PUPILS from across the South Lakes performed to a packed house with what turned out to be a very well chosen song.

The children joined together to perform the song ‘We’re all in this together’ from the 2008 film, High School Musical.

Within days the government had advised against large gatherings of people due to the coronavirus, so the performance at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal came just at the right time.

It was organised by the Cumbria Music Hub, and the concert was one of a series that has been taking place in the area featuring local children.

Sarah Barkway, from the Music Hub, said: “The children work really hard in class every week and getting the opportunity to show off their progress to their parents is a real highlight for them.

“It also helps mums and dads to see what they are doing in school and why the home practice is so important!”

The event was part of The Cumbria Music Hub’s programme of First Access tuition where whole classes of Key Stage 2 children learn music by playing an instrument together.

Devised as a way to introduce large numbers of children to the fun and discipline of playing a musical instrument, each class is given free instruments by the hub and the school provides the funding and the space in the school day for the lessons to take place.

First on the programme were djembe drummers from Staveley school. Playing along to backing tracks from The Lion King they brought a feeling of Africa to Cumbria. Later on Burton Morewood school had their djembe opportunity. Both schools have tuition provided by master musician Zozo Shuaibu.

Stramongate and Ghyllside schools were represented by a similar number of clarinetists, all showing off their skills to upbeat numbers from the blues along with some Latin rhythms. The curtains were pulled back to find 20 keyboards lined up ready to be played by young musicians from Stramongate.

Sporting sunglasses and with added chanting they accompanied Queen’s We Will Rock You to large applause. The violinists and cellists were not be left out, with Ghyllside school providing the sound of an orchestra with their string instruments playing a number of different pieces to show off their playing skills.

All of the children and their parents were then give the opportunity to see how they can progress as they get older when the Kendal Young Wind Band took to the stage. Rehearsing every week Ghyllside School, these players all started in First Access classes and have now joined the mixed instruments of the band.

The finale of the concert was all the children coming together to sing their anthemic song “We’re All in This Together”. Accompanied by teachers and musicians from The Music Hub, the audience left with a feeling of pride as they collected their young musicians to take them home.