I was proud to help mark the launch of the BBC’s new initiative BBC Get Singing, recording two pieces at BBC Maida Vale Studios with the BBC Singers alongside pianist Dominika Mak and musicians Yijia Cui and Stephen Whibley. This bold national programme is designed to spark a renewed culture of singing among young people aged 11–14 across the UK. We recorded live more & love more by Cat Burns (arranged by Hannah King) and Piping Down the Valleys Wild by Bob Chilcott.
I see first-hand how transformative group singing can be — for wellbeing, confidence and connection. Research continues to show that singing together brings both physical and mental benefits, and can create a powerful sense of togetherness even among people who have only just met.
Developed in collaboration with Jacob Collier, the aim is simple but powerful: to help thousands of young people discover their voices and experience the joy and impact of singing together. I’m excited to see how this scheme develops and am delighted that the BBC Singers will continue to support BBC Get Singing over the coming months, contributing further performance films and taking part in training and CPD activity nationwide.
About BBC Get Singing
BBC Get Singing is the BBC’s largest national music education initiative in more than a decade. Created in response to a significant decline in singing participation as children move into secondary school, the programme aims to remove barriers to group singing and encourage young people to sing together with confidence.
At the heart of the initiative are brand-new arrangements designed for classrooms, enrichment sessions and extra-curricular choirs. These are supported by warm-up videos, guidance notes, scores and audio tracks, all freely available via BBC Get Singing on BBC Bitesize. Throughout the project, teachers, vocal leaders and participants will also be able to take part in workshops, performances, and training and CPD opportunities across the UK.
Recent research highlights the urgency of this work: more than half of state secondary school teachers report that their pupils never sing together in assembly, and over a third say their school has no choir at all. By contrast, participation remains significantly higher in primary and independent schools.