SINGING IS FUN!

Two hundred children from four primary schools gave a rousing and entertaining concert in the Cathedral at lunchtime on Monday 22 March to a delighted audience of family members, teachers and passing visitors who chose to share in the fun.

The four schools taking part were Alderbury and West Grimstead, Bulford St Leonards, Collingbourne, and Studley Green, Trowbridge. The children sang a programme of unison and two part action songs, rounds and echo songs from England, Africa, Australia and Cuba, and were conducted by Ian Wicks with Susie Lamb at the piano. They were joined by David Halls conducting the boy choristers. The children also enjoyed an entertaining demonstration on the famous Father Willis organ by Daniel Cook, the cathedral’s organist.

The concert was the culmination of this term’s ‘Singing Together’ outreach programme run jointly by the Cathedral and Cathedral School to promote singing in primary schools. Ian Wicks, Director of Music at the Cathedral School who heads the programme, was really pleased with the concert. “The combination of good songs to sing and enthusiastic children is a joy to behold. The children rose to the challenge of this public concert in the Cathedral magnificently and looked very smart in their various coloured school sweatshirts. My two colleagues, Susie Lamb and Teresa Bond, and I visit each of the schools each week during the term working with the children, all leading up to this concert. The singing in each of the four schools has improved enormously over the weeks as the children have had fun learning. The opportunity to sing with the cathedral choristers meant they raised their game even further.”

Ian Wicks is always happy to hear from “any primary school within a forty minute drive of Salisbury who would like to take part in this singing project. At every school we visit, the enthusiasm of the children for singing seems boundless. We are all aware that music in schools continues to be squeezed by the demands of the National Curriculum and we continue to want to support our professional colleagues in primary schools. If your school is interested in finding out more, please telephone Sarah Flanaghan on 01722 555148 or email: s.flanaghan@salcath.co.uk ”.

This project is fully supported by the Choir Schools Association (CSA) who are strong advocates of community singing initiatives and of choir schools being involved in outreach work.