On Monday 7 July, Create Music brought together 125 students from five schools in Hastings for a morning of singing, performance sharing and community building.
The St Leonards Academy secondary school hosted three local feeder primary schools - West St Leonards Primary Academy (WSLPA), St Paul’s CE Academy and St Leonards CE Academy – as well as the neighbouring Special Educational School, Saxon Mount.
Each school had learned two collective songs for the event, supported by an in-school visit from Create Music’s Singing Strategy Manager, Issy Adams, as well as preparing an individual song for their school group to perform. The event included warm-ups, vocal games, performing to each other and listening to a performance by local opera singer, Chiara Vinci.
Mr Elvy, Head of Music and Assistant Principal at WSLPA said: ‘It was such an enjoyable event – but also so important! To provide those transition opportunities for our Primary school children to visit the neighbouring secondary school, to have the chance to meet and share with the other local schools in our area and just to come together and celebrate singing – such a positive experience.’
A Music Teacher at Saxon Mount added: ‘There was very much a community feel about the event. All the schools, no matter their age or ability, were supported to participate equally.
‘Issy took time to come to our school before the event and go through some of the songs, and as some of our pupils struggle with change and new experiences I felt that this barrier was removed to an extent due to the pupils knowing what to expect and wanting to participate.’
Lucia, a student in Year 4 said: ‘I wasn’t expecting the opera singer but when I heard her she was really amazing and talented. Wow!’
Would you like to build relationships with your local schools by hosting a community singing event? Get in touch with issy.adams@createmusic.org.uk to find out more.
