Beginners to singers! Jubilee kids choir forms in just eight weeks

Thursday 26 May 2022

Almost 100 children from over 10 different island schools will be coming together as Jersey’s Platinum Jubilee Children's Choir to sing a specially commissioned Jubilee Song for the lighting of the Beacon on 2 June.

Earlier this year, Imogen Nicholls, a Singing Teacher and Choral Conductor at Musical Originals, realised that there was nothing musical involving children organised for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

As a result of this, she reached out to the Bailiff’s Chambers and suggested that Musical Originals could organise a special Platinum Jubilee Children’s Choir of children aged 7 to 11.

Her initial plan was to involve around 50 children who had never had the opportunity to sing in a choir before and get them to public performance standard in just eight weeks. 

Pictured: The Platinum Jubilee Children's Choir, which consists of almost 100 children from over 10 different Island schools.

Children were asked to audition by recording themselves singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and organiser Imogen was overwhelmed by the number of submissions.

She said: “I honestly thought that any child who had bothered to record and send in an audition tape and commit to the eight-week rehearsal schedule deserved a place in the choir.

“We now have 90 children rehearsing in the Town Hall for two hours each week in preparation for the Jubilee! 

“We have gone from being a disparate group of children, most of whom had never sung before, to singing in three vocal parts 'acapella' and reaching a tuneful top G note in every rehearsal warm-up.  

“I am loving working with these children, many of whom admitted that they would now like to be singers and are certainly going to continue with their 'classical' singing!”

Imogen has also been delighted by the support from parents, having acquired a team of committed chaperones who will be helping support the event on 2 June.

The children will have their final rehearsal this weekend. Their public performance will take place on Glacis Field (south of Fort Regent) as part of the co-ordinated national programme for the lighting of a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacon. 

Pictured: The children have only been rehearsing together for eight weeks.

The event on 2 June will run from 18:00 to 22:30, and accommodate up to 5,000 members of public.

There will be live music, food and entertainment leading up to the lighting of the virtual beacon at 21:45, when the children will sing the specially commissioned Commonwealth song ‘A Life Full of Grace’ as part of the ceremony.

But that might not be the end of the special choir.

Noting that she was "amazed" by the group, Imogen hinted that it may even continue after the Jubilee - and that a trip to the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 2023 may be on the cards.