We were very fortunate this year to be invited to sing at the Abbey Christmas Fair. It is always a popular event as the Abbey is packed with stalls selling beautifully crafted gifts and tempting treats.
Since late October, the children of both Ashleigh School and That Little Norfolk Studio had been working hard on a large repertoire of Christmas music, especially selected for the Abbey Christmas Fair event.
I think it is important that children learn a variety of songs from different genres. This not only widens their appreciation for different music styles but also introduces them to music they possibly wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.
After several weeks of preparation, there was much excitement amongst the Wymondham Young Voices as they made their way to the performance area. Both singing groups were adorned with tinsel, beaming at the gathering crowd. For most of the children, this was the first time they had performed in public so I positioned myself with the piano in front of the group so they could hear me and see me encouraging and directing them. Family members were eager to see their children perform, and other members of the public were very keen to get a glimpse of the children singing: very quickly a throng of people had gathered behind me to hear the children sing.
Developing soft skills through singing
To provide a wonderful musical mix, our repertoire included songs such as, the wonderful Howard Blake “Walking in the Air” from the popular Snowman animation, “Jingle Bell Rock” immortalised by Bobby Helms and the traditional cradle song “Away in a Manger”, one of my personal favourites.
We usually have a little warm-up before singing to get the children thinking about the sound they are making and to improve their breathing technique. However, as we didn’t have the opportunity to do this prior to the performance, I chose some gentle pieces of music which the Wmondham Young Voices are very familiar with to start us off: “Do-Re-Me”, from The Sound of Music and “Let’s go fly a kite” from Mary Poppins.
Singing to an audience has its own challenges but it is a real boost to a child’s confidence to experience the satisfaction of having accomplished something bigger than themselves.
What skills does a choir leader need to have?
I like to use live piano accompaniment and not playback for performances as firstly, children tend to speed up or suddenly slow down depending on how distracted they are by an audience and I am able to accommodate this if I am seated at the piano. And secondly, live music is much more alive!
Watching children sing is so special: We are reminded of our own childhood, of time passing and of memories of when we also sang with such ease and conviction. If you are watching your own children sing, be prepared to suddenly feel very emotional. It won’t take long for the music to work its magic on you and you’ll either be crying silent tears of joy or bursting with pride!
The Wymondham Young Voices children were buzzing during their performance at the Abbey Christmas Fair and the audience was so supportive. The children brought lots of festive joy to so many people and I am so proud of all the children who took part.
Well done, everyone. The festive season has officially begun. It was a really wonderful first performance for Wymondham Young Voices and I look forward to many more performances in 2025!
Wymondham Young Voices
Wymondham Young Voices is a singing group for children ages seven to twelve.
We meet up once a week for 45 minutes to sing and train our musical skills in a relaxed, fun and inclusive atmosphere.
My aim is to offer children the chance to discover the magic of music firsthand through song, using live music which both challenges and enthuses. I aim to create opportunities for the children to perform informally to their families and friends and to the wider community.
Music is meant to be shared, and I hope that the Wymondham Young Singers will experience that unique feeling which comes from dedication, perseverance, teamwork and a whole lot of wonderful emotions in their performances.
By engaging children through song at a young age and igniting their interest in music, they will develop useful skills which can be transferred further to secondary school level and beyond. Singing is an entry into the world of music and, if nurtured, can lead to all sorts of exciting musical journeys.
If you have a young person who would be interested in joining Wymondham Young Voices then please contact Julia using the registration form below.
Registration form
