Founders' Day 2025

On Friday, 7th March 2025, the school celebrated our annual Founders’ Day at Manchester Cathedral, bringing together over 1,500 pupils, governors, alumni, and staff for this significant occasion. We were honoured to welcome OM Dr Simon Stocks (79–85) as our guest speaker. Dr Stocks reflected on his time at the school, the importance of holding this annual event in such a historic venue, and the lasting significance of generations within the MGS community.

As part of the service, Jake, Vice-Captain for the 2024–25 academic year, performed one of the solos in Haydn’s Creation, a piece presented by the MGS community. Reflecting on the experience, he remarked: “Founders’ Day is always a special occasion for the School, allowing students, staff, parents and Old Mancunians to come together, in the extraordinary setting of Manchester Cathedral, to celebrate MGS’ rich history. Yet for those of us leaving the School this year, the ceremony took on additional significance, reminding us of the strength of the MGS community, that has supported us throughout our time at the School, and will continue to do so as we become Old Mancunians. In this way, Founders’ Day also provided us with the opportunity to look to the future, with the confidence that that School’s core values will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

Year 13 pupil Shai was also a soloist in the choir: he shared his thoughts on the impact of Founders’ Day, reflecting on his experiences of the annual service and its meaning within the school’s tradition: “My first Founders' Day was seven years ago. I had only been at MGS for half a year, but as a member of the choir, I was one of the very few Lower School students that came to sing in the cathedral. I remember how vast the space felt, how impressive the architecture was, and how proud I was that, as a 12-year-old, I had the opportunity to sing in front of over a thousand people, representing the school—my school. Seven years later, much has changed. Having performed at numerous school events since then, I was honoured when Mr Carey, my music teacher, told me he had something significant planned for me at this year’s Founders' Day: a solo in Haydn's The Creation, an oratorio that tells the story of the world's beginnings as described in the Old Testament.

“When the day arrived, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride—even more so than at my first Founders' Day. The ceremony itself is always a grand occasion, a celebration of the school’s history, values, and the lasting bonds within the MGS community. There’s a real sense of tradition that fills the cathedral every year. The powerful music, the inspiring speeches, and the shared pride of being part of something larger than ourselves never fail to make the day poignant.

“For me, this Founders' Day was particularly meaningful. I enjoyed every bit of the ceremony, from singing in the choir and the Close Harmony group, to chanting verses in Hebrew from Genesis with my skullcap on, representing the Jewish community here at MGS. The multicultural aspect of the ceremony reminded me of how fortunate I have been to learn in an environment where our differences as students are celebrated and yet our common identity as MGS boys is always ever-present, uniting us all. But of course, my favourite aspect of the Founders' Day ceremony was always going to be The Creation. Singing out next to my friends, Jake and Joe, and right in front of my parents and the Lord Mayor made me realise how far I had come in these last seven years. MGS has had a fundamentally positive impact on me as a musician, a scholar, and more importantly, as a person.

“The Benefactors’ Lunch which took place after the ceremony at the cathedral opened my eyes to what MGS actually stands for - it is easy as a student to this of the school only as an educational institution - but sitting down to dine with the Old Mancunians and donors made me appreciate that it is so much more than that. We're a community, one which strives to help one another and dares to be kind as much as it dares to be wise, and I know that many boys, like me, are truly grateful for the generosity of the MGS community and the impact it has had on our time here.

Shai concluded by saying: “I came to MGS as a Year 7 boy, I now am soon to leave MGS having been a JSoc Chair, an Internal Officer, and a proud Old Mancunian.”