Blackpool school choir from Norbreck Primary Academy reach final of prestigious Barnardo's National Choral competition for the seventh year

32 children from Norbreck Primary Academy will travel to the Symphony Hall on Tuesday Feb 28, 2023, where they will go up against the very best choral groups in the UK.

It’s the seventh time the junior choir has made it to the final heat of the Barnardo's National Choral competition, which makes the choir’s continued success worth celebrating.

Headteacher and choir leader, Karen McCarter, said: “We’re one of only 14 junior choirs to be chosen, and the only one from Lancashire and the North West. They tend to be from the south of England and the majority are from independent schools, so it’s very prestigious.”

The year 4, 5 and 6 pupils will perform two songs – Lord Bless You And Keep You, by John Rutter, and What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor.

They will compete during the day and then take part in an evening concert before getting the results – all before heading home.

Mrs McCarter added: “The children are very talented and able to sustain their harmonies in two and sometimes three parts. We rehearse many times a week, and we only get two months to prepare and get the choir to national standard to get the entries in. They work very hard.”

The competition started in 2008 and is the biggest of its kind in the UK. The final took place virtually last year, and is the first in-person event since before Covid.