Children from across our primary schools gathered together at St Wilfrid’s for this year’s BKCAT Singing Festival performance.

Presented by Director of Primary Standards, Rob Barraclough, the evening consisted of a series of enthralling performances of singing from our Trust’s Youth Choir and the Pontefract Catholic Youth Choir, and melodica playing from the Melodica Band, which collectively consist of 150 children from across our primaries.

The Singing Festival has been an annual event for many years and is a cumulation of all the work done in our schools by fantastically talented musical practitioners and choral directors from the Diocese of Leeds School Singing Programme; the School Singing Programme and Keyboard Programme are nationally recognised and are truly cherished by the Trust.

The aim of the programmes is to foster a lifelong love for all things musical in our children, helping to ensure that their time in school is as enriching and enjoyable as possible.

Programme of the evening

Key Stage 2 Singers

• Bonse Aba – traditional Zambian, arr. Victor C. Johnson (b. 1978)
• The Lord is My Shepherd – Howard Goodall (b. 1958)
• Let’s Go Fly a Kite from Mary Poppins – Richard M. Sherman (1928-2024) and Robert B. Sherman (1925-2012)

Pontefract Catholic Youth Choir

• Irish Blessing-Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)
• Mad Moon-Jonathan Dove (b. 1959)
• Mary of Promise arr. Steven C. Warner (b. 1954)
• Lord of the Dance Sydney Carter (1915-2004)

Melodica Band

• Ain’t Nobody – Chaka Khan (b. 1953)
• We Got Rhythm – anon.
• Theme from the ‘New World’ Symphony Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904)
• In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt – Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Key Stage 2 Singers

• Inspired by Faith – Anthony Gray (b. 1996)
• Firefly Andy Beck (b. 1986)

Everyone

• Christ be our Light – Bernadette Farrell (b. 1957)
• Give me Wings – John Rutter (b. 1945)