This Side of the Pond

My high school has its fair share of famous alumni, from politicians and scientists to a professional tennis player who is still the only British woman to have won all four Grand Slams. In my own time there, I shared classroom space with two future actresses; a well known lyric soprano; and virtuoso cellist Natalie Clein.

My school has particular success when it comes to music because of its strong all-round program, but it was never going to be the road to riches for me. While my talented classmates were mastering Chopin, I was still hooting out a stilted version of “Oh When the Saints Go Mar...