Music is a central part of school life at Manadon Vale Primary School, with a dedicated music studio and practice areas. The children sing and play instruments throughout their school careers, with many joining the school choirs or the orchestra.
The school has a Christmas Choir which then goes out to perform for the residents of local care homes, as well as putting on a school performance. Currently over 80 children from Years 5 and 6 have chosen to be in the main ‘Christmas’ Choir’ which is an astonishingly high level of participation.
Although singing is very popular, so is learning to play a musical instrument with lessons available for enthusiastic or talented children. The school orchestra has 17 children in it, playing cellos, trombones, flutes, clarinets and violins. There are nearly 40 children learning brass, strings, woodwind or guitar through visiting instrumental tutors so music really is a large part of the school day.
Headteacher Hayley Gilbride said:
“All of these groups are currently rehearsing hard for the Key Stage 2 Christmas Carol Services in the last week of term. The standard is so high and we’re always delighted by their performances, which they put so much determination and practice into.”
A total of 15 Year 6 children are also looking forward to and working towards the ‘Young Voices’ concert and residential trip to the World Resorts Arena, Birmingham, in January 2023, where they will sing as part of a choir of 6,000 schoolchildren providing a wonderful opportunity for them to perform at a prestigious venue with professional musicians.
