Music to our ears (From Stroud News and Journal)

Music to our ears

RHYTHMS from around the globe collided at Haresfield Primary School during a music week in which children could make as much noise as they wanted.

Besides having a go on saxophones, clarinets, electric guitars, wind chimes and the piano, pupils were also introduced to a range of weird and wonderful instruments like boom whackers.

They also got to show off their moves doing Morris and country dancing.

Years 3 and 4 performed the Nutcracker Suite, while Years 1 and 2 made up a dance to Carnival of the Animals and the reception class performed a dance to Peter and the Wolf.

Niks Patel, an 18-year-old musician from Stroud, was a real hit with the children when he played his didgeridoo and sitar.

Children from Marling School also joined in the fun on Wednesday when they visited Haresfield to swap creative ideas about music and dance.

Isabel Dingle, 10, described her favourite part of the week.

"It was brilliant when the children from Marling came to our school and we all watched each others' dances," she said.

"My favourite instrument is the piano, I am not very good but I love playing it."

Victoria Waterson, 10, loves playing the recorder and hopes to learn the clarinet soon.

"I especially liked it when Niks came and played the didgeridoo and the sitar, it was amazing," she said.

Jackie McNeil, the school's music co-ordinator, said: "This week is all about giving them lots of experiences of different types of music, to listen and to perform in front of their classmates.

"Music week has also been a great opportunity for us to use our brand new school hall."

Every term the school strays from the timetable for a week and gives children the chance to experience something a bit different.

Last term, pupils studied different countries in 'world week' and had a Jamaican storyteller to visit.

Kids also put all their energy to good use during a recent 'get moving week' with PE and games.