▁begin ▁viol in ▁less ons ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁eight , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁correspond ence ▁course ▁in ▁music ▁from ▁Edinburgh ▁University ▁and ▁passed ▁the ▁associated ▁exam in ations . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁he ▁went ▁as ▁a ▁board er ▁to ▁Field ▁House ▁prepar atory ▁school ▁in ▁Rot ting de an ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁coast ▁of ▁England , ▁forty ▁miles ▁from ▁W ot ton . ▁He ▁was ▁generally ▁happy ▁there , ▁although ▁he ▁was ▁shock ed ▁to ▁encounter ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁social ▁sn ob ber y ▁and ▁political ▁conserv at ism , ▁which ▁were ▁r ife ▁among ▁his ▁fellow ▁pup ils . ▁From ▁there ▁he ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁school ▁Char ter house ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁His ▁academic ▁and ▁sport ing ▁achiev ements ▁there ▁were ▁satisf actory , ▁and ▁the ▁school ▁encourag ed ▁his ▁musical ▁development . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁he ▁organ ised ▁a ▁concert ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁hall , ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁performance ▁of ▁his ▁G ▁major ▁P iano ▁T rio ▁( now ▁lost ) ▁with ▁the ▁composer ▁as ▁viol in ist . ▁ ▁While ▁at ▁Char ter house ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁found ▁that ▁religion ▁meant ▁less ▁and ▁less ▁to ▁him , ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁at he ist . ▁This ▁soft ened ▁into ▁" a ▁cheer ful ▁ag nost ic ism ", ▁and ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁attend ▁church ▁regularly ▁to ▁avoid ▁ups et