Highcliffe Highlights
Highcliffe School Choir, Birstall, recently excelled in a concert at Stoneygate Baptist Church.
The choir has been reformed by visiting music teacher, Jo Boddison and the audience was entertained with songs about Henry VIII and his six wives (Chop and Change), about the Romans (What Have they done for Us?) and Good Looking Guys, a song from Blastoff, all about aliens. Even with an earlier rehearsal before the event, the children behaved impeccably and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, singing in the lovely Stoneygate acoustic.
The concert concluded with a performance of Andrew Carter’s Benedicite. With inspiration from the Book of Common Prayer about praising the Lord, the pupils sang about all kinds of animals blessing the Lord. This included badgers, hedgehogs, dromedaries, dragonflies, weasels and warthogs.
Their final section was asking fathers and mothers, grannies and grandads, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts and all kith and kin to also bless the Lord.
Highcliffe were joined in the Benedicite by Leicester Choir, Cantamici, who sang about green things, sun and moon, thunder and lightning, whales and waters. The capacity audience were very supportive and appreciative.
Cantamici organised this community event, having previously arranged a joint concert with Highcliffe as long ago as 2014. Cantamici also performed a mix of pieces which included O For the Wings of a Dove with soloist Ellie Stell. Songs from Indonesia and Canada also featured in the programme.
Tremendous thanks are due to Ms Stewart, the head of Highcliffe, for her blessing, to the parents and families of the pupils for their support and appreciation. Also, thanks to Jo Boddison for her work and enthusiasm in encouraging the pupils. But tremendous thanks to all the pupils themselves for singing so well in this combined event.
https://www.cantamicichoir.org.uk
