Star Luke wishes pupils well at charity concert
HOLLYWOOD actor and singer Luke Evans surprised pupils from his former school when he turned up to wish them luck minutes before they stepped out on stage for a fundraising concert.
Children from Aberbargoed Primary School were preparing to join 17 other schools for a concert at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall in aid of Barnardo’s Cymru when Luke arrived backstage to give them some last-minute support.
The Beauty and the Beast star said: “I can still remember what a thrill it was to sing in front of an audience for the first time. For these pupils to have a chance to sing on a stage the size of St David’s at such a young age was an amazing opportunity and I was delighted to be able to meet them and wish them luck for their performance.
“I’ll be singing on the same stage myself on April 29 as part of my debut UK tour so they’ve beaten me to it by a few weeks!”
Headteacher David Lewis said the visit came as a surprise to the pupils.
“The children were so excited to see such a big star. For Luke to take the time to come and see them and wish them luck meant a lot, it was a real boost,” he said.
“He then tweeted about it to his half a million followers and we received lovely messages from people living across the US, France and Germany.”
Luke’s tweet read: “Good luck, make sure you enjoy every beating second of your evening. Winning is great, but being part of a team and having fun is much more important.”
The Aberbargoed pupils joined 600 others from across south Wales at the Barnardo’s Cymru Young
Supporters’ Concert compered by Stifyn Parri. The money raised will go towards supporting vulnerable children and families in Wales.
Marisa Moon, assistant director of Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “It was a truly magical evening hearing so many children from different schools who had never met before come together to perform as one.”
The concert was conducted by Nia Llewellyn Jones and accompanied by organist Jonathan Hope, both from Gloucester Cathedral.