Chamber Choir singers from St Margaret’s Prep, aged 9-11, recently left Calne very early in the morning to compete in the finals of Barnardo’s National Choral Competition 2024 at Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Over 60 schools had competed to win a place at this prestigious final. The Chamber Choir was one of the 15 Junior Schools who were selected to perform and they did so superbly, with each member of the choir representing their school brilliantly.
They had worked for weeks to prepare the three-part harmonies for From a Distance, a beautiful song on the theme of world peace, and perfect their moves in the cheery Ac-cent-chu-ate the Positive! The acoustics and atmosphere in the auditorium were fabulous and the day culminated in a performance of two mass pieces, where all the choirs invited performed together.
St Margaret’s choir earned high marks from the judging panel for their ‘engaging and accomplished performances’. Both performances were placed in the top two categories, with the choir’s second piece in the highest category judged as ‘a performance that is outstanding in artistry and technique and shows a complete understanding of the music, combined with the ability to communicate to the audience.’
Headmaster Mr Luke Bromwich commented, “We are so proud of our singers for being selected to take part in this event and in turn, very grateful for Barnardo’s for giving our children this fantastic experience. Congratulations to each member of our choir – you worked together to create something incredible!”