School choirs bring festive cheer with Windsor Castle performance

Five Windsor schools brought the festive spirit to the royal town with a special day of performances at Windsor Castle.

More than 160 students between Year 3 and Year 13 gathered for a special singalong of Christmas songs and carols at the historic site on Monday, December 11.

Oakfield First School were the first to perform, followed by a combination of Dedworth First and Middle Schools and in the afternoon, it was the turn of Windsor Boys’ and Windsor Girls’ School to showcase their musical talents.

Each school performed in half-an-hour slots and was accompanied by the Big Band while parents and tourists alike watched the youngsters' performance bring a ‘magical atmosphere’.

Director of Music for Windsor Learning Partnership, James Manwaring said it was ‘great’ to see the five schools, all part of the Windsor academy trust, come together to sing a variety of festive songs.

He said: “They performed a huge range – all of your classic Christmas carols from Silent Night to Frosty the Snowman to Holly Jolly Christmas – it was a huge variety.

“You’ve got all the tourists walking through, enjoying the singing that’s in the castle and it was good to have the parents come along to watch as well. It felt full and was very well-attended.

“The students loved it. Some of them had never been in the castle, certainly the younger ones. So you had the thrill of going in the castle for the first time.

“But it’s also a lovely venue to perform in and the Christmas tree is lovely so they all enjoyed it. It was a great day out and something different. The community aspect of it was special and it was nice to have several groups in across the day.”