Walhampton’s Chapel Choir has had an exciting year of performances and, in their first year of competing, the Choir has achieved an international award.

Their action-packed schedule has taken them from the beautiful Walhampton Chapel to some of the greatest concert venues in the UK. Performances have included the Christmas Cracker Extravaganza, a traditional Carol Service at St Thomas’s, Lymington, the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and the School’s Arts Festival and Grandparents’ Lunch, hosted at Walhampton. The Choir’s performance of ‘Seasons of Love’ also became the soundtrack to the School’s 2023 Leavers’ Film.

As well as a fantastic experience for the children, the Chapel Choir have achieved recognition for their hard work. The Choir was awarded First Place in the New Milton Music Festival at The Arnewood School in March 2023, where their beautifully blended sound and musicality won over the audience and adjudicator. The academic year culminated in an award-winning performance at the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod 2023. Walhampton choristers took to the flower bedecked stage of the Llangollen Pavilion with poise, performing four pieces including the rousing ‘Elijah, Rock!’ by Roger Emerson and a highly atmospheric storm piece, ‘Winds’, by Larysa Kuzmenko. The choir impressed with the clarity, blend and passion of their singing, and were awarded 2nd Prize in the Junior Children’s Choirs competition.

Walhampton’s Director of Music, Cassandra White, enthused: “This prize is a huge achievement and well-deserved recognition of the children’s commitment, hard-work and dedication to the Choir. It has been incredibly exciting to hear and see their progress over the course of the year and I am ecstatic that they have achieved this accolade in such a short space of time. Congratulations to each and every one of our choristers - I hope this inspires you to always reach for the stars; with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible!"

The Llangollen Junior Children’s Choirs competition results were:

1st – Lindley Junior School Choir, England

2nd – Walhampton School Chapel Choir, England

3rd – The Musical Originals Training Choir, Jersey