The south London community where ‘pioneering’ scholarship choristers are made
Summary
A church choir program in south London helps children from a poor community get music scholarships to top UK schools. Despite local challenges like poverty and immigration issues, many children have succeeded in joining prestigious choirs and performing at important events.Key Facts
- St John the Divine, Kennington (SJDK) has a large youth choir program with about 1,000 children since 2013.
- The program helps children from a deprived area in Lambeth, south London, including many from migrant families.
- Several SJDK choristers earned fully funded scholarships to elite music schools like St Paul’s Cathedral school, Westminster Abbey, and King’s College, Cambridge.
- Some choristers have performed at national events, including the coronation of King Charles III.
- The choir program works to remove barriers for working-class children in classical music by providing transport and snacks.
- Music education in local schools has declined, with fewer specialist teachers, increasing the choir’s importance.
- Children in the program sometimes face racial prejudice but continue to break new ground.
- The program celebrates its scholarship singers as pioneers opening up new opportunities for children from diverse backgrounds.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.