Thousands of schoolchildren to sing together at Sheffield Arena

Children will be performing on evenings throughout the week at the Yorkshire venue with the backing of musicians. There are more than 500 local schools taking part, who will help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Young Voices, the largest children’s choir in the world. Every year, schools across the country practise the music in class with their teachers to take part in their concerts.

Tockwith Church Of England Primary are one of the Yorkshire schools who are taking part next week and they are expecting an unforgettable experience. They have been rehearsing for the event twice a week since September - with the practise sessions an hour and half-an-hour respectively - and are taking 30 children, who are aged between seven and 11.

Lucy Hargreaves, one of the class teachers who is involved, said: “The kids are really excited. A lot have not been to the Arena before. A lot have not been to a concert before. It should be an event that they’ll never forget.

“We’ll have lots of support from parents. It’ll be really great for the children and staff.”

On Monday, they will head to Sheffield Arena at 11am and then take part in rehearsals from 1.15pm with the concert starting at 7pm.

The children who are participating, from across the various schools involved, are all aged from six to 13 and they will be performing various styles, including folk, pop, rock and classical. Young Voices is designed to unify children from across the region, boost their confidence and provide lifelong memories for them and their families.

Proceedings are led by David Lawrence, the conductor, who will help entertain children’s friends and family in the audiences.

Tickets will be available from the venue, online by phone and in person. Tickets can be purchased online through the Sheffield Arena website, by phone on 0114 256 5656, or in person. Further information on the event can be found at www.youngvoices.co.uk.