MUSIC came to life for almost 400 excited youngsters and a packed audience of 900 parents and friends.
Every child in Year Four across 10 Chester primary schools has been taking part in an exciting new project designed to introduce them to the joys of music making.
The 300 pupils took part in a celebration concert at Chester’s Northgate Arena, where they were joined by a 90-strong junior orchestra.
The outcome of the thrilling performances was a standing ovation for the youngsters.
The children performed pieces learnt over a 10 week period during which they have been either learning guitar, playing in a samba band, or following a newly devised singing course.
Although they only met up for the first time on the day of the concert to play together the standard was described as ‘astonishing’.
The highlights of the event were the two finale items when all 300 youngsters performed The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Yellow Submarine, accompanied by the junior orchestra.
The pioneering project was devised and delivered by Music for Life, a non-profit organisation, working in partnership with the local education authority.
The schools involved were Barrow, Boughton Heath, Cherry Grove, Christleton, Guilden Sutton, Huntington, Mickle Trafford, Oldfield, Saighton and Waverton.
Alastair McWilliam, director of Music for Life, said:“When the idea for this project came about less than a year ago nobody would have dreamt that there would be so many budding musicians that we would need a venue as large as the Northgate Arena to give all the pupils the opportunity of sharing their music!
“It is very exciting to think about how we could develop this work further next year and I look forward to working with the new Year 4s in September! ”
