Warwick Rotary Club was delighted to hold its annual Schools Summer Concert this week at St Marys Church. This year the event organised with the Warwick Schools Foundation, was split between two concerts, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. President Jon Wassall welcomed parents to each one and Warwick Mayor, Cllr Simon Pargeter to the afternoon. The concerts were funded with support from Warwick Town Council.

Warwick Schools Foundation, and Warwick – A Singing Town, put the programme together and as over 400 children from local primary schools filled the church, it was a real testament to what’s possible when a whole town believes in the power of singing. MC Rotarian Jon Wassall welcomed the audience and introduced each contribution.

Warwick A Singing Town is a community, health, and schools singing project for Warwick, funded generously by the Henry VIII Endowed Trust and the Oken Trust. A team comprising exceptional choral entrepreneur colleagues, Cerys Purser, Hannah Gowers, and Sophie Chakhmaghi, was managed by Stuart Thompson, who also played piano and organ at the concert and encouraged the audience to find their own voices.

The morning concert started with everyone singing a Gospel medley – which got feet tapping, followed by a lively African “Amani Utope” encouraging us to meet life’s challenges, All Saints Junior children then sang about “Friday Afternoons”, followed by Newburgh school with an African American Plantation song. Children from Clapham Terrace put us in a good mood with “Sunshine in my Heart” and then everyone sang “Shoshone” a Native American love song.

Evergreen school delighted with “I wanna be like you” from the Jungle Book, and were followed by “US” sung again by Newburgh Year 2’s. Westgate Primary sang “Great as you Are” before a rousing finale which everyone joined in to “SING” by Gary Barlow. 

In the afternoon there were 40 enthusiastic youngsters from Budbroke Primary, joined by a large group from Coten End. They all started off singing the Gospel Medley, and “Amani Utope” following which from Budbroke School sang about “Sunshine in my Heart! Then they were joined by Coten End school to sing ”Shoshone”. Coten End sang an uplifting “I just gotta sing” before the choral team ran a Singing Workshop with everyone clapping along to a Calypso and other Caribbean tunes. The concert concluded again with “SING”.

Mayor Cllr Simon Pargeter said it had been a privilege to hear the wonderful singing from the children. He praised the commitment of all involved and thanked the children, teachers and volunteers who had made it possible and encouraged everyone to keep singing.

Jon Wassall of the Rotary Club explained that the club has been holding these concerts for 19 years and all proceeds from the concert will go to support music in schools. He thanked all the teachers, parents, and performers for putting on such a great concert and in particular Rotarian Laurie Day who had persisted in ensuring that the concert was able to proceed despite all the pressures on school timetables.

Jon Wassall thanked the Town Council, St Mary’s, and Stuart Thompson of Warwick Schools Foundation, and all his Rotarian colleagues for their support, and encouraged the children to continue with their music.

  President Jon Wassall with Warwick Mayor Cllr Simon Pargeter.

  All Saints school, courtesy of the school.

 

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