Hattie Coupe, Programme Manager of Children, Families and Young People takes a moment to reflect on this year’s Celebration.

Celebration is just that! A celebration of music performed by young people in Suffolk, spanning all genres, formats and musical styles. The variety is what makes Celebration such a joyful and exciting week. Each group takes over the Concert Hall stage for 10 minutes at a time and there is something magical (and sometimes a little bonkers) about each evening’s programme.

The Britten Pears Arts team does not dictate what the groups perform. We leave that choice in the hands of the children and the schools. What’s important to us is providing all the support they need to make their performance as professional and polished as possible.

Through our partnership with Suffolk County Music Service, we offer schools the opportunity to receive additional music support. Whether it’s a live pianist to accompany a group that was previously practising with a backing track, or a Music Leader visiting to assist with performance preparation, we ensure that every group has the tools they need to shine.

Each school gets their own dedicated dressing room, and before the performance they take part in a technical rehearsal with our full production team. As well as rehearsal opportunity each group gets to take part in a special singing workshop with the composer of the finale song, with a band of musicians to help build confidence and vocal technique. They do also have down time between rehearsals to enjoy and explore the Snape Maltings site. Many groups opt for a picnic style dinner outside, taking a moment to unwind before taking the stage.

We allocate seats for all groups participating in the Concert Hall, so that they have the chance to watch and be inspired by each other’s performances.

For me personally I think the most important outcome of the day is for the young people to feel like the superstars they are. To have this professional treatment and high-quality performance experience, we hope it will build their self-confidence and form a positive core memory, to start or continue a lifelong passion for music, creativity and community.

This year I asked the children participating in Celebration to submit their feedback anonymously in post it notes form in their dressing rooms. I thought it would be nice to include some below:

This year we welcomed over 1000 young people to perform on stage between Monday 7 and Saturday 12 July. We had primary schools, secondary schools including SEN schools, youth music groups. We had all ages from 6 to 18!

Schools from across Suffolk submit their application earlier in the year. The team review the applications carefully. We try and spread the opportunity to partake as fairly and widely as possible. If a group is unsuccessful one year, we will really try to accommodate them the next year. Success is also dependent on the quality and specificity of what they propose. We try to welcome a real mix of ages, musical styles and group formats such as orchestras or musical theatre or band. So, a top tip on applying would to be as detailed as possible! Paint the picture for us as best as you can – even if this is about the vibe and ethos of your group rather than the specific songs if you haven’t chosen these yet.