Something for all at Community Music Festival

There was something to suit all musical tastes when a Lynn school opened its doors to the community for a free four-day music festival, offering everything from rock and pop to big bands, orchestras, choirs and jazz.

Organised by the West Norfolk Academies Trust, WNAT Community Music Week took place in the grounds of member school Springwood, and starred young musicians from the Trust’s 11 schools, alongside other talented musical groups and performers from across the region.

Kicking off on Monday 1 July, the event opened with a Rock and Pop Showcase, where entertainment was provided by bands and performers from WNAT schools, as well as ‘guests’.

On Tuesday, it was the turn of West Norfolk’s Concert Bands and Orchestras to take to the stage.

A Primary Instrumental Showcase brought children from WNAT’s seven primary schools together to play as one Instrumental Ensemble, with participating schools including Clenchwarton Primary, Gaywood Primary, Heacham Infant, Heacham Junior, Snettisham Primary, Walpole Cross Keys Primary, and West Lynn Primary.

Younger pupils then joined older students to perform in the Springwood Transition Band and Orchestra, before the evening continued with performances 
from other bands and orchestras from Springwood, including the school’s award-winning Concert Band.

Among the community guests sharing the spotlight with the WNAT musicians were the West Norfolk Wind Orchestra, the West Norfolk Music Centre, and The King’s Lynn Town Band.

Wednesday was Jazz Night, which featured performances from Springwood’s Big Band and Small Ensembles, along with guest stars the West Norfolk Reeds, the Ouse 5 Wind Quintet, and The Centre Stage Swing Band.

The series was brought to a suitably climatic close on Thursday 4 July with the WNAT Vocal Celebration, where choirs from the Trust’s primaries joined forces with those from Springwood and fellow WNAT high schools Marshland, Smithdon, and St Clement’s, and visitor St Martha’s.

Billed as a ‘celebration of choral arrangements’, the evening culminated in a grand finale where over 200 young singers performed together.

The annual festival has become a regular calendar fixture, and was taking place for the third year in a row.

“As a trust, WNAT believe that we are central to the communities in which our schools are sited,” said Robin Norman, who is Director of Music at WNAT.

“Music is central to the work we are doing across the Trust now, and we want to support the whole of West Norfolk in enjoying music, by giving the opportunity to the local community to experience some live music performances without charge, and also by giving performance opportunities to all local, amateur music organisations.”