Brighter Sounds 25- The Royal Albert Hall!
Brighter Sounds 2025: The Royal Albert Hall, 31 March 2025
On Monday 31 March, more than 1,600 fabulous young musicians from Wandsworth performed at one of the world’s most iconic concert venues!
Brighter Sounds 2025 celebrated partnership and collaboration – bringing together 39 Wandsworth Schools and pupils from the Wandsworth Music Academy. The performances were supported by inspirational musicians from some of our partner organisations, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Opera Studio.
The concert opened with a collaborative musical theatre performance as more than 200 musicians from Wandsworth Secondary Schools and the Wandsworth Performance Troupe joined forces to present a medley of songs from West Side Story!
We were delighted to present the world premiere of Better Together, an original composition created by the Wandsworth Inclusive Ensemble. Better Together delivered a message of inspiration, inclusivity and togetherness and was created and performed by pupils from Nightingale Community Academy, Oak Lodge School, Garratt Park School, Linden Lodge School, Bradstow School, Wandsworth BEYOND!, Wandsworth Music Therapy pupils and Graveney School.
It was a real joy to see all the pupils perform with such excitement, energy and professionalism. The project was delivered in partnership with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and kindly supported by the London Music Fund and Wandsworth Council.
Next up were the Chestnut Grove Steel Pans, directed by Chris Storey BEM, bringing a Caribbean twist to the Destiny’s Child hit song, Bills, Bills, Bills.
The first half was brought to a close with the intoxicating rhythms and energy of the Wandsworth Street Band. Originally formed in Roehampton, this scaled up version of the street band comprised young musicians from primary schools in Roehampton, the Chestnut Grove Steel Pans, and the Jazz Department of the Wandsworth Music Academy, directed by Olly Blackman.
The second half opened with the rousing voices of the 300 strong Wandsworth Secondary Choir, accompanied by the Wandsworth Philharmonic Orchestra performing Carl Orff’s ‘O Fortuna’ from Carmina Burana, the classic Latin pop song ‘Sway’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Lullabye’.
Orion Loth, was then featured as organ soloist in Saint-Saëns epic Organ Symphony. Known as the ‘Voice of Jupiter’, the 9,999-pipe organ of the RAH is the second largest in the UK, and the opening chords of the finale certainly sent a shiver down our spines!
The massed voices of the 1,000 strong primary choir then brought the Royal Albert Hall audience to their feet with songs from past and present, including a Wham Medley, Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, Avicii’s Wake Me Up and a musical homage to Aretha Franklin.
The children sang their hearts out and it was a real pleasure to see a performance filled with such fun, energy and joy!
With such high quality music on display, the evening flew by and before we knew it, it was time for the finale! The evening was brought to a close with more than 1,500 performers joining forces to perform a medley of Beatles hits!
In a celebration of Wandsworth’s year as London Borough of Culture, the young people ended the concert with a cheer of “Welcome to Wandsworth” along with Kemi Akinola, Cabinet Member for Culture, and Kate Stock, Cabinet Member for Children.
Kemi said: “I’ve been blown away by the amazing night of music and performance created by so many of Wandsworth’s young people at the Royal Albert Hall.
“This has truly been a celebration of the diverse talent we have in our community, from the wonderful primary school singers, to the inclusive ensembles and skill of our senior orchestras. It’s a fitting start to Wandsworth’s exciting year as London Borough of Culture.”
What a night it was – certainly one we, and all the young performers will never forget! We can’t wait to be back in 2027!
Wandsworth Music would like to say a huge congratulations to every single young musician who took part and a huge thank you to all teachers and parents for their ongoing support and hard work.
Make sure you purchase your recording of the concert to relive what was an outstanding night of music overflowing with such special memories!
Click Here to Buy: https://bsfv.co.uk/shop/
“I was astonished at what happened in front of us on Monday evening. I was there as the step-grandfather of one of the participants from Graveney School. Until my retirement, I was part professional musician and part sound engineer for BBC Radio 3, very familiar with the Royal Albert Hall with hundreds of Proms “under my belt”!
I should have realised the quality of what was about to happen when the evening started with the West Side Story performance. Astonishing, was the word which immediately came to my mind, both musically and dramatically. The inclusion of so many different groups of children was exemplary.
From the back stage view point, I was amazed at the organising that had to be going on; I know what it’s like trying to organise four adults, let alone several hundred nervous and excited children.
In my former life, I have experienced many wonderful performances in the Albert Hall and I can assure that the Wandsworth concert will live long in my memory“
Wandsworth Parent
“Congratulations on a superb evening at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday evening. What an uplifting start to our week! I really, really enjoyed the concert. I have seen many school music events during my long career working in the arts with young people, and this was one of the stand-out ones!
I appreciated the ambition and variety of the repertoire, the quality of the music and singing and witnessing the sheer enjoyment and engagement of the young people. There were some very moving moments that brought tears to my eyes e.g. Carmina Burana, the Beatles medley – hearing those lyrics sung by children brings another dimension to their meaning.
The collaboration with special needs pupils was stunning, – the xylophones, the signing, the powerful crescendos!“
Elizabeth Lynch MBE
Having spent a truly magic and memorable evening at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday evening, Kate, Kemi and I wanted to reach out and thank you once again for creating this incredible and unforgettable opportunity for our children and young people, for our families, for our Wandsworth community. It was a total privilege to be part of the event and meet your amazing Trustees before the performance. Thank you so much for inviting us.
I know how grateful our school leaders, pupils and parents are for everything you are doing for the young hearts and minds. The passion for music, for connection through music from you, your Trustees is just out of this world, and we are just so incredibly lucky to have you in the borough.
From our hearts and all the children’s hearts, thank you
Ana Popovici – Director or Children’s Services
I just wanted to say thank you for the marvellous concert on Monday evening. It was an amazing event, as it is every year. The effort, dedication and commitment shown by everyone from Wandsworth Music Service is a testament to you all. Many children will never get the opportunity to be part of such a celebration but your drive to ensure children get that special experience is inspiring. Thank you for providing the opportunity for pupils at West Hill to have that chance. I am sure they will hold that memory forever.
Richard Milsom – Headteacher