Students aged 12 to 17 from St Edward’s School in Poole have been singing at two Christmas events this month.
They were among performers at Poole Schools Music Association (PSMA) Christmas Concert, which brought together more than 300 pupils from schools across Poole for a concert at the Lighthouse Theatre on December 12th.
The youngsters performed again at a student-led community Christmas service at St Mary’s Longfleet on December 19th. The 70 students curated the event and organised the program themselves.
Headteacher of St Edward’s School, Mr Michael Antram, said: “It’s been wonderful to see our students performing so beautifully in the community adding to the joy of the season. We were so pleased to see the commitment of our student choir and orchestra in preparing for these Christmas celebrations, reflecting on our journey towards Christmas, assisted by the flourishing performing arts scene at St Edward’s School.”
At the Lighthouse Theatre, almost 30 St Edward’s students performed among the hundreds of Poole school students as part of the PSMA Christmas concert, singing and playing instruments including drums, flute, violin, and trumpet.
The audience included family, friends, teachers, and the Mayor of Poole, a former pupil of St Edward’s, Councillor Pete Miles, who commented: “What a huge amount of musical talent there is across Poole schools.”
Lauren Keene, Head of Performing Arts at St Edward’s School and conductor of the choir, said:
“I could not be prouder of all my students who sang and played so well at the concert. After weeks of rehearsals, all their hard work really paid off and the night was a lovely celebration of both the season and the students.”
A week later, on December 19th, St Edward’s students led Christmas celebrations again, this time at St Mary’s Longfleet. This Christmas Service was a student-led program that included everything from carols and piano solos to rock covers and worship songs. The venue, which seats over 400, was lit by candlelight and most of the seats were filled with family and friends.
Although the concert was free to attend, it raised £110 for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Southampton Hospital through donations.
Lauren Keene, added: “This special Christmas service encouraged our students to share their love of music with the community while supporting a great cause at the same time. We’re all delighted with how well the concert went and are grateful for the beautiful venue too.”