Children's Concert

 My neighbour was sitting in her garden this morning when two children leaned over the wall.

"We're in a concert at the church this evening.  You've got to come!"

So we walked down to the church together.  Just in front of us, a kid with a violin case was charging full pelt down the hill, obviously thinking he was going to be late.

As we sat down, the two kids who had invited my neighbour looked back from their seats with thumbs up.  "You came!" 

The first half of the concert was performed by the professional pianist Jelena Makarova and soprano - the children were being introduced to a wide variety of music featuring rivers and the sea, starting with Benjamin Britten's arrangement of the folk song O, Waly, Waly, the Mermaid's Song by Haydn, a setting of a piece for choir done specially for Jessica Summers to sing with the piano by Colin Riley, called Never Coming Back, and At the River arranged by Aaron Copeland - one of those hymns that turns  up in old Westerns.

Then it was the children's turn.  Francesca Kay the poet had worked with Class 5 in four groups, each of which produced a very different river-themed poem, which composer Robert Peate set to music, including a very serious young drummer, a girl on the xylophone, various cymbals and percussion instruments, and two violinists - and the choir.  They all looked as if they were enjoying themselves, and thoroughly deserved the applause after each song, and at the end.  The poet said that she'd love to just go back to the school and write poetry with the kids until they told her to go away!

It was hugely enjoyable, and lots of people were leaving donations for further Outreach events in the future as they left.