Wimborne schools are alive with the sound of music

All pupils at St John's Church of England First School took part in a singing workshop with Liz Radford of Dorset Music Service.

All pupils at St John’s Church of England First School took part in a singing workshop with Liz Radford of Dorset Music Service.

Children from across Wimborne are showing what a class act they are by hitting the high notes in school.

Four schools from Wimborne Academy Trust have teamed up with Dorset Music Service for a ‘Wimborne Singing Strategy’.

St John’s CE First School was the first to get in tune and later this term Colehill First School, Witchampton CE First School and Hayeswood First School will all get their chance to make a noteworthy impact.

Leading the all-day workshops, which aims to create confidence in ensemble singing, is TV songwriter and music education specialist Liz Radford, who has composed music for Peppa Pig, Masterchef and Big Brother.

CEO of Wimborne Academy Trust, Liz West, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our schools to take part in.

“We firmly believe music and art enriches our children’s learning and this initiative has demonstrated that perfectly.

“The children at St John’s showed great enthusiasm during their singing workshops. They performed confidently and the singing was of very high quality.

All pupils at St John's Church of England First School took part in a singing workshop with Liz Radford of Dorset Music Service.

All pupils at St John’s Church of England First School took part in a singing workshop with Liz Radford of Dorset Music Service.

“They are very proud of their achievement and I’m reliably informed they are continuing to sing the song both at school and at home. “

This singing initiative was funded by the Dorset Music Education Hub and led by the Dorset Music Service.

The day featured energetic songs and games, with the children practising the skills needed for singing songs with multiple parts.

There was also a workshop focusing on harmony and the children learning different parts for “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”.

The whole school was then treated to a performance of that song.

Liz Radford said: “It’s great to see the change that happens during the workshops.  Most children have never sung in harmony and feel rather nervous at the beginning of the session.

“Understanding more about how harmony works and how to listen to each other really helps them to feel more confident.  When we record the final song, they are all completely going for it!”

 

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