The songs were performed for the first time by hundreds of local primary school children at the Peterborough Sings! School Singing Days at the Cresset on 14th and 15th March as part of the Arts Council England-funded Peterborough Schools Singing Strategy, delivered in partnership with Peterborough Music Hub.
Schools participating were:
- Castor C of E Primary School
- All Saints’ C of E Primary School
- Orton Wistow Primary School
- St John’s Church School
- Barnack Primary School
- Welbourne Primary Academy
- Winyates Primary School
- Bishop Creighton Academy
- Southfields Primary School
- St Augustine’s C of E Junior School
Local Key Stage 2 primary school children were asked to write about aspects of life in Peterborough that are important to them, and the final songs created are about the Cathedral, the Posh, Ferry Meadows, Edith Cavell, Peterborough in general – with special mentions for the Station, the Museum, Central Park and City College - and the history of Peterborough dating all the way back to the times of Medehamstede.
Lucy, 10, from Orton Wistow Primary School, wrote about Peterborough Cathedral with its “stained glass windows and spiralling towers”. She says “standing on the stage, singing the song that I wrote the words for will be something I remember forever!
Rachel Francis, a teacher at Orton Wistow Primary School, says “It’s fabulous and inspiring to see how different all the songs are! What an incredible opportunity to celebrate the wonderful city we live in and the children who took part!”
Funded by Peterborough Music Hub and The Marchus Trust, the Peterborough Songbook celebrates the places and spaces that matter to people, fostering relationships in and across communities and inspiring a sense of belonging and pride in local children.
The Peterborough Songbook is intended to form a lasting legacy for local children, celebrating the vibrant and diverse life of the city.
For more information visit https://www.peterboroughsings.org.uk/songbook
