Congratulations to Linacre House who have been crowned winners of the 2024 House Song competition. The competition took place on Thursday 17 October, just before the October Half Term break. 

1st - Linacre House - Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran

2nd - Walpole House - Hold Back the River by James Bay

3rd - Marlowe House - Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio 

Performances are scored out of 20, based on quality of house sound, musical content of performance and overall communication of performance. 

Jude Lowson, Head of King's, said:

As ever, the calibre of singing was superb and the comradery in each House was very evident. House Song sums up so much about King’s, with each House engaging wholeheartedly and showing great house pride, but with the contest being played out in great spirit and through friendly and mutually supportive competition. I felt enormously proud to witness it.   

History of the Competition

The house song originated as part of a house music competition in 1959. “The first House Music Competition on May 23rd inaugurated yet another musical activity. The Headmaster presented a handsome cup, and Dr. J. A. Westrup, Heather Professor of Music at Oxford University, kindly came and adjudicated. Each house presented an instrumental and small vocal section, followed by a House Song.” The overall winners were Galpin’s, followed by Walpole, but there is no indication of who won each category. (Cantuarian August 1959, p. 716.)

In the late 1970s the Competition’s programme expanded to include: Junior Piano, Junior Strings, Junior Wind, Junior Brass, Senior Piano, Senior Strings, Senior Wind, Instrumental Ensembles, Vocal Ensembles and House Songs. This experiment did not last long. 1982 saw “the shrinking of the inter-House Music Competition. Limited to house songs this year…” (Cantuarian April 1982, p. 87).

Today, the House Song competition is one of the most highly anticipated events in the King's calendar. All pupils take part in an effort to raise house spirit, some taking it more serious than others!