Voices InSpire

Our Voices InSpire project has welcomed more than 800 children from primary schools in and around Salisbury to participate in collaborative singing projects with children from Salisbury Cathedral School.

Each term, one of our team of choral animateurs devotes an hour a week to a local primary school. This time is spent teaching good singing practice and a variety of repertoire to the pupils in years 3 and 4.

At the end of every term, all the schools involved gather together in Salisbury Cathedral for a combined rehearsal and concert. Following their performance, to an audience of family and friends, we have been delighted to invite the primary school children to watch a performance from our prep school jazz band ‘Jazbytes’. Seeing the excitement on their faces, when they hear live music performed by children just a little bit older than themselves, is always a joy to behold!

Aims

Salisbury Cathedral School aims to inspire more singing in primary schools. 

The activity teaches good singing practise to the children involved. They are introduced to new repertoire.

The visiting choral animateurs also educate the teachers (from the local schools involved) on available resources to help them increase opportunities for their pupils to sing.

Participants are enabled to experience singing as part of a large group with an experienced conductor and accompanist.

Participants are also introduced to the joy of performing in the cathedral, where many children have never set foot before. 

Background

Voices InSpire was developed following a government initiative called SingUp which delivered a singing programme from choir schools to primary schools in the early 2000s.

The project is funded with a combination of external funding, Salisbury Cathedral School releasing staff from teaching and Salisbury Cathedral allowing use of the building at no cost. 

Resources

We dedicate the following resources to the project:

3 choral animateurs visiting schools weekly, for at least 6 sessions prior to each concert, and an administrator.

The venue (Salisbury Cathedral).

Live Jazz Concert for all participants.

Continuing Professional Development for teachers, showing them what resources are out there, how to use them. 

There is no cost to participating schools except for the cost of the transport on the day of the concert.

Impact

We target year 3 and 4 pupils in the hope of encouraging them to join a choir near where they live, or to join the Salisbury Cathedral Junior Choir which is open to all children in Y2 and above, and is free to join. 

Pupil Involvement

Year 2 to Year 8.

Frequency

This is an annual project.