Choirs Aiming to Hit the High Notes

Here we go again! This year is the sixth year of the highly prestigious annual junior school choir competition, organised by the Forum Rotary Club in Colchester. TSP is delighted to be sponsoring the event once again this year and the the lead organiser is Rotarian and TSP Employment Solicitor Richard Porter.

As anyone who has been to a live concert will know, the atmosphere is electric; add to that a competitive element and you have the makings of a sensational evening! Giving young people confidence, fun, excitement and enjoyment, this competition always proves to be the jewel in the crown of Forum Rotary Club's year.

There will be three heats, involving eleven schools, taking place throughout November, followed by a grand final of the six best performing choirs at the Ivor Crewe Lecture Theatre, University of Essex, on the evening of Wednesday 27 November.

The heats will take place at the TLA school and the junior schools competing will be as follows:

Heat 1: Thursday 14 November: Heathlands, Baynards, Iceni, Colchester High School

Heat 2: Tuesday 19 November: Brightlingsea, St Andrew’s, Weeley, Chappel C of E, St Johns C of E

Heat 3: Thursday 21 November: Gosbecks, St Georges New
Town and Bishop William Ward

Each choir will sing Camelot by Lin Marsh and a second song of their own choosing.

Each heat will have a winner, guaranteeing an automatic place in the final. Then, once all of the heats have been held, the adjudicators will decide on the three best runners-up to go through to the final as well. Lead judge from 2018, Monica Thomas, has kindly agreed to lead the judges once again this year and will be joined by Ian Dewis and two Performing Arts students from the Colchester Institute. Fellow sponsor, school photographer, Van Cols, will be taking official photographs of the event.

The competition is fully funded by the sponsors, with TC Group completing the full set. There is no cost to the schools or parents for the students' participation so the Rotary club will be collecting at the end of each event in aid of the Tom Bowdidge Foundation.

The Junior Choir Competition is extremely popular and each event is very well attended. It gives local primary school children an opportunity to extend their love of music, develop their choral skills and work together in a collaborative project bringing credit to themselves and their schools. The children thoroughly enjoy the experience, their schools celebrate their involvement and the supporters are justifiably proud of their achievements.

It is a magnificent community event.

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