Celebration of the creative work of children and young people in the St John’s Organ Project
A rather special event took place on Thursday 2nd May! Kindly hosted by Perins School, Alresford, this joint event with St John’s Northington, both launched and celebrated the creative work of children and young people involved with the St John’s Organ {Project and its community and education programme. Their participation and creative work has resulted in:
· An original film - researched, developed, and created by young people at Perins School
· An original song written, composed, and sung by children at Preston Candover Primary School
THIS PLACE - original song written with students from Preston Candover Primary School (youtube.com)
Steve Jones, Executive Headteacher and CEO welcomes students, staff, and St John’s guests
Steve Jones, Executive Headteacher and CEO of Perins Multi Academy Trust, welcomed staff, students, and St John’s guests to the event. Lord Mark Ashburton, Church Warden of St John’s, then thanked the students for their creativity, skill, and enthusiasm, the staff who steered, guided and facilitated their students to take the lead, and the funders - including The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Hampshire and the Islands Historic Churches Trust, the Leathersellers’ Foundation, and numerous other individual donors - who made it all possible.
Lord Mark Ashburton, Church Warden
The Perins Chamber Choir then gave a delightful close harmony performance, following which Miss Mars Alexiou, Head of Creative Arts, together with a Perins student, co-introduced the Perins Film about the history and heritage of St John’s Northington. Also see links about the earlier Perins work in St John’s Church:
· https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/young-people-produce-video-guide-to-st-johns
· https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/project-work-by-perins-students
Neil Valentine, the St John’s Organ Project Animateur, then introduced the song that Year 5 pupils at Preston Candover Prmary School had developed, written, composed and performed, and the process that he had facilitated. Inspired by their original visit to the St John’s, they had then worked together with Neil and one or two other guest musicians, to create their own original song.
THIS PLACE - original song written with students from Preston Candover Primary School (youtube.com)
See links for information about the creative music project workshops with Preston Candover Primary School pupils:
https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/children-complete-and-perform-their-own-unique-song https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/creative-music-project-blog-progress-reportnbsp5-march-2024 https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/creative-music-project-blog-progress-report-27-feb-2024 https://www.stjohnsnorthington.org/news/primary-schools-pupils-start-a-new-creative-music-project
The event then concluded with an inspiring promo film about the forthcoming production by Perins School of Stephen Sondheim’s, ‘Into the Woods’, to be performed in July 2024 at The Grange, Northington.
