Children of St Swithun’s C of E Primary Academy in Retford spent a week rehearsing and performing seven pop songs which can now be streamed by their families as an album.
Children also ended their week with two live performances held in the beautiful surroundings at the Grove Street Methodist Church, a short walk from their school.
Rachel Ortiz runs a charity called Bright Futures Unlimited and along with sound engineer, Jim Allen, supported children to perform and produce their album. Rachel said, “The final performance comes at the end of a week where children learned seven specially written pop songs by Pop UK. The songs explore the school’s values, Christian values, and explore what it means for them to be part of a team, -and a whole school family. Alongside their live performances, children recorded their own album which is a celebration of everything they have done this week. The album will be freely available as a link for the school to share with families.”
Rachel said the children were fully engaged with the process. “The children have been brilliant, and it seems clear to me that they sing a lot as a school. They very quickly picked up rhythms and melodies and were very enthusiastic about their dance moves to accompany the songs. I think they will wow everyone their performance.”
Pupil Miya age 8, said she wants to be a vet when she is older but has always loved singing. She said, “We are singing and dancing and have done a lot of rehearsals this week. My family is coming to see me today, my Nan and my Mum. I like singing because you get to let your voice out there! I am not nervous about doing the show because we are all doing it together.”
Paul Charly is Head teacher at St Swithun’s C of E Primary Academy based on Grove Street in Retford and he said, “The Pop UK event was simply fantastic! The project involved children from Reception through to Year 6 and by default, all their parents and extended family. This literally meant that the whole St Swithun’s Community was able to come together and be a part of something big, something that encouraged a togetherness and that allowed the children to confidently express themselves through the excitement of song and dance.
“The actual performance is something I will never forget,” said Paul. “To see the children engaging confidently and with enthusiasm was a sight to behold. Children smiling is a magical thing and throughout both performances, it was clear to see that this event was something they were fully invested in.”
Paul said that the Brilliant Futures Unlimited and Pop UK staff were fantastic. “They were full of enthusiasm and boundless energy. There was an instant connection made with our children which allowed for a truly enjoyable journey over the 3 days. Parents and members of the community were extremely complimentary about the event and particularly the way in which the children performed. This will be something the children will never forget and something that will hopefully instil confidence and self-awareness for future moments and events in their lives. We wanted to encourage togetherness, confidence and a sense of self-worth through this project – this was evident in bucketfuls and therefore a great success. I thoroughly recommend any school hosting the Pop UK team. They won’t be disappointed.”
Pupil Cassie age 9, took part and said, “My favourite part of all is when we get to sing and dance together. Also, there will be an album of us singing and I am very excited about that. For the performance I have my Mum, Dad and cousin coming to see me. I don’t think that I will feel so nervous knowing they are watching. I think all of us at school have had a lot of fun this week, and the teachers have joined in the singing and have done some funny dancing too!”