Camden New Journal - News: All at the Royal ALbert!

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Camden New Journal - by SIMON WROE
Published: 20 March 2008

Host Pete Lawless White

All at the Royal Albert!

‘Camden has a great reputation for the quality of our music teaching and this festival is a fabulous showcase for the talent of our young people’ – schools musicians dazzle in prestigious performance

IT is a night many professional musicians dream of – a chance to play in one of the world’s foremost concert venues, the Royal Albert Hall.
Last week 2,000 of Camden’s brightest young musicians had that dream come true when they performed in the hallowed hall in South Kensington, in front of a capacity crowd, for the Camden Music Festival 2008.
Children from every school in the borough put the building’s famous acoustics to good use as they sang, played, clapped and boogied (Jackson Five was on the programme) for the 10th anniversary show.
After a fanfare welcome for the Mayor of Camden, Dawn Somper, proceedings got under way with a rendition of You’ve Got A Friend by the massed choirs, numbering more than 1,000 singers.
The night continued with performances from the Camden Jazz Band, primary and secondary school choirs, the Rhythm Orchestra and an ambitious collaboration of the Gloria with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
The Wider Opps Blues deserve special mention – the brass and woodwind players from Gospel Oak and St Mary and St Pancras primary schools had only been learning their instruments for 14 weeks.
The youngsters showed no signs of nerves on the big night when they played at the home of the Proms.
Entertainer Pete Lawless White stepped in to compère the show in the absence of newsreader Jon Snow, who has presented the show for the past five years.
Conservative schools chief Councillor Andrew Mennear said: “Camden has a great reputation for the quality of our music teaching and this festival is a fabulous showcase for the talent of our young people. It’s a real credit to Camden’s schools and Music Service.”

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