Aldborough school singers join 800 Norfolk children in the Connecting Cultures World Choir Project
Aldborough Primary was amongst several Norfolk schools taking part in the Connecting Cultures World Choir Project at the Theatre Royal Norwich on 24th May. The project looks to celebrate the cultures of the world through music. The seventeen singers in Aldborough’s contingent had to learn four new songs – one from the UK, the other three from South Africa, Venezuela and Korea.
“We had a wonderful afternoon full of live music from around the world,” says Mrs Helen Bearman, head teacher at Aldborough School. “All the children were very engaged and excited by the whole experience.”
The Aldborough children learnt all three non-UK songs in their original languages and had a run through the day before the event in front of their families. The South African song in particular proved a challenge, since as well as singing in a local dialect the children had to learn the body percussion parts of the song, too, including slapping, clapping and shushing.
They learnt the songs via zoom link with choir master Camilo Menjura, the award-winning Columbian musician, composer, singer, guitarist, who came to Norwich to lead the Theatre Royal concert. One favourite part of the afternoon was when Camilo asked all 800 children to sing part of a Korean folk song as an a cappella version. It was certainly a very moving moment.
Gary Newland, the director of Music World Wide who co-ordinated the project along with Arts Council England said, “What a magnificent finale and success for everyone involved. The children sang beautifully and full of confidence. We could not have wished for a better end result.”
One of the Aldborough singers was 10 year old Penelope in class 5. She said, “I really liked singing Elefantea Nun Da, which we learnt in the Euskara [Basque] language, because it was very catchy.” The title means ‘Where is the elephant’ and it was the song from Venezuela.
Aldborough Primary School is in North Norfolk, between Aylsham and Cromer. Visit www.aldborough.norfolk.sch.uk for more information.
Press contacts:
Mrs D Knight
The office, Aldborough Primary School
01263 761264 /office@aldborough.norfolk.sch.uk
(In half term call The Publicity Works, 01263 761000, or email richard@publicityworks.biz
For more on the World Choir project visit:
Connecting Cultures – World Choir project for Norfolk Schools: April-May 2023 – Norfolk Music Hub