250 children from schools across Bath and Wiltshire took part in the world premiere of Stardust at Bath Abbey, written in response to the pandemic and its impact on young people.
The premiere of the brand-new choral work, composed by Bath artists, Jools Scott and Sue Curtis, was organised by Bath-based charity Voice For Life. The concert was performed by children from Moorlands Junior School, Colerne Primary School, Oldfield Park Junior School, Widcombe Junior School, St Andrew’s Church School, St Michael’s Junior School, St Julian’s Church School, Wellow and Bath Abbey Melody Makers, with the concert taking the audience on a journey through space, visiting planets which each represented an emotion. On the planets the children showed how they could overcome challenges, eventually reaching their destination, the ‘happy’ planet Zarg.
The concert was attended by an audience of over 1,000 across the two nights, along with dignitaries including Voices for Life patron, The Mayor of Bath, Wera Hobhouse MP and Thomas Sheppard, The High Sheriff of Somerset.
In preparation for the performance, Tessa Armstrong and Shean Bowers, the founders of Voices for Life, visited primary schools across Bath and Wiltshire, hosting over 100 workshops. Each workshop was uniquely designed to engage the children in the story of the new work, building their confidence at each step whilst at the same time teaching the children to find their voice through singing as a choir.
Voices for life plan to launch the ‘Stardust’ project again in 2022, enabling 250 more children to experience the musical journey through space and thrill of performing with an orchestra in such an iconic venue. After that, the sky is the limit for Stardust as the crew look to see the work performed by children across the country.
Jayne Rochford -Smith, Headteacher of St Andrew’s Church School, Bath said, “The children have loved it! It has been wonderful to watch them develop over the sessions and to watch their joy at performing at the Abbey, pushing themselves through the nerves! The parents have been so proud of the children, and this was reflected in how many came along to watch. Thank you to Voices for Life for the vision and creativity to make this happen.”
Paul Roper of The Roper Family Charitable Trust, which kindly sponsored the composition of Stardust, added, “We really enjoyed the concert. We were so impressed how the children sang without any reference to the words. They clearly had a great time. The musical arrangement was also excellent – first class. We were delighted to have been able to support this event. To see the children all take part in such a wonderful concert in such a great venue must have been a real treat for them. Well done on a great job!”
Tessa Armstrong, ‘Voices for Life’ co-founder, said, “The pandemic has had a huge impact on our young people. Stardust has been the most incredible project giving 250 of our local children an opportunity to find their voice and sing to the rooftops after such a challenging 18 months. I will certainly never forget all their smiles and dancing at the end of the performance!”