Pupils, parents and staff at Yarm School who formed a virtual choir during lockdown are celebrating the premier of their version of Pixie Lott’s cover of The Housemartins’ Caravan of Love at the annual Dovecote Concert.
This year’s concert, which usually takes place in the Dovecote, a renovated 15th Century building in the school’s grounds, will be a virtual event, with pop, jazz, classical and musical theatre performances from Yarm School pupils.
The event will mark the first time the track, which was organised by the school’s music department, has been heard as a finished performance. The song comprises many individual performances recorded at home and stitched together to produce the finished article.
Following the premiere on 3 July at 16:00, the song will also be published on Yarm School’s website and social media channels.
Mrs Staggs, Director of Music at Yarm School said: “This project was important to all of us at Yarm School. The past few months have been difficult for everyone, particularly young people, and music is fantastic for unifying people in troubling times.
“We had a wonderful time recording Caravan of Love – it’s a beautiful, warm and uplifting track that I know will bring a great deal of joy to our audience.”
Dr Huw Williams, Headmaster at Yarm School, said: “The Dovecote Festival is one of the highlights of our musical year, and we didn’t want the pupils to miss their chance to perform or the parents and local community to miss out on watching the concert. We took the decision to make it a virtual performance this year and we’re delighted with the result, though we can’t wait to be performing live again next summer.”
Ananya Padmanabhan, pupil at Yarm School, said: “I loved being part of the virtual choir and performing Caravan of Love. It’s a fantastic song which conveys the hope that is needed in these unprecedented times. The music department worked really hard to make sure that there was a part for everyone who wanted to be involved. I hope that anyone listening to it will feel inspired to make some music of their own and feel happy even when times are tough.”
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgw1lAs7Ha8