On a very warm afternoon in the middle of June, I was fortunate enough to attend a Celebratory Concert as part of the Cathedral’s Music Outreach programme. These celebrations are held towards the end of every term and involve Primary Schools throughout the county. On this occasion there were 180 pupils from across Key Stage 2 from seven schools in Durham and South Tyneside. The concert was attended by parents sponsors and supporters who were eager to hear what the children had been learning.
Promoted by the Cathedral’s Music Administrator, Jasmine Oakes, and their development department, the Celebration was directed by Outreach leaders, Jessica Holmes, Lewis West, Joseph Beech and Benjamin Mills, who had been visiting the schools throughout the term to teach the songs to the children. Over the three school terms, more than 800 children each year have the opportunity to work with the musicians and perform for family and friends. The Outreach Programme has been running since 2003 and is now very well established but relies on donations and grants for its funding.
During the course of about forty minutes, the children sang nine songs, all with an animal theme, inspired by the words of the final piece ‘All things bright and beautiful’. All the song words had been learnt by heart and a number of them involved singing in parts. It was clear that the children had been encouraged to watch the conductor carefully and to sing out. They had clearly been very well taught. Halfway through the programme, Joseph demonstrated the Cathedral organ and Benjamin talked about it in a light-hearted way, which greatly entertained the children. The leaders also promoted the opportunities given by Durham Cathedral Young Singers, offering a Training Choir for 8-11 year olds and a Chamber Choir for 11-13 year olds, both held every Saturday morning.
It was a great delight to watch the concentration and enthusiasm of the children throughout the concert. It was indeed a great celebration for the children and a lovely way to show the proud parents and friends the hard work they had been doing throughout the term.
Rosemary Downey
Regional Coordinator (North, West, and Wales), Cathedral Music Trust
