King's Lynn choirs invited to national festival

Performing at the Music for Youth National Festival is a great honour – and one King’s Lynn school had the pleasure of seeing two of its choirs invited to the prestigious annual event.

Music for Youth is the UK’s largest youth music festival, and takes place over two days at Birmingham’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall, with select groups going on to perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall in November.

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Springwood High School saw both its Kingsmen and Cantabene choirs invited to take part in this year’s event.

“Springwood has a long and distinguished track record of taking part in Music for Youth,” explained Robin Norman, Director of Music at the school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“The journey to Birmingham started back in March when Music for Youth undertook a series of Regional Festivals, the Norfolk one of which took place at Springwood. This year, following that regional festival, Kingsmen and Cantabene were invited to perform in Birmingham.”

It was the second year running that the 17-strong Kingsmen male voice choir had sung at the Music for Youth National Festival, with the 12  to 18-year-old singers performing last year.

The 40 cross-school members of Cantabene, Springwood’s senior mixed-voice choir, were attending for the first time, and performed a variety of musical styles and genres. Both choirs were led by Springwood music teacher Samantha Ashby.

“We are immensely proud of Kingsmen and Cantabene and their achievements this year, culminating in their invitation to perform in Birmingham,” added Mr Norman.

“Miss Ashby and all our students worked incredibly hard, and thoroughly deserve this accolade.
They are great ambassadors not just for Springwood’s Music Department, but music in West Norfolk in general, and their attitude and enjoyment of making music is second to none. 

“Thank you to them all, their parents, and, of course, Miss Ashby and all their teachers, for their dedication to the musical life of the school.”