelible mark on the memories of those who sang hymns, heard sermons and addresses, spent time celebrating baptisms, confirmations and marriages, and experienced the solemnity of Memorial services and funerals, often at impressionable young ages. There is an almost overwhelming opportunity to share the Christian story and to disseminate its beauty and life-giving spirit to countless youth who come and go on the five-year cycle from Shell, Remove and Hundreds, to Lower and Upper Sixth. Attendance at Chapel is mandatory for all pupils. Pupils of other faiths are encouraged by the Senior Chaplain and welcome to enrich their own spirituality under the tutelage of one of the school's faith chaplains - be they Muslim or Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist. But the principle services of worship are offered in the Liberal Catholic tradition of the Church of England with a world-class choir of dedicated pupil choristers, many of whom are on a scholarship. 'Public School Anglicanism', emphasising heritage, tradition and even nostalgia continues to be embraced by a Governing Board who realise it as an opportunity for pupils to reflect upon 'matters of Ultimate Concern', in the words of Paul Tillich - American Theologian. 'Who am I?' 'What am I meant to be doing with my life?' 'How can I lead a life of service, given this opportunity with which I am so blessed, to be a member of this College? These are the reflection points that are put into context by the power of the Gospel. The Victorian founders and benefactors of the College could never have imagined the Smartphone. They certainly couldn't have grasped in any way the challenges placed upon adolescents in the 21st century - the powers of materialism and ego-centric individualism enhanced by social media, alongside the mountain that any youth needs to climb in a world marked by isolationist self-concern and greed, so endemic in our Western world, that even challenges their ability to enter the workforce. But there still, in the middle of campus, stands the Chapel of St Michael and All Angels - the spiritual hub and geographic centre of an institution that will forever shape their lives. The Revd Tim Novis |