The West Sussex school ‘secret’ garden that's inspired a hit song

Ned Mortimer, lead singer of the band August and After, has revealed that the lyrics to his best-selling song, The Orchard, from the album Embers, were inspired by his time as a pupil at Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School, near Steyning.

The band are planning to play as part of upcoming Steyning Festival line-up.

His haunting song, 'The Orchard', reflects on lost time and childhood memories. The Neo-gothic school building has a Victorian garden full of old apple trees used for play times. It was where Ned played as a school boy and the memory spark for the hit track.

The first verse is: 'I stood here as a child and whiled away the time; As innocent as spring isn't, and moral as a nursery rhyme; This garden's older now but I am older still; And I'm held hostage by the time I used to kill; The Summer's run away, and stopped to take a chill. Oh to steal a moment, Oh to seal a sweeping glance, Oh to feel the moment.'
 
Ned said: 'When I went back to the Walled Garden, I had so many memories flood back and felt compelled to write the song. So very little had changed there. It was still that special ‘secret garden’.'

Ned, 26, is a core member of Indie-Folk group, August and After. Their albums are part of Spotify UK’s official 'Your Coffee Break' playlist and have garnered over two million plays online.
 
The band was nominated in the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards as Best Country/Folk act in 2016. They have completed a Ronnie Scott’s residency, several European tours and many sold-out London shows. Their music is regularly featured on BBC 6 Music and Kerrang! Radio.

Ned attended Sompting Abbotts from 1994-2004 and studied music under its Head of Music Annette Williamson.

He won a scholarship to Lancing College and went on to study Law at Cambridge.

He believes that his performing success is rooted in the excellent musical and arts opportunities he enjoyed at the school.

'Sompting Abbotts gave me the chance to get involved in so much. The music tuition was really strong and inspiring. I learned the piano and the violin and did a lot of singing in the choir. That classical and choral training underpins everything I’m doing now,' he said.

Picture: Ned Mortimer back in the garden at Sompting Abbotts Prep School where he recently returned to play his hit song to the children there.