Children sing and dance to the beat at Schools' Singing Programme workshop at Bath Abbey

More than 500 pupils from primary and secondary schools in and around Bath have been singing, dancing and beat boxing at Bath Abbey. The children took part in a series of activities designed to help them enjoy singing as a group, experience different musical genres and to develop good performance techniques. For the third year running the Schools' Singing Programme's annual workshop has ended with concerts as the children come together to showcase their new skills. Youngsters from Freshford C of E Primary; King Edward's Secondary; St Julian's Primary, Wellow; Weston All Saints Primary; King Edward's Pre-Prep; St Andrew's C of E Primary; Widcombe Junior; St John's C of E Primary, Keynsham; St Philip's C of E Junior; St Stephen's CEVA Primary and High Littleton C of E Primary have been joined the abbey chorus this week. Since it was first set up three years ago, the Abbey's Schools' Singing Programme has reached over 3,000 school children across Bath and North East Somerset to help promote choral singing which in turn has a positive impact on the children's behaviour, helping to build their confidence, concentration, and teamwork skills. Shean Bowers, Bath Abbey's Assistant Director of Music and Choral Director for Schools: "While our main focus is on choral singing, the Schools' Singing Programme is really to get children and schools' staff engaging with music in a way they've never done before. "For many of the children, today will be the first time they'll get to experience different styles of music, from beat boxing to African drumming. Our hope is that these sessions will inspire them to a lifelong love of music, and to explore all the possibilities music brings." Pete Mountstephen, headteacher, St Stephen's CEVA Primary School, said: "The Bath Abbey Schools' Singing Programme has been a wonderfully positive force for our school. The children who have directly benefited have had their lives changed for the better forever, with some really transformational developments in personal confidence amongst one or two of the children."

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Schools' Singing Programme workshop at Bath Abbey