Diocesan News09 May 17

Cathedral hosts Primary Schools Choir of the Year Competition

The St Anne Trust will welcome pupils and staff from local schools to Belfast Cathedral on May 10 and 11 to compete for the inaugural ‘Belfast Primary Schools Choir of the Year’ title.

The St Anne Trust was formed in 2016, three years after the establishment of the Cathedral’s Choir Schools Project which introduced children from three north Belfast schools to choral music.

The objects of the Trust are the advancement of education and the promotion of arts, culture and heritage through, among other things, promoting good relations with and between young people and their families, particularly those from communities significantly affected by conflict, diversity or deprivation.

This is achieved by providing a forum which promotes tolerance, respect and mutual understanding leading to development of lasting friendships and providing young people with opportunities to develop their musical and performance skills regardless of their social, cultural or religious background.

The Trust is committed to providing access to music–making to children from all over Belfast through different projects and initiatives. This inaugural School Choir of the Year competition, which takes place in the iconic Cathedral, involves primary schools from all parts of the city and more than 400 children will have the opportunity to perform together at the close of competition on Wednesday.

Eleven schools will compete on Wednesday with special schools competing on Thursday. The adjudicator is Donal McCrisken MA, BMus, MTD, LTCL, Adv Cert Ed.

The Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev John Mann, said: “Believing fervently in the holistic effect of singing together and music–making in general, the Cathedral’s staff and Management Board recognise the social, confidence–building, literary–enhancing effects of choir work, and so we wish to celebrate and encourage everyone in song.”

He commended The St Anne Trust for this initiative and thanked the children and staff of the competing schools for taking part.