We were highly honoured on Friday to have Her Majesty The Queen's representative visit Rye College to support our Rye Wurlitzer Academy, which continues to provide free lessons for students on our historic Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. Major General John Moore-Bick CBE, Deputy Lieutenant for East Sussex, is seen in the pictures meeting Rye College & Rye Studio Headteacher Mr Barry Blakelock and with Year 11 student, Robert, who is wearing his solid silver chain of office as the reining winner of the prestigious ATOS UK Young Theatre Organist of the Year Competition.

The event was the RWA Christmas concert, which featured RWA Principal Tutor, Michael Wooldridge, the Brighton Welsh Male Voice Choir and cameo performances from Robert (pictured) and Jamyma Hanson, was very well supported and much enjoyed by a large audience. The Deputy Lieutenant spoke of his early beginnings in the world of music, playing the oboe in an orchestra with his mother, and then thanked the team here at Rye for keeping music, which he described as an important door to many life skills, alive here in Rye.