The Round Chapel recently hosted the annual ‘Hackney Music Festival’. St Mary’s made 3 fantastic appearances alongside many other Hackney schools. The event remains the largest school musical gathering in the borough. This year there were 56 schools with around 4,500 children taking part from all over the borough.
The Hackney Schools Music and Dance Festival is the biggest and one of the most popular events in the school calendar. The festival provides an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the musical achievements and progress that our young people have made throughout the year.
What is probably the largest single borough schools music festival in London, started out as a two-day junior singing event over 20 years ago in 1997. By 2007 there were three days of each event: junior singing; infant singing; dance; and instrumental days catering for 5000 children across, what was then, a three-week long festival! Several performances also involved working in partnership with external partners. As this work developed, a Partnerships Day was added in 2013. After its success last year during our 20th anniversary, we see the inclusion of an Early Years singing festival for the second year running.
All the children who have been involved in the festival have really worked hard and really enjoyed themselves. They also enjoyed listening to the various special guest singers, groups and the other musical groups that performed.
Thank you to all the children and parents who attended the festivals.