Students from Heacham, Snettisham, Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn, Clenchwarton, Gaywood, West Walton and Hunstanton come together for carol service in King's Lynn
It was Christmas at its most traditional when a group of West Norfolk schools came together to host a carol service for members of the community.
The 11 schools, which are all members of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, joined forces to celebrate the season at the first WNAT Community Carol Service.
The event took place at St Nicholas' Chapel in Lynn and was attended by parents, students, staff and the wider community, including the Lady Mayoress, Lesley Bambridge.
Musical director of Springwood High School, Robin Norman, who helped coordinate the event, said: “Our first Community Carol Service involved 200 students from all of our schools and 400 in the audience singing communal carols, while enjoying Christmas song performances from each school cluster, and bible readings telling the traditional Christmas story.
“The event was a traditional carol service based on the Lessons and Carols as performed at King's College, Cambridge, every year, and came about following conversations with parents who asked why nobody does traditional carol services any more.
“In the magnificent surroundings of St Nicholas' Chapel, this was a fantastic start to the Christmas season, and one which gave a lovely festive atmosphere and Christmas spirit to everyone involved.”
Communal carols included ‘While Shepherds Watched’, ’Once in Royal David’s City’, and ‘The First Noel’, while the schools also gave individual performances at the hour-long service.
Children from Heacham Infants, Heacham Junior, and Snettisham Primary shared their rendition of ‘Away in a Manger’, while the group from Walpole Cross Keys, West Lynn and Clenchwarton Primaries performed ‘O Christmas Tree’, and the children from Gaywood Primary sang ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’.
The trust’s secondary schools also had key parts to play, with Marshland High and St Clement’s High performing ‘Let It Snow’ together, and Springwood High and Smithdon High combining to sing ‘What Christmas Means to Me’.
Captains from the four secondary schools also gave the bible readings. All the schools then joined together for ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ and ‘I Wish It Could be Christmas Every Day’.
Mr Norman added: “At WNAT we realise that we are part of our local communities, and, so, to undertake events that all our community can come along to and enjoy, is a huge part of what we are trying to achieve.
“Having now undertaken this, it will now become an annual event – something we hope will become a staple in the lives of people in Lynn and the whole of West Norfolk.”
