Today St Peter’s 8-13 celebrated their 30th Virtualosity Concert.
The Virtualosity concert series was first launched in March 2020, to give pupils at St Peter’s 8-13 the opportunity to perform in front of an audience at home. The concerts proved so popular that they continued in the autumn term and have become a weekly highlight for pupils and parents.
The concerts are streamed via Zoom every Friday lunchtime, and since the concert series began there have been 359 solos, 175 different pupil soloists, 10 staff solos, 18 different instruments, 7 parent appearances, 117 performers in ensembles and 18 ensembles.
750 minutes of live music have been performed over Zoom or sent out on YouTube, with a combined total of 1,687 YouTube views.
Holly Craven, Director of Music at St Peter’s 8-13, said: “When the first lockdown was announced, it seemed vital to us to provide something that allowed live performances, but also (perhaps more importantly) a way for members of the wider school community to come together.
“Each week we see staff, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles ‘zooming’ in, and it is so wonderful to think that for those 30 minutes, the miles disappear, and we are attending a concert together. My thanks to our amazing team of instrumental and vocal teachers and to the children for concerts that have been jam packed with enthusiastic, talented, expressive music.”
Andy Falconer, Head of St Peter’s 8-13, said: “It’s hard to believe that Mrs Craven came up with this idea at the start of the first lockdown, and here we are 359 performances later! I’ve been astounded at the way the musical life of the school has managed to continue both remotely and also last term within year group bubbles. This has allowed the children the opportunity to continue playing in ensembles as well as performing in front of friends, family and staff.”
