Starting a choir at your school
Singing in schools dramatically improves self-esteem, helps children to be calmer and more focused and increases enjoyment and engagement in class.
We can provide a bespoke package for your primary, secondary or SEND school. These include support visits and Continual Professional Development (CPD) to help your school to start and develop your choirs and to make it easy to take the songs learned back for use in the classroom, the choir or the playground.
You can choose from a combination of training days and support visits to suit your budget and needs. We will then work with your school music leader to develop their song leading skills with the help of our county choir conductors.
Please contact Surrey Arts for more information.
Singing Picnics
Singing Picnics are a fun-filled and informal way for children to enjoy singing with other schools in an inspirational outdoor setting, such as: Kempton Park, Runnymede Pleasure Grounds, Woking Park or Watts Gallery.
Children from your school will enjoy singing games led by professional vocal leaders and be taught a group song which they will sing together as a large group before enjoying a picnic lunch.
Schools are also invited to prepare one simple, unaccompanied song in advance which they can sing for other schools on the day. It's an ideal way to allow your children participate in group music-making without the pressures of a high-profile performance.
What happens at a Singing Picnic?
Schools bring around 30 children each, often one year group at Key stage 2 level. Teachers prepare a simple song to share at the picnic that can easily be sung unaccompanied or with guitar.
- On arrival, each school is allocated a picnic spot within the grounds and is visited by a professional vocal tutor who leads the children in singing games until all schools have arrived and settled.
- All schools are then gathered into a big circle on the grass.
- Each school sings their prepared song for the others, after which the professional tutors lead the entire group in a call-and-response song with the assistance of the young singing leaders.
- The children will then have their picnic lunches and play more singing games.
How to join
Details about upcoming Singing Picnics can be found on the Surrey Music Hub events page or please contact Surrey Arts to find out about how to join, start dates and further information.
Primary Music Festivals
Primary Music Festivals are an annual event with a series of concerts for primary schools across the county, with close to 100 schools taking part.
Each school choir learns and rehearses a collection of songs to perform with other schools. They then to sing as one large choir to packed auditoriums in some of the county's largest venues such as Dorking Halls.
See what happens at a festival
Pupils get the opportunity to sing a variety of music from classical to popular songs including music from West End shows. Attracting annual audiences in excess of 10,000 people from across Surrey, the festivals offer an exciting promotional opportunity for businesses in Surrey.
See what areas and dates are available
Please contact Surrey Arts to find out how to join and further information.
