The first ever AmaSing concerts took place at Storyhouse in Chester last week.

More than 1,000 children from 34 primary schools performed for three sell-out performances on March 12-14 and sang their hearts out in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and Chester Zoo.

AmaSing is a new community interest company which aims to organise and develop inspiring community projects and performances linked with singing, music and arts.

The concerts, which were sponsored by Oliver and Co and Lumisi Creative, also included stunning performances by House of Dance, The Hammond School ballet dancers, adult vocal group Harmonix Vocal Collective and Chester Catholic High School choir Voicebox.

AmaSing at Storyhouse

AmaSing director Rachael Borman added: “Feed back has been wonderful and we are so delighted how successful the first year has gone. It has been amazing to bring all these different communities together through the power of music and song in Storyhouse which is such a wonderful space.

“I am so grateful for all the support I have received putting this together – all the schools, children and staff, Storyhouse, Chester University, West Cheshire College, composers Andy and Matt, the brilliant AmaSing band, House of Dance teachers Chloe Vickers and Julie Guile and all the other groups who came to perform and of course all our sponsors who without their input and support this wouldn’t have been possible.

“I feel very lucky to work with such a wonderful community in Chester and Ellesmere Port and excited for future projects to show off the fantastic talent we have in this area.”

Chester-based composer Matt Baker helped create the song ‘If We Could Rule the World’ specially for the occasion along with the children and University of Chester students.

AmaSing and Manchester-based composer Andrew Smith pledged to support the Macmillan Cancer Charity. Andrew who has himself survived cancer wrote an uplifting song called ‘Live My Life to the Full’. During the project this song has been performed by 1,000 children at Chester Catholic High School and recorded by West Cheshire College media students and entered into Britain’s Got Talent. It was shared on social media and raised great awareness for the charity and reached over 70,000 people.

The song will be re-recorded with the band at Edge Recording Studios and released on iTunes to raise more money for the charity.

All the children who performed at Storyhouse sang a song which had been specially composed for Chester Zoo by Ashley Faith to support its Save the Songbird Appeal.

All performances were presented by actor Simon Smithies while all the songs were accompanied by a professional band with Andrew Smith on keyboard, Liam Hardwick on drums, Paul Adams on bass and electric guitar played by James Dee.

To see highlights of the performances visit www.amasing.org.uk .