Almost 300 schoolchildren from across the region showed off their musical skills in front of proud parents in a musical extravaganza at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
The venue, which usually plays host to some of the world’s biggest rock and pop bands, was transformed with brass and string instruments for the mass gathering.
The concert was held to mark the success of a new musical programme run by Staffordshire Performing Arts thanks to a Government standards fund grant.
A total of 90 schools across the county are involved in the programme, which teaches youngsters aged six and seven how to play a musical instrument.
The pupils learn either a brass or string instrument, and have been rehearsing a range of songs and musical pieces as part of their curriculum over the past year before coming together to perform for the concert yesterday.
It was one of three concerts being performed across the region.
Sue Owen, from Staffordshire Performing Arts who arranged for the hundreds of instruments to be delivered out to schools across the county, said: “It has been fantastic concert. Whole classes learn instruments and then come together to perform what they have learned for a show.
“Because it is not the schools themselves that run the classes, even the teachers have had to learn to play an instrument so they can take part as well.
“You wouldn’t believe that they hadn’t all practiced together before because it is so professional.”
Youngsters performed a range of pieces, including Calypso, Drunken Sailor and When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again.
Performances were split between brass and strings, and all of the pupils came together for a grand finale of Mountain Song at the end.
Taking part were pupils from St Peter’s Primary in Hednesford, Longford and Huntington primaries in Cannock, Castlechurch and Parkside schools in Stafford; Corbett school, Bobbington; St Chad’s and The Richard Cross schools in Lichfield, St John’s Primary School in Essington; Brindley Heath Junior in Kinver; St Michael’s First School in Stone; Sprinfields First School in Yarnfield and St Modwen’s Catholic Primary School of Burton upon Trent.
Proud dad Neil Stoddart, whose 10-year-old son Jamie has learnt to play the trumpet at St Chad’s School in Lichfield, said: “It has given him another interest and he really likes music.
“I wish music in schools had been like that when I was there.”
2 Comments
My daughter has learnt to play the cornet and was so excited to play on the stage at the civic with all her friends.We were so proud of her.Its just a shame the brass section wasnt pictured in the paper.
Yes I agree about the brass section being missed off the picture entirely. It would have been nice to have a full photographic representation. However, my son also had a thoroughly enjoyable time learning to play the cornet.