Children receive playground classical music lesson

Primary school students were treated to a music performance in their school playground as part of an initiative to bring classical music to more children.

Playground Proms visited Bure Valley Primary School in Aylsham, Norfolk for an interactive workshop accompanied with cellos and violins.

The group is hoping to tour schools across the United Kingdom and meet "disadvantaged" children and change perceptions around classical music.

Cathal Ó Dúill, founder of Playground Proms, said: "Some children we perform with may have never heard any live classical music before our visit."

The initiative came to life as a way of performing during Covid-19 social distancing restrictions to give local children access to music.

Playground Proms partnered with the Norfolk music hub to spend four days in schools across Norfolk, including in Great Yarmouth, Swaffham, Dereham, King's Lynn and Norwich.

Cathal Ó Dúill, founder of Playground Proms, said: "We believe classical music can be enjoyed by everyone and the response to both our schools' workshops and performances in the local communities show this.

"Some children we perform with may have never heard any live classical music before our visit and we believe passionately in the transformative nature of live music in all children's lives."

Evan, 11, said the workshop was "excellent".

"I've never seen anything that silly but also very classical at the same time... the best music I've ever seen."

Penny Taylor, music co-ordinator at Bure Valley Primary School, said: "It was wonderful... it's joyous to see the smiles on their faces.

"It really engages them and captures their imaginations.

"Presenting it like that to children is really helpful because it gets away from that idea that it's something old and not applicable to them."

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