The biennial Children in Song concert takes place this year on Saturday 14 June, as more than 400 children from primary schools across the Island come together with the Manx Children’s Choir to perform an inspirational musical first premiered in the Royal Albert Hall in 2009.
‘One Sun One World’, which was composed by Peter Rose and Anne Conlon to mark the 50th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF UK), celebrates our planet in all its rich diversity, but also examines changes brought about by human activities in a modern world.
Children from across the sixteen primary schools have begun work on the production in their classrooms and will come together to form the full choir in the final concert.
As rehearsals continue, Maggie Richardson, Head of Music Service with the Department of Education and Children, explained:
'The children are really enjoying learning this music. Some of the songs are technically quite demanding but the children are singing them beautifully. There really are some wonderful young singers in our schools. With a mixture of lively and more solemn songs, this thought-provoking work is generating a lot of discussion in classrooms across our Island about our planet's future and how we can ensure we leave it in good shape for future generations.'
The central theme of the musical is the power of the sun, the patterns of nature, habitats and life-forms. The panda, the polar bear and the tiger represent the great wonders and beauties of the earth with the intricate threads of life linking every living thing. The children of the world portray the amazing web of trade and communication in the modern world with its global transport systems and its ever-changing technology. As the musical progresses, the audience is reminded about how everyone can help safeguard the natural world, tackle the threat of climate change and help people to change the way they live.
The performance takes place at the Villa Marina on Saturday June 14 at 7pm. Tickets are £6 (£3 for under 16s). Early booking is advisable.
Children in Song is supported by the Douglas Buxton Music Trust, which was formed to honour the achievements of the late Mr Buxton, a music teacher and inspiration to generations of singers, who founded the Lon Dhoo Male Voice Choir in 1937 and the Lon Vane Ladies Choir in 1946. A library exists in his name at the Department of Education and Children's Music Centre at St Ninian’s Lower School.
In 2012, the Children in Song concert premiered ‘Jazzy Jinks’, a fantastical musical drama about jazz-playing cats, composed especially for the event by children’s songwriter Rebecca Lawrence.
