Industry News
State and private school children sing in unison
Posted on 25th February 2008
Some 600 pupils from 26 state and private schools joined together to form choirs, orchestras and bands for a one-off event at Birmingham's concert hall this weekend.
The students received a standing ovation from the 1,500-strong crowd, the Lancashire Telegraph reported.
Woodard Schools, the largest group of independent Church of England schools in England and Wales, organised the event.
Eileen Proctor, co-ordinator of arts at St Wilfred's school in Blackburn, told the newspaper that children aged seven to 18 had participated in the annual Woodard Schools Symphony Hall Concert, with the highlight being Berlioz's Te Deum.
She added: "The Symphony Hall Concert mixed pupils from inner city state schools with those from some of the UK's top public schools and together they performed a variety of music to appeal to all tastes and ages."
Woodward owns 23 private, fee-paying schools directly, which it describes as having a "national as well as international reputation" and a "flourishing boarding community".