During our Friday Afternoons Big Sing events at Snape Maltings, we fill the Concert Hall with young people from across the region. Children and teachers gather together to sing through a selection of songs as part of a massed choir.

Applications open throughout June

Until 9pm on 30 June, applications are open to be part of the Friday Afternoons Big Sing LIVE 2025.

Schools from across Suffolk and Norfolk are welcome to apply to be a part of the afternoon at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on Friday 21 November 2025.

This year, we are introducing a brand new collection of songs written by primary school groups from across the British and Irish Isles.

The recommended age to participate is Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, but if your school choir group includes students from outside of these Key Stages your application will still be considered.

Friday Afternoons Big Sing LIVE 2025

(Performance opportunity at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on Friday 21 November 2025)

Summer Term:

• Apply by submitting an online form by Monday 30 June (9pm)
• All applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been successful by Friday 4 July

Autumn Term:

• Receive Learning Resources in September (lyrics, backing tracks, demonstration tracks and scores for 7 songs
• Attend a twilight CPD on Thursday 18 September at Snape Maltings
• Be visited by one of our music leaders at your school between 22–24 October 2025
• Organise your school to visit Snape Maltings to take part in the Big Sing LIVE 2025 on Friday 21 November (travel not provided)

For any queries, please contact the Britten Pears Arts team on: fridayafternoons@brittenpearsarts.org

The Big Sing is made possible with the generous support of corporate, Trust & Foundation and individual supporters. To find out more visit our Thank You page.

Kindly supported by O&C Butcher.

On Friday the 22 November Snape Maltings Concert Hall hosted students and teachers from schools across Suffolk, to perform a range of songs composed specially for the Friday Afternoons project.

The Friday Afternoons Big Sing in 2023 celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Friday Afternoons project. Young people performed 7 songs from this year's collection of songs, including pieces by Roderick Williams, YolanDa Brown, Alexander Campkin, Charlotte Harding, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Alice Zawadzki and Kerry Andrew, as well a piece from Benjamin Britten's original set. All songs released were co-written with young people and have a theme of identity, amplifying their thoughts and feelings on life and the world around them.

On Friday 18 November 2022, 700 young people from 20 schools across Suffolk gathered in Snape Maltings Concert Hall to take part in the Friday Afternoons Big Sing, led by Nicholas Chalmers and Ula Weber. They sang a selection of songs from the Friday Afternoons song bank, including brand new releases from our Dragon Songs collection. These were written by Joanna Lee with text by Andy Shepherd, author of the series of books The Boy Who Grew Dragons.