On Tuesday 3 March, Bryanston welcomed the Salisbury Classical Association’s Fifty-Ninth Annual Reading Competition, bringing together young classicists from seven schools, including Dauntsey’s, Port Regis, Bishop Wordsworth, Sherborne Prep, Leweston, St Mary’s Calne and Bryanston Prep.
The event celebrates the power of the ancient world in performance. Depending on age group, competitors recite and act either Latin plays or unadapted passages of original Latin and Greek. This year’s programme involved pupils from Year 5 through to Year 13, with performances ranging from early confidence-building readings to polished senior interpretations.
Pupils benefited from expert adjudication across the competition’s strands, with judges Dr Tristan Franklinos (Oriel College, Oxford), Primrose Campbell, and Duncan Fowler-Watt offering detailed, thoughtful feedback to each group.
Bryanston Prep’s own contingent, sixteen pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 delivered a standout set of performances. Competing in nine categories, the team secured an exceptional medal table with five first prizes, four second prizes, and one third prize. The awards were generously funded by the Classical Association.
Commenting on the day, Dr Ben Pullan, Head of Classics, said: “It was a strong day not just for individual school performers, but for the subject as a whole. Classics emerged as the clear winner overall.”
