Two young people’s singing groups from Ipswich and Lowestoft are joining forces this weekend to perform a new community opera.
Two young people's singing groups from Ipswich and Lowestoft are joining forces this weekend to perform a new community opera.
The youngsters aged eight to 18 are members of Group A, a free vocal project run by Snape Maltings in the two towns.
The groups work with professional musicians to explore different musical styles and perform throughout the year in their communities and beyond.
They have performed at Aldeburgh Carnival, Lowestoft Light Switch On and at Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
Earlier this year around 30 teenagers from Group A showed off their singing skills by entertaining shoppers on the Cornhill in Ipswich with a set of infectious Samba songs - also helping to publicise the project.
On Sunday at 11.30am the Ipswich and Lowestoft groups will perform together for the very first time as the finale of First Light Festival on Lowestoft beach.
More than 50 young people from the two Group A projects will perform a new community opera composed by Group A's musical director Aga Serugo-Lugo, based on Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and exploring themes including the hopes and fears of the Lowestoft community.
Ideas for the piece were crowdsourced from across the community, with input from schools, community groups, library visitors and council employees, and props have been created by Suffolk Libraries.
Roger Wright, chief executive of Snape Maltings, said: "We are hugely proud of the young people of Group A who meet monthly in Lowestoft and Ipswich to work with professional musicians and our Learning and Inclusion team.
"They are full of fun and creativity and we are excited to be able to bring the two groups together for the first time at First Light Festival."
The project aims to help build positive community links and raise aspirations for young people.
In Ipswich Group A has been working with youngsters facing particular social cohesion challenges - in particular a very high number of pupils speaking English as a second language.
Snape Maltings works with them on a weekly basis, building confidence through communal singing and having fun.
Group A Ipswich and Group A Lowestoft are free vocal groups for 8-18s that meet monthly in both Ipswich and Lowestoft. Snape Maltings welcomes anyone interested in joining the groups. Anyone interested can contact the Learning & Inclusion team: learning@snapemaltings.co.uk or 01728 687201.
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