Gillotts Students Help Lead Singing Workshops

Henley Educational Trust (“HET”) has again teamed up with professional a cappella singers from Voces Cantabiles Music (“VCM Foundation”). For 2016, in addition to offering each of the state primary schools in Henley an exciting singing project for their Year 4 students, HET Trustees have provided funding for VCM to work with Gillotts students as part of the VCM Young leader Programme.  The singing workshops took place on Tuesday this week at Gillotts School with a performance in the evening for parents.

There were eight students from Gillotts in Years, 8, 9, 10 and 11 who completed about five hours training to lead parts of the workshop which included warming up your voice, brain and body and how to use your body as percussion instrument as well as learning the songs (Hello, Fear No More and Basse’ Down).

Frances David, Music Teacher at Gillott School said, “This the first time Gillotts students have gained their Certificate for the Young Leader Programme.  It took some of them out of their comfort zone but it’s been a great confidence builder.”

Clare Stewart from Apollo5 said, ” The concert at Gillotts School was the culmination of another wonderful singing project for the VCM Foundation, organised and funded by the Henley Educational Trust. It is now an anticipated annual event in the musical calendars of the four primary schools – Valley Road, Badgemore, Sacred Heart and Trinity. This year we were thrilled to be able to include Gillotts School students in the project. The volunteer students had a course of training sessions with Apollo5 learning how to lead workshops. They tested these new skills by leading workshops with all the primary school pupils in preparation for the concert. Apollo5 were all very impressed with their increased confidence, teamwork and leadership. All students surpassed themselves in their performance on the evening and sang both beautifully and joyfully in their solo items and also with Apollo5.”

Tina Newman, Year 4 Teacher at Sacred Heart said, “The children in year 4 thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the HET project, from the sessions in school to the rehearsal and concert at Gillotts School. Singing as part of a group increases a sense of community and belonging. The children have learnt to listen to each other, to have the confidence to sing in front of a large audience. Singing increases confidence and self-esteem.”