PUPILS from Ghyll Royd School visited a local nursing home for their annual Christmas concert.

Children from the school’s Form 6 class surprised residents at Burley Hall Nursing Home with a selection of wonderful musical performances. The concert included carols, festive favourites and various solos from the talented, young instrumentalists. ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘We Three Kings’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ and more formed part of the show, which the audience all sang along to.

At the end of the performance, the residents applauded and asked for more. Pupils then met with the residents over juice and biscuits where they were complimented for their beautiful singing and instrument playing. The children enjoyed getting to perform their songs to the residents, and really valued speaking with their audience afterwards. Pupil Charlie Mallik spoke with a fellow piano player who had tears in her eyes and couldn’t wait to tell her family about the performance. Another pupil Bea Horsley said: “All the people here are really lovely.”

Just before the children were due to leave, a carer asked if the children could perform to a resident who was unable to leave her room for the concert, to which the children gladly obliged. They went down to the resident’s room and performed two songs for the lady and her son.

The visit was organised by Form 6 teacher Mrs Sue Marshall and Ghyll Royd’s Specialist Music Teacher Mrs Liz Coultas. Mrs Coultas said: “Yet again the children surpassed themselves. They showed great empathy with the residents and thoroughly enjoyed performing for them. It was wonderful to see the connection between the different generations.”

The children were straight back to school for their choir rehearsal ahead of their end of term carol service at St Mary’s Church the following week.

Merry Christmas to all the residents and staff at Burley Hall Nursing Home from the pupils and teachers at Ghyll Royd School.