It’s cold outside, the festive season is in full flow, and our annual Winter Concerts are the talk of the town at our Flagship Schools in London. Last week, over 540 students and nearly 1,000 of their friends, teachers and family members helped draw the term to a close with a series of special events across our school communities.

But long before the decorations go up, our team has been preparing to make these concerts as special and impactful as possible.

In fact, it was just before the hottest weekend of the year surprised us all in early September, that our teaching team gathered for our termly training to kick off the new academic year. At this moment, the concert dates were set and so the planning began.

Throughout the term our team of teachers were busy thoughtfully curating repertoire and performances that showcase the best of what our students learn and experience in their regular instrumental lessons.

As we became just weeks and days from the concerts, our groups practised their spoken introductions and bows to the audience. Our teachers prepared rehearsal schedules and printed off the programmes for the audience, often decorated with artworks created by the young musicians themselves.

Before long, our concerts were in full swing, and everyone had the total pleasure of experiencing all the diverse and exciting music-making our children enjoy all term. From new music to older tunes, from body percussion to dance moves, from audience participation to solo performances – there’s something for everyone at our Winter Concerts.