Newcastle School Joins 1,000 Voices for Seventies-Themed Big Gig
Children from a Newcastle school were among more than a thousand young performers from across the North East who came together to join voices at an annual music event.
Thirty pupils from Years 3 to 6 at St Catherine’s Catholic Primary took part in the Big Gig at Vertu Motors Arena on Friday 20 June, which had as its theme for 2025 ‘Sounds of the Seventies’.
Run by Music Partnership North (MPN), which is part of Newcastle Music Service, the Big Gig was launched in 2018 and sees children from schools across the region perform en masse in front of an audience. The show is also live-streamed.
Among the classic seventies hits performed this year were ‘Crocodile Rock’, ‘Sir Duke’, ‘Dancing Queen’, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love’, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, ‘Country Roads’, ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘We Are Family’, ‘I Will Survive’, and ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’.
It was the first time that St Catherine’s, which is a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, had been involved in the event.
“Events like this boost the children’s confidence,” said Melissa Calvert, who is Music Lead at the school, and worked with Class Teacher Rachael Murray to prepare the children for the performance.
“It was a great experience for them to hear and be a part of live music.”