KS2 join an orchestra 302 strong!
There were goosebump moments this afternoon when the children in Key Stage 2 joined forces with other schools in the area to form an orchestra and choir 302 members strong – a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Our children prepared four songs throughout this term on their clarinets and they were joined by 5 other schools who have also been preparing the same songs. The combined orchestra included glockenspiels, ukeleles, flutes, cellos, guitars, violins and our clarinets and they created a mighty noise.
The first song was their ‘Fiesta’ piece, Welcome to WCET Festival, which got the party atmosphere started. It ends with a final shouted, ‘Fiesta!’ and hands punching the air.
Next, the children played an Indian-inspired piece called Bhangra and the melody they had learnt combined with the four separate melodies learnt by the other children. It sounded really good.
After that, the children performed the only piece learnt on the day – a traditional folksong about a jolly sailor and his ringleted girlfriend. This was learnt through actions and repetition to the point where the children performed it confidently in two parts, rotating between the different elements of the song.
The third instrumental piece was a classic of classical music – Peer Gynt’s In the hall of the mountain king. This gave a nice opportunity for the quieter instruments to be heard before our powerful clarinets came in. The children loved the increasing pace towards the end of the piece, and the final epic conclusion.
The final number was a pop song, Rachel Platten’s Fight Song, which combined singing and performing. This was a powerful piece to end with, and a real spine-tingling moment.
We are very proud of our performers – they have done so well with their instruments this year. It is events like this that make you realise just how much they have achieved and how far they have come.
