Having thoroughly enjoyed seeing the beaming faces of the children in four plus, year one and two as they completed the second performance of their nativity play, ‘Prickly Hay’ it seems a good time to reflect on the different ways in which our pupils perform during their time at school.
At Church Langton we believe that it all pupils deserve opportunities to perform to different audiences in a range of locations. Looking back over the last year the school has held our Easter Play, the year six leavers’ play and the nativity play. Each child will have a played a part in one of those performances, either narrating, acting or singing.
We are fortunate to have fantastic lights and sound equipment, funding by the Friends of Church Langton, which creates a terrific setting for the pupils to shine.
In addition this, pupils in each class have been involved in musical showcases where they have performed tuned or percussion instruments to parents. These events are a chance for the children to demonstrate what they have learnt with our wonderful music teacher Mr Kirkland. We are very fortunate to have a teacher who is focused solely on the development of music and each class enjoy a weekly lesson along with a focused block of six weeks of extra sessions on a Wednesday afternoon. Whole class instrumental tuition comes in the form of ukulele and recorder teaching which happen in years three and four.
We also have a wide range of peripatetic teachers who deliver lessons in piano, guitar, brass and stringed instruments. Mr Kirkland also runs our school choir and the Friday morning club, Music Makers, who enjoy the imaginative experiences he provides.
Mr Kirkland also leads music across our partnership of schools, organising the joint concerts which have been held at Leicester Grammar School and Welland Park Academy. These concerts involve year five pupils performing from each of the five schools as well as collaborative performances between the pupils.
The year four pupils enjoy an annual opportunity to join a different group of schools in the joint schools concert organised by the Leicestershire Music Hub. The weeks of rehearsal, for both pupils and staff, culminates in an evening of performing to an audience of hundreds at DeMontfort Hall in Leicester.
The largest audience our pupils perform to is at the Birmingham arena where every two years the children in year five and six take part in Young Voices. The children join schools from all across the midlands to perform alongside professional performers during a fantastic evening of music. The reaction from both the pupils and the parents to this opportunity is always wonderful and provides them all with terrific memories of performing.
So as the parents, grandparents and toddlers reflect on their pride at seeing our youngest pupils perform this year’s nativity play I take great pleasure in looking ahead to all the further opportunities those children will have in the years to come.