Shaldon Festival Outreach 2022

Apollo5 Workshop with Year 5 pupils at Teignmouth Community School, Mill Lane

On Thursday 23 June, as part of the Festival’s outreach programme, 27 children aged 9 to 10 were treated to a lunchtime workshop with the award winning vocal ensemble Apollo5. Apollo5 enjoy a busy world-wide concert diary, as well as being committed to providing inspiring musical opportunities for young people.

The workshop began with a sound warm up using body percussion, moved onto a physical warm up including some dance moves and then a voice warm up with breathing and singing exercises. The Apollo5 singers created a speedy and trusting relationship with the children, and within the space of the hour and a half workshop had taught them two songs that they would have the opportunity to perform with them on stage during their evening concert at St. Peter’s Church. The first was a traditional Namibian song arranged by Greg Link called Meguru. The second was Marshmellow’s song Proud. There is no doubt that the workshop was successful in engaging the children in a musical and creative experience which would otherwise not have been available to them.

Not all the children who participated in the workshop were available to perform on stage at the evening concert, but for those who did their sheer delight was apparent as they hugged each other and left the stage to prolonged applause. Such is the power of music!

Our thanks to Apollo5 for giving the children such a wonderful experience and to The Helen Foundation for supporting the workshop.