THE SPECTATOR
in conjunction with the Prayer Book Society, is proud, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Cranmer, to announce
THE THOMAS CRANMER SCHOOLS PRIZE
THIS prize, designed to encourage knowledge of Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer among young people, will be open to all secondary school pupils within the state or voluntary-aided sector. It is particularly aimed at pupils of Church of England voluntary-aided schools. The prize will be awarded for the best declamation by heart of short passages from the Prayer Book. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has honoured us by agreeing to be patron of the prize.
The final, and the presentation, will take place in London towards the end of the year.
The judges of the prize will be chaired by P. D. James, the novelist. The other judges will be P. J. Kavanagh, poetry editor of The Spectator; Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer; Alec McCowen, the actor; Prunella Scales, the actress; and C. H. Sisson, the poet. The prize will consist of £500 to be divided between pupil and school, a pre- sentation copy of the Book of Common Prayer and special commemorative plaques.
It will seek to reward those pupils who can recite, by heart, short passages from the Prayer Book with appropriate expression and understanding. (Pra- yers reserved for the priest — for example the consecration of the Eucharist — are excluded from the competition.) The finalists will be chosen from regional heats throughout England. De- tails will be circulated to schools when they return for the September term.
The competition is, of course, open to pupils who are not members of the Church of England.
For further enquiries: please contact Roy Beagley at The Spectator (01 405 1706) or Anthony Kilmister at the Prayer Book Society (01 255 2432).
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