Almost all members of our extended ESMS community will be aware that the ESMS Junior Choir has performed 25 times throughout August as the official Tattoo choir for the eighth year in a row. They have once again proved to be fantastic ambassadors for their school, for Edinburgh and for Scotland.
The children contributed to the Tattoo on 12 separate occasions each evening, their most moving involvement coming towards the end when they sang ‘Be still my soul’ - I am confident you will enjoy the attached BBC recording of their performance.
It was an honour and a privilege for the children to be entrusted with the responsibility of performing such a significant hymn in honour of those who have given their lives for their country and for those who were invited each night to remember loved ones they have lost. Accompanied only by the Massed Bands, and in the presence of hundreds of serving soldiers and almost 9000 spectators, the children’s fantastic musicality enabled their voices to soar over the majestic ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, reducing many spectators to tears by the beauty of their performance.
All the children took part in every performance and it was very rare for any boy or girl not to be present – not even a thumb broken in a hockey accident at 4.00pm was able to keep one of the girls away, nor was an early morning operation to reset another child’s finger!
In many ways the video reflects all that is good about our schools – our nine values were very clearly on display and regularly commented on by seasoned professionals. Commitment, confidence, enthusiasm and responsibility were evident in every aspect of the children’s involvement, so too was their evident respect for everyone with whom they interacted, their integrity of purpose, their kindness to each other as they gradually became more tired, and the grace they displayed when in receipt of numerous compliments. Perhaps most important to me every night was the deep sense of appreciation they displayed for having been given the honour of performing as members of the cast of such a prestigious production. This sense of appreciation will also have been deeply felt by the parents of boys and girls who are able to attend ESMS thanks to the generosity of supporters of Access to Excellence who are helping to transform their lives with unparalleled opportunities like this.
You can see the choir perform here.
