Pupils in full voice for visit to Houses of Parliament
A SCHOOL choir travelled to London to sing at the Houses of Parliament following an invitation from their local MP Ann Clwyd.
The choir at Aberdare Town Church in Wales Primary School, which consists of 37 pupils from Year 2 to 6 made the trip to sing in the Jubilee Room in the House of Commons.
Conducted by headteacher Clare Werrett and accompanied by music coordinator Sharon Haughty the choir thrilled their audience with songs from Disney and the West End, as well as with a number of selected hymns.
Reverend Robert Davies of St Elvan’s Church in Aberdare, who is a big supporter of the choir, also accompanied the school on their trip.
“This was an amazing experience from beginning to end,” said Mrs Werrett. “At the kind in- vitation of Mrs Clwyd, the choir were able to perform in an incredible venue and it was a real honour to do so.
“The subsequent tour, workshop and session with Mrs Clwyd were both informative and enjoyable. We would like to thank the education staff in London, Mrs. Clwyd’s staff and Mrs Clwyd herself for this wonderful opportunity which we will all remember for a very long time to come.”
Following their perfor- mance, the choir took part in a tour of both Houses of Parliament. They then visited the new educational workshop, which has just been completed, ahead of a Q & A session with Ann.
“It was an absolute pleasure to see Aberdare Town Church in Wales Primary School choir perform in Westminster,” said Mrs Clwyd. “The pupils had clearly been practis- ing very hard ahead of the day, and everyone was very impressed with the high standard of their performance, especially after such a long journey.
“The pupils sang to a packed room, with many people having to stand in the corridor outside in order to listen to their wonderful singing.
“I was extremely proud that the performance by a local school from my constituency proved to be so popular. I would like to congratulate Mrs Werrett and Mrs Haughty for the excellent work they have been doing with the choir.
“During the Q&A session, the pupils were very inquisitive, and had a number of very interesting and thoughtful questions about my work as an MP. I was pleased to see pupils of such a young age taking an active interest in the political process, and I would like to thank pupils, teachers and parents for making the day so enjoyable.”
The choir are now due to perform in a special service at St Elvan’s Church, Aberdare, on July 3 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.