Church schools tune in for feast of music

Pupils from St Fidelis Primary School in Kent took a full band of steel pans, a choir and instruments ranging from French horns to cellos to Belford’s St Mary’s Middle School last week for a joining of the two church schools.

The event was the brainchild of Eric Gassner, volunteer member of staff at StMary’s for the past 22 years who arranges for and rehearses the school orchestra, and his past pupil, Mr Paul Robinson, director of music at St Fidelis.

The event saw 60 children and 40 adults from Kent arrive in Belford for the event on April 1.

The special joining of two church schools from opposite ends of the country resulted in a night of friendship, fellowship and a wealth of musical talent.

The St Mary’s orchestra was augmented by past pupils who came along to play their instruments.

Eric presented Mr Robinson, on behalf of St Mary’s Middle, with an engraved crystal glass ornament to take back to St Fidelis School in memory of the event.

The hospitality provided by the middle school thanks to catering manager Mrs Smith and caretaker Mr Carr was described as the ‘warmest ever’ by the visitors from Kent.