St Peter’s School 4th and 5th classes performed at the Peace Proms Concert in SSE Arena, Belfast on Sunday 9th March. What a wonderful experience it was, with 4000 children from schools in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland singing along with the Peace Proms Orchestra.
The Peace Proms is a cross-border choral educational project which promotes unity and peace through music for school children in the four provinces of Ireland. Ms Lambert and Ms Rodgers had prepared the children since October when they received the list of songs and choreography to practise with their classes. There was a rehearsal in February with the fabulous Peace Prom Orchestra and their amazing conductor, Greg Beardsell.
On the day, the children just couldn’t decide which song was their favourite, Shake It Off, I Just Can’t Wait to be King, Legendary, Dance the Night Away, Belfast Child……..we could go on! We finished by singing the Peace Proms Anthem, ‘You’re the Voice’, which reminds us that we can all make a difference when we don’t live in silence or fear, but speak out and use our voices.
The anticipation leading up to the big event was further enhanced by the dedication of these same children who are also participating in the Dynamic Strings Programme.
Both classes have been learning the violin since First Class, practising for one hour each day at school and enjoying the expertise of a visiting violin teacher. We are so fortunate to have Róisín Morrow, an acclaimed musician and a past pupil of St Peter’s, teaching both classes the violin. The children have greatly benefited from this musical experience and their performance on stage of ‘You’re Unstoppable’ was a proud moment for their families and our school staff. Their discipline and enthusiasm is testament to the wonderful opportunity which has been provided by this programme. We thank the main organiser, Sharon Treacy Dunne for this learning experience. We thank the staff members, Ms Loughran, Ms Lambert, Ms Rodgers, Ms Lynch and Audrey for accompanying the children to Belfast and a big ‘Thank You’ to families and friends who travelled to the concert and supported the children as they sang with the Peace Proms Choir and played their violins as the Dynamic Strings. A truly memorable experience!
Photographs and video of ‘Unstoppable’of the concert here.