The Peterborough Songbook: Hundreds of prima Ry schoolchildren premiere songs at The Cresset

Hundreds of schoolchildren have taken part in singing a unique collection of six songs called the Peterborough Songbook. The songbook was produced by the music education charity Peterborough Sings! It is a unique collection of six songs created by and for local children.

It features song lyrics written by pupils from local primary schools which have been set to music by a professional composer. The songs were performed for the first time by

hundreds of primary school children at the Peterborough Sings! School Singing Days at The Cresset last month.

It was part of the Arts Council England-funded Peterborough Schools Singing Strategy, delivered in partnership with Peterborough Music Hub. Schools participating were:

• Castor C of E Primary School

• All Saints’ C of E Primary School

• Orton Wistow Primary School

• St John’s Church School

• Barnack Primary School

• Welbourne Primary Academy

• Winyates Primary School

• Bishop Creighton Academy

• Southfields Primary School

• St Augustine’s C of E Junior School

Key stage 2 primary school children were asked to write about aspects of life in Peterborough that are

important to them. The final songs created

were about the cathedral, the Posh, Ferry Meadows, Edith Cavell, Peterborough in general with special mentions for the station, the museum, Central Park and City College and the history of Peterborough dating all the way back to the times of Medehamstede. Lucy, 10, from Orton Wistow Primary School, wrote about Peterborough Cathedral with its “stained glass windows and spiralling towers”.

She said: “Standing on the stage, singing the song that I wrote the words for, will be something I remember forever.”

Rachel Francis, a teacher at Orton Wistow Primary School, said: “It’s fabulous and inspiring to see how different all the songs are. “What an incredible opportunity to celebrate the wonderful city we live in and the children who took part.”

Funded by Peterborough Music Hub and The Marchus Trust, the Peterborough Songbook celebrates the places and spaces that matter to people, fostering relationships in and across communities and inspiring a sense of belonging and pride in local children. The Peterborough Songbook is intended to form a lasting legacy for local children, celebrating the vibrant and diverse life of the city.

For more information visit www.peterboroughsings. org.uk/songbook

Peterborough Songbook Singing Days.