Classical music stars stage concerts at Shropshire school
Two of classic music's most talented young stars said it was great to be performing again to young people as they paid a visit to a Shropshire school.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who was named BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2016, and his sister Isata, a pianist who performed with Sir Elton John in Los Angeles aged just 17, gave a series of short performances at Wrekin College.
Staff at school pulled out all the stops to ensure every child had a chance to see them perform in a Covid-secure setting with each year group bubble treated to their own live session.
The famous siblings said it was great to be at the college in Wellington and wonderful to see the reactions of their audiences aged from 11 to 18, who had really seemed to enjoy the variety of classical pieces they had played.
Director of music Simon Platford said it was an emotional afternoon bringing back live performances to the school exactly a year on from the announcement of the first lockdown.
"I think it left most of us speechless to hear music played above any other level, it was just something you can't describe, a unique experience," he added.
"These are two of the most exciting talents in classical music and it was an amazing opportunity to hear them perform live together."
Some of the school's upper sixth musicians were also able to take part in a workshop with Sheku, who gained national fame after playing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Isata, whose 2019 debut album hit the UK classical charts at number one.
Isata will be returning to the school for a full recital in September 2022 as part of the Sounds of the Future series of concerts which had to be put on hold at the start of the pandemic.
The series has been organised to celebrate Wrekin College's new music school which opened in January last year.
