The Grove Hosts Children's Pop Concert

The Grove in Retford hosted a very special Pop concert with local school children as the stars.

The church works closely with St Swithun's C of E Primary Academy, just over the road from the Methodist Church and were delighted to invite the children over as part of The Pop UK event they were taking part in.

The event, which was made possible through a Arts & Heritage grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund obtained by the church, involved the pupils spending a week rehearsing and performing seven pop songs which explore Christian values and two live performances at The Grove.

It was organised by a charity called Bright Futures Unlimited and Pop UK. Rachel Ortiz from the charity said the final performance comes at the end of a week where the children learned seven specially written pop songs by Pop UK. The songs explore Christian values and explore what it means for them to be part of a team and a whole school family. Alongside their live performances, children recorded their own album."

Paul Charly, Head teacher at St Swithun's Cof E Academy said: "The actual performance is something I will never forget. To see the children engaging confidently and with enthusiasm was a sight to behold. Children smiling is a magical thing and throughout both performances, it was clear to see that this event was something they were fully invested in."

Pupil Miya aged 8 said: "I like singing because you get to let your voice out there!"
Pupil Cassie, aged 9 said: "My favourite part of all is when we get to sing and dance together. I think all of us at school have had a lot of fun this week and the teachers have joined in the singing and have done some funny dancing too!"

Revd. Julie Coates from The Grove said: "Our relationship with St Swithun's is so important to us, we enjoy hosting Godly Play sessions with them and seasonal celebration services. I have worked with Pop UK on several occasions in the past and know how wonderful their songs are, so I was thrilled when we received an Arts & Heritage grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which enabled us to be able to put on this event with the school.

"During the last few years The Grove has undergone a lot of renovation work in order to preserve the Grade II listed building for future generations. The sanctuary is now a versatile space, perfect for performing arts, whilst still retaining the original features including a beautiful ornate ceiling. The church is meant to be full of song so it was wonderful to hear the pupils singing the songs that they so obviously enjoyed."