Founders' Day 2026

On Friday 6^th March 2026, the school celebrated our annual Founders’ Day at Manchester Cathedral, bringing together over 1,500 pupils, governors, alumni, and staff for this significant occasion.

As part of the Founders’ Day service, year 11 pupil Dhruv delivered readings, performed a solo piece, and sang alongside members of the MGS Choir and the Close Harmony Choir. He said: “Singing the tenor solo of John Ireland’s ‘Greater Love Hath No Man’ at the Cathedral was the highlight of my year so far. Standing in the middle of the historic 700-year-old building was an experience that I’ll never forget. Having been at MGS since I was 7 years old; until I reached year 7, Founders’ Day was always simply a day off for me. However, my passion for singing carried on into the Senior School, where I joined the choir and had to come into school at 9 o’clock whilst all my friends got to stay at home. Despite that, the sanctity of the event really captivated me. I remember, one year, I had the privilege of sitting right next to the Archbishop of York; and thinking back, I was probably more nervous at that point than I was doing my solo this year”.

“In Close Harmony, we performed Anton Bruckner’s Os Justi, from the chapel at the back of the Cathedral. which is a beautiful Gregorian chant that was sang completely a cappella. Close Harmony really shows us every year the very best that the MGS Choir has to offer, and the sound that we make in the Cathedral continues to give me shivers. Following Close Harmony’s performance was my big event, the Choir & Orchestra piece Greater Love Hath No Man. The name itself comes from the Bible, John 15:13- ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ The line I sang for my solo- ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness’- also comes from the Bible, from 1 Peter 2:24, discussing how we should appreciate Christ’s suffering by acting as he did, with righteousness.

“I was also asked to read the first section of a prayer that is given by a selection of boys every year, in which we pray not only for the school and the wellbeing of its pupils, but also that of Manchester and the world around us, showing how MGS, at heart, is rooted in the wider community. I think Founders’ Day is the best way that the school can commemorate the Founders and Benefactors who make the school a special place for all, as it is today. Although their presence can be felt almost everywhere we go: from the Junior School, with the Bexwyke and Plessyngton Lodges, to the boards of donors that we walk past every day; no-one truly acknowledges the impact that they have had on our school. Having a day set aside to celebrate their contributions to all aspects of student life at MGS allows everyone to appreciate their commitments to the fullest. For me, Founders’ Day is a day of personal reflection and a celebration of achievement, and I am so grateful to have been able to partake in such a prestigious event to the extent in which I did.”

Year 12 pupil Seb also performed a solo as part of Greater Love Hath No Man. He commented: “I have been performing all my life – picking up the viola when I was five or joining a musical theatre group when I was eight. I have always considered myself a musician, but despite having performed in every Founder’s Day I could, I would never have thought just a few years ago that I would be representing the school as a soloist. It goes without saying that it is a great source of pride for me as a Mancunian that I can, however briefly, be the (joint) face of this incredible school. I was quite quiet and reserved throughout my early years here, especially because of my hearing difficulties, but MGS has nurtured my strengths and helped me manage my weaknesses so well – the confidence that I have gained in my talents and myself and the joys that have come as a result could not have come into being were it not for the myriad opportunities that the school goes out of its way to provide. The fact that I can stand and perform as a deaf musician and fulfil my passion, despite significant barriers, is something that I will cherish throughout my life and is something that I will be eternally grateful to this school for. MGS has helped me grow enormously over the last six years, as a scholar, as a musician, and most of all as a person. I find few greater joys than in music - it is what I want to dedicate my life to, and nearing the close of my time at MGS, I must give thanks to this school for giving me that opportunity, at a time when so few schools do.

“Performing at Founder’s Day is a privilege. The service celebrates the values and heritage of the school: academia, faith and multiculturality, Hugh Oldham’s promotion of Godliness and good learning – values consistently upheld in the over five hundred years of Manchester Grammar School’s existence. Singing John Ireland’s Greater Love Hath No Man (especially as one of the two soloists), with its lyrics of love and Redemption, lived up to this wonderfully. The performance really helps connect you with the school’s history and tradition, thousands of people whose lives have been shaped by MGS, stretching back hundreds of years. There is an incredible sense of scale and importance. Performing in front of the Lord Mayor, the school’s pupils and others (not to mention in the awe-inspiring Manchester Cathedral) is a unique experience that I will never forget.My performance on Founder’s Day as a soloist has really made me realise how far I have come since I joined the school in 2020. And as I go into year thirteen and apply for my chosen universities, I will be taking the many lessons I have learned at MGS into the next phase of my life.”

Director of Music, Rob Carey, said: “I was delighted with the standard achieved by the Choirs and Orchestra in the Founders’ Day service in the Cathedral on Friday March 6. The orchestra gave a stylish and nuanced and historically informed account of the Rondeau by Rameau with some particularly sparkling piccolo playing by Ryan Chan in year 13. Close Harmony (this year performing at the opposite end of the cathedral) communicated the beauty of Anton Bruckner’s setting of Os Justi, aptly reflecting the meaning of the words (The just man in his heart shall see wisdom) with soaring polyphony and stylish phrasing remaining beautifully in tune in this unaccompanied piece.

“The John Ireland setting of Greater Love is famous work with considerable musical challenge as a chorus singer, solo singer and orchestra player, and I was really impressed with how the pupils approached and responded to suggestions and instruction during the rehearsals both in school and in the cathedral, culminating in a very impressive performance on the day in all respects. It is rare to hear it performed with orchestra. Very well done to all involved!”